The FedEx Kennesaw Shooting: An Example of the Increasing Trend of Workplace Violence
Unfortunately, occurrences of workplace violence have become an all too familiar phenomenon. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 11,613 individuals were killed between 1992 and 2006 in workplace violence incidents, and an average of 1.7 million individuals are victims of violent crimes while working in the United States every year.
The 2014 shooting at the FedEx facility in Kennesaw, Georgia is a noteworthy example of the increasing trend of workplace violence. On April 29, 2014, a FedEx package handler opened fire at the FedEx facility, wounding six people. The first person he shot was a 28-year-old veteran who was working at the facility as an unarmed security guard. His injuries nearly killed him and required him to undergo 54 surgeries over the course of the next three years. Working on his behalf, Deitch & Rogers, LLC filed a premises liability lawsuit against FedEx for its lack of adequate security measures and equipment despite having experienced a previous active shooter event at another FedEx facility, knowing that another one could occur at the FedEx Kennesaw facility, and having received prior complaints about threatening conduct by the shooter.
At Deitch & Rogers, LLC we believe employees are entitled to a safe workplace. And under Georgia law, companies have a responsibility to exercise ordinary care to keep their premises safe from known dangers, including workplace violence. If an employee is injured as a result of workplace violence, their employer and/or any other businesses or individuals involved in the incident might be liable for the employee’s injuries. With the help of experienced counsel, a victim might pursue claims for inadequate security, negligent hiring, negligent supervision, training, or monitoring of the violent employee, and/or other claims. In many cases, the employer already knows or should know of the employee’s violent tendencies before a more serious incident occurs. In the case of the FedEx Kennesaw shooting, for example, the shooter’s aggressive behavior had been reported to management but ignored. By uncovering these and other facts, the crime victim lawyers at Deitch & Rogers, LLC were able to achieve a successful result for the victim.
