Nearly three years after Russel Scharenbroch died, his widow Angel still has a hard time explaining what happened to him to his six kids.
“They’re the ones that ask for their dad or want to know questions and why… It’s just been really rough,” she told 24 Hour News 8 Friday.
Russ was crushed and killed while trying to clean a machine at Grand Rapids Plastics in June of 2014.
A state inspection soon after his death revealed major problems at the company, resulting in dozens of violations and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
Then, in the spring of last year, Grand Rapids Plastics closed for good after losing a major contract.
But Angel Scharenbroch isn’t through. She filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company last fall. Her attorney, Garrett TenHave-Chapman, said they’re seeking “substantially more” than the $25,000 established in the complaint, but wouldn’t say the exact amount.
“It was such a blatant disregard of safety in the workplace,” TenHave-Chapman said of Russ’ death.
But the attorney for Grand Rapids Plastics filed a motion to, in effect, dismiss the case. A Kent County Circuit Court judge heard arguments over the motion Friday afternoon as the case went inside a courtroom for the first time.
The judge ultimately denied the motion to dismiss the case, and gave TenHave-Chapman two weeks to amend the lawsuit in response to the defense’s challenge of its wording.
It is a minor win for Angel Scharenbroch, who wasn’t alone at the hearing. Dozens of Russ’ friends and family showed up with #JusticeForRuss written across their shirts.
Although Grand Rapids Plastics is now closed, TenHave-Chapman said, if they win, they can still seek monetary damages through the company’s remaining assets or insurance.
Friday marked just the first of what could be several motions and hearings in the case. It could ultimately take months, if not years, to resolve.
But Scharenbroch, who said her husband’s death shouldn’t be called an “accident,” wants to see it through to a trial. It’s unclear what the judge will decide at future hearings.