Riddle & Brantley Attorney Says $43,000 Fine for Safety Violations at Smithfield Grain “Does Nothing to Deter”

Riddle & Brantley attorney Adam Smith, an NC Bar-Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation, slammed a recent $43,000 fine assessed by the North Carolina Department of Labor after a worker fell 70 feet to her death at Smithfield Grain. The company was found to have violated at least four workplace safety rules, contributing to the tragedy.

“Fines like that do nothing to deter employers and encourage safe practices in our view,” said Smith in an interview with WRAL.

The fine was nearly $20,000 less than the maximum allowed by law.

Annie Wilbert fell from a grain bin to her death, leaving her husband, Curtis Wilbert, to grieve every day.

“My loved one went to work and did not come home that day,” Wilbert said. “And this should not have been a dangerous job. For a company of that size, that’s just a slap on the wrist.”

Legal Options After Workplace Injuries in North Carolina

According to Smith, the family could pursue further justice with a North Carolina workers’ compensation claim. Wilbert says that he and his family are considering legal action.

Riddle & Brantley has decades of experience handling these claims, and has secured millions of dollars for injured workers and their loved ones.