A homeless woman died after a garbage truck's hydraulic claw allegedly grabbed and crushed her during what city officials described as a 'routine clear-up' in Kentucky, with her family now accusing sanitation workers and Louisville Metro officials of 'gross negligence' in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Tyrah Adams, 35, died on February 12 after a Louisville Metro refuse lorry was clearing an alley in the city. According to the lawsuit filed by her family, Adams was picked up by the truck's hydraulic trash claw, squeezed, and then dropped back into the alley with severe injuries. Her relatives claim city workers failed to follow proper safety procedures despite allegedly knowing that homeless individuals regularly occupied alleyways and debris piles targeted during clean-up operations.
City officials initially told Adams' family that she had simply 'come in contact' with the vehicle in what they described as a tragic accident. But the legal complaint paints a far more disturbing picture of the final moments before her death, alleging workers failed to properly inspect the area before operating the machinery.
Family Accuses Workers Of 'Reckless Conduct'
The wrongful death complaint alleges that Louisville Metro and sanitation workers ignored written safety protocols while operating the refuse lorry's hydraulic claw. According to the filing, officials 'knew or should have known that homeless individuals and vulnerable person(s) occupied alleys, debris piles, and cleanup locations targeted during Public Works operations.'
The family's solicitor, Stephanie Rivas, alleged the workers physically picked Adams up with the claw during the clean-up operation. 'They physically picked her up with that claw, squeezed her, compressed her, and dropped her,' Rivas told NBC affiliate WSMV ahead of the lawsuit being formally filed.
The complaint claims two unnamed sanitation workers failed to follow the city's own safety procedures while operating the equipment. Adams' family accused the workers and city officials of 'reckless conduct' and argue proper precautions could have prevented her death.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenburg previously said Adams was not visible to the sanitation crew at the time. 'A woman, who could not be seen by the crew, was in some of this garbage that was picked up and moved to another location before it was hauled away,' Greenburg said after the incident. 'And in the course of that, again unseen, the woman suffered injuries.'
Despite that explanation, the lawsuit alleges workers failed to maintain a proper lookout and did not inspect the work area before using the hydraulic claw. The complaint further accuses city employees of failing to supervise staff properly and failing to enforce safety procedures during the operation.
The filing alleges workers 'breached' their duty of care by 'failing to maintain a proper lookout, failing to inspect the work area, failing to keep personnel clear of the operation zone, failing to use proper spotting procedures, failing to supervise employees, failing to enforce safety procedures, and otherwise failing to exercise reasonable care.'
Woman Sought Help After Alleged Crushing Incident
According to the complaint, Adams suffered 'catastrophic' injuries after the alleged incident but was still able to make her way to a nearby JandM Food Mart in search of help.
The lawsuit states that Adams entered the store screaming for assistance before a clerk contacted emergency services. One alleged witness statement included in the complaint described the horrifying condition she was in when she arrived.
'The woman laying on the floor was "turning colors no white woman should be,"' the statement said. Adams later died from her injuries. A coroner's report concluded that she died from severe blunt force and compressional trauma, according to the lawsuit.
Her family now argues the tragedy was entirely preventable and are seeking accountability from Louisville Metro and the sanitation workers involved in the clean-up operation.
The case has also raised questions about how sanitation crews handle clean-up operations in areas where homeless people may be sleeping or sheltering. The lawsuit specifically claims city officials were aware that vulnerable individuals frequently occupied alleys and debris sites targeted by public works teams.
A spokesperson for Mayor Greenburg told the Courier Journal that the mayor's office's 'thoughts and condolences remain with the victim's family,' but declined to comment further on the wrongful death lawsuit.
The allegations made in the complaint have not yet been tested in court. However, Adams' family insists the circumstances surrounding her death go far beyond a tragic accident, arguing that workers failed to take even basic precautions before operating the powerful hydraulic claw.
