ROANOKE, Va. (AP) _ Relatives of a man killed in a forklift accident in Roanoke are suing the equipment’s manufacturer and a distributor. The $10 million lawsuit alleges that the forklift lacked safety features. According to the federal lawsuit, 44-year-old George Demian died on Dec. 28, 2014, after he hit a horizontal beam while backing the forklift at a warehouse. Demian was pinned between the beam and the forklift. The Roanoke Times reports that family members sued the forklift’s manufacturer, The Raymond Corp. of Greene, New York, and Werres Corp. of Maryland, which distributes equipment made by Raymond. The companies deny most of the allegations. In court filings, they say they can’t respond to specific claims about the forklift’s design because it wasn’t identified by serial number.
