Former Inmate Crushed By Tree Files Suit Against Town Of Century, Florida Dept. Of Corrections

August 15, 2019

A former state prison inmate has filed a negligence lawsuit against the Town of Century and the Florida Department of Corrections claiming he was crushed by a tree while on a work release program.

Cheyenne Nelson was participating in an inmate work release program on Jefferson Avenue in Century on March 27, 2018, under the direct supervision of two Town of Century utility workers. According to the lawsuit filed this month, Nelson was assigned the task of using an 18-inch chainsaw while about 40 feet of the ground in a boom truck bucket.

Nelson was not provided with a protective hard hat, gear, glasses of or safety roping to control falling limbs or pieces of the cut tree, his attorney claims.

A large portion of the cut tree fell on top of Nelson “crushing and pinning him inside the bucket causing serious and permanent bodily injury”, the lawsuit states.

The suit claims the Town of Century “recklessly” disregarded Nelson’s safetyby not taking measures to prevent injury, not providing safety gear, failing to properly train town employees and failing to supervise those employees.

He claims the Florida Department of Corrections was negligent by assigning him work release duties with the Town of Century knowing that the work would be detrimental to his physical well being.

Nelson is seeking an unspecified damage award from the town and FDC.

Nelson was released from prison on April 25, 2019, after serving three years on a grand theft conviction in Escambia County, according to Florida Department of Corrections records.

Comments

26 Responses to “Former Inmate Crushed By Tree Files Suit Against Town Of Century, Florida Dept. Of Corrections”

  1. Tabby on August 19th, 2019 6:17 am

    Oh, and those questioning how it’s DOC’s fault, he was directly their responsibility. Same as if I was employed by a leasing agency like Aerotek and hurt on whatever job assignment they put me on. The DOC assigned him to work with Century, that’s how it’s their fault. Gonna fall back on classification and what kind of experience he had for them to send this guy to work that job.

  2. Tabby on August 19th, 2019 6:12 am

    I’m definitely pro LEO but dang, some of you are cold hearted. Yeah, the guy put himself in prison but he didn’t ask to be disfigured. Had he refused, he’d have been written a DR for refusing to work and sent back to whatever main facility he came from. As much as it pains some of you, your gonna have to settle the case.

  3. Former CO on August 18th, 2019 11:33 pm

    He.may have a lawsuit against town of century but dont see how he does against the DOC

  4. Safebear on August 16th, 2019 9:36 am

    @ retired – can’t be Workers’ Comp because he was technically not an employee

    My question is though that if he was injured that seriously, did the bucket truck fall over? If a limb that big fell onto the bucket, it should have taken the whole truck over – it don’t take much to tip those things.

    On the other hand, he should have been provided safety equipment – unless i know what his injuries were, it’s hard to say if that would have helped a lot.

  5. Stumpknocker on August 15th, 2019 9:19 pm

    He got hurt because this was his first day ever to work lol .

  6. Disappointed on August 15th, 2019 7:02 pm

    Wondering how each of you would feel if this happened to YOUR son, grandson, nephew, cousin, family member? Would you be so discriminative? This world is filled with so much hatred & discrimination, & the majority of you are contributing to this HATE! You are talking about someone you have never met, you know nothing about this person except what you’ve read. It’s time for ALL of us to start rethinking our thoughts & WORDS. Are you lifting someone up? Are your words positive? Are you helping someone? We CAN DO BETTER together for each other instead of tearing others down. Definitely can’t hurt trying. Will you please TRY with me?

  7. CW on August 15th, 2019 3:23 pm

    Surely Century has insurance to cover stuff like this. Then again, maybe not.

  8. Ocala Blue on August 15th, 2019 2:11 pm

    It’s so laughable about the way inmates are treated versus free people. Why wouldn’t the inmate be supplied with any form of safety gear to do a job that REQUIRES safety gear from anyone else doing the same job? Is it because he’s an inmate so we don’t really give a crap whether or not he gets injured or maybe even killed? This lack of responsibility on the DOC and the town of Century will now probably cost them both and I hope it does. An inmates life should not be considered any less of a human being just because he’s serving time and any of you closed minded idiots who think differently are just as moronic as the idiots who put him in a bucket truck with no gear. Shows you how much brains you’re dealing with even in the free world.

  9. Mel on August 15th, 2019 11:47 am

    1st what safety equipment was he missing and would said equipment have actually help keep him from getting the injuries he is complaining about. He was crushed by a tree. Hard hat only protects your head. Gloves protects hands. If it’s any other part of his body then I don’t see a case. Inmates always have safety glasses. Good luck century getting out of this stupid lawsuit

  10. Bowhunter on August 15th, 2019 11:34 am

    TOC Will Pay Him Like The State Of Florida / $200.00 A Month For 200 Year’s

  11. chris on August 15th, 2019 11:11 am

    “And I wander where he thinks century is going to get the money to pay him off??” – Century can pay him off in unused new gas meters, since they seem to have a surplus of them.

  12. steve on August 15th, 2019 10:40 am

    10 to 1 he told the crew watching him that he KNEW how to do this job.
    They dont just force you into a bucket and say have at it.

    He wanted to be in that bucket and when he failed at the job HE suffered.

    Nah on the law suit.

  13. Skeptic on August 15th, 2019 9:59 am

    Haha… I agree, he has a pretty decent case… they should have known better than to just put him up in a bucket truck cutting trees without safety gear, training, and proper supervision. Recipe for disaster. But I’m laughing at the part where he’s including FDOC saying they should have known he’d bout get killed working with the Town of Century…

  14. Bob on August 15th, 2019 9:53 am

    So maybe this guy is suing for free gas, water or a job for life? Sorry that was a typo, I did not mean to type the word job. Maybe he will settle his lawsuit if TOC gives him a personal loan?

  15. Jason on August 15th, 2019 9:36 am

    Unfortunately I was a part of the work crew there several years ago. They do not regard inmate safety. they throw you out there and if you complain about safety they will threaten to put you in confinement ect.

  16. concerned citzen on August 15th, 2019 9:19 am

    He was put in a bad position. If he had refused to perform the task he would have probably had to suffer consequences. When he win the suit then the judgment should be good for some years, maybe they will come up with a solution or maybe the city officials can work it off and pay him.

  17. retired on August 15th, 2019 9:13 am

    probablly the first honest work he has done. might as well sue for not beening paid.
    sounds like WORKMANS COMP. case.

  18. Mary on August 15th, 2019 8:55 am

    Jay and century are BROKE towns there’s no money for HIM sorry try again in about 15 years

  19. A Alex on August 15th, 2019 8:49 am

    Let us not forget. He put himself in prison for his OWN actions and he must volunteer to be put in that position. Now for the negligence of the supervisor s, YES. But the main points is he put himself in prison and volunteered

  20. Brianh on August 15th, 2019 7:49 am

    So he is suing the town of Century? Doesn’t his attorney know that the town is dead broke? Half of nothing is still nothing isn’t it?

  21. sam on August 15th, 2019 7:49 am

    geeeez! what next town of century? poor supervision on the job site? he never should have been put in that position.

  22. Pop on August 15th, 2019 7:24 am

    And I wander where he thinks century is going to get the money to pay him off??

  23. Williwonka on August 15th, 2019 6:46 am

    Just another example of the incompetence of “management” in Century.

  24. Stephen on August 15th, 2019 2:16 am

    As much as it’s pains me to back a criminal, he does have a pretty solid case.

  25. rance on August 15th, 2019 2:15 am

    Was he qualified to do that kind of work? If so, he would know that he would need specific safety gear to do the task performed. Was he forced to do the work? Stinks of stupidity on both sides…

  26. JustMe on August 15th, 2019 2:07 am

    Wonder if it was on private property?