Fatal accident at the Mercedes factory: investigations underway!

Fatal accident at the Mercedes factory: investigations underway!

On Thursday morning, a fatal accident occurred at the Mercedes factory in Sindelfingen, in which an employee who was driving a concrete mixer was killed. The incident occurred at the construction site of the new paint shop. Despite immediate medical attention from emergency doctors, the man could not be saved and died from his injuries at the scene of the accident. After the tragic incident, both the plant fire department and plant security were on site to help deal with the situation. Mercedes-Benz expresses its condolences to the family of the deceased and is cooperating closely with the authorities to support the ongoing investigation into the cause of the accident. The Stuttgart public prosecutor's office plans to publish an official press release about the incident on Friday. These circumstances raise questions about the security measures in the company.

In connection with occupational accidents in Germany, it should be noted that a total of 351 fatal occupational accidents were registered in 2024, which represents a decrease compared to 2023. According to the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), the accident rate is currently 0.009 fatal accidents per 1,000 full-time employees. In recent years, Mercedes-Benz has reduced the number of workplace accidents, with the rate falling from 6.4 cases per million working hours in 2020 to 4.8 in 2022.

Family makes allegations

In the context of a past work accident in which Eren C. died in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim in September 2023, his family is making serious allegations against Mercedes. Eren C. was 33 years old and left behind a 13-year-old daughter. According to his lawyer Engin Sanli, Mercedes' family feels abandoned. The company did not express personal condolences to the family, although it did make a public statement expressing its condolences after the accident. The family has now demanded 775,000 euros in damages, to which Mercedes has not yet responded.

The accident occurred when Eren C. was trying to fix a problem with a cleaning system. The machine started automatically and detected him. Sanli criticizes that access to this machine violates occupational health and safety regulations and that the security gap was known. It is also stated that high production targets encourage risky practices within the company. Only one inexperienced employee was present during the accident, which further exacerbated the danger.

Safety standards and responsible handling

The Stuttgart public prosecutor's office is continuing to investigate the complex case. Mercedes points out that the company has proactively participated in commemorative events and is continually focusing on improving workplace safety. Accidents should be analyzed to prevent future incidents. In its analysis of fatal accidents at work, the BAuA found that almost 40 percent of the reported cases occurred on construction sites.

In summary, the fatal accident at the Mercedes factory in Sindelfingen is not isolated, but is in the context of a broader discussion about occupational safety and responsibility in large companies. The reactions of affected family members and the ongoing investigation raise questions about the practices and culture within these industrial giants.