Massachusetts – Independent Media Report: Manufacturer of the “Rocketbox” device lost a major court motion this week seeking to be removed as a party from the ongoing civil lawsuit related to death of Trulieve employee Lorna McMurrey.

Grant Smith-Ellis
Date; 1/30/25

Writes

Source: https://www.patreon.com/posts/new-rocketbox-to-121142960?utm_campaign=patron_engagement&utm_source=post_link&post_id=121142960&utm_id=4203e698-29e1-4854-ba9d-80302b7411ec&utm_medium=email

The manufacturer of the “Rocketbox” device, used throughout the adult and medical use industry to make pre-rolls, lost a major court motion this week seeking to be removed as a party from the ongoing civil lawsuit related to the tragic death of Trulieve employee Lorna McMurrey.

SESH Technologies Manufacturing (“STM”), the company that produces the Rocketbox device, was brought into the lawsuit as a third-party defendant by existing defendant Eteros Technologies (the company that created and sold Trulieve the flower grinding machines in use at the firm’s now-shuttered Holyoke facility at the time McMurrey experienced an asthma attack while on the job, leading to her untimely death three days later.

In turn, the makers of Rocketbox sought to be dismissed from the complaint on the grounds that Eteros made merely “…conclusory allegations that ‘STM negligently designed, provided warnings, manufactured, sold and distributed the Rocketbox in a defective and unreasonable dangerous condition.’” (Ruling, Page 5)

However Judge Deepika B Shukla, of Hampden Superior Court, found STM’s arguments unconvincing.

“A defendant/third-party plaintiff [here, Eteros] states a viable contribution claim where contribution is sought for the same injury allegedly suffered by the plaintiff, irrespective of the particular theory on which the defendant/third-party plaintiff and the third-party defendant may liable,” the Judge began.

“[Here], Eteros’s contribution claim satisfies this test; it seeks contribution from STM for the same injury underpinning [Lorna’s Estate’s] First Amended Complaint: the death of [Lorna McMurry] from exposure to ground flower dust while she was working in the [Trulieve] facility’s pre-roll production room,” Judge Shukla went on. “The allegations in Eteros’s Third-Party Complaint, and the favorable inferences that can reasonably be drawn from them, plausibly suggest that when she suffered the fatal asthma attack, McMurrey had been exposed to ground flower dust, which included emissions by the Rocketbox,” the Judge concluded.

A section of this week’s ruling against Rocketbox manufacturer STM in the major civil case related to tragic death of Trulieve employee Lorna McMurrey. (Published 1/30/2025)

As a result, the civil lawsuit filed by McMurrey’s estate will now proceed forwards with Trulieve, Eteros, the HVAC company, and STM all involved as either defendants or third-party defendants (as Eteros also lost a motion seeking to indemnify itself –or “hold harmless”– at STM’s expense).

The lawsuit allegations claims of negligence against Trulieve, the HVAC company and Eteros, a breach of warranty claim against Eteros, a violation of MGL 93A against Eteros, gross negligence, recklessness and willful and wanton misconduct claims against all defendants, and a “Surivial Claim – Pain and Suffering” against all defendants.

Lornas McMurrey Case Update 1-27-25

 

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