Settlement of $4 million reached in death of N. Charleston paper mill employee in 2017

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) – A 2019 wrongful death lawsuit in the case of a man who died after being buried under salt residue at a North Charleston paper mill has now been settled for $4 million.

According to court documents, the two companies involved, Palmetto Industrial Services and Thompson Industrial Services, were hired by the paper mill to clean a boiler on April 30, 2017. As a result, a salt compound, known as a “salt cake,” formed on the interior pipes and walls.

The lawsuit alleged that these two companies failed to remove all of the salt cake and failed to notify paper mill employees.

Lawrence Ray Shiner Jr. and his partner were working underneath this boiler to repair the equipment. As they worked, “they heard a loud rumbling and then saw a huge mass of salt cake fall from above,” practically burying the duo.

According to the lawsuit, an employee managed to pull Shiner's work partner out from under the salt cake, but was unable to save Shiner himself.

Shiner is said to have died in the cauldron by “mechanical suffocation,” trapped under the salt cake that had fallen on him.

In 2019, Shiner's estate initiated the lawsuit against Palmetto and Thompson.

Court documents dated May 3 of this year show that the estate reached an agreement with Thompson Industrial Services for an undisclosed amount.

On Thursday, the courts entered into a separate settlement between the estate and Palmetto Industrial Services, reducing the original $4.5 million judgment to $4 million, ending that legal battle after more than seven years.

Thompson and Palmetto maintained their denial of liability throughout the proceedings.

At the time of Shiner's death, the paper mill was owned by Kapstone. It was purchased by WestRock in 2018.

WestRock closed the paper mill in May last year and the South Carolina Ports Authority has since purchased the land.

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