Posted on: Tuesday, March 16, 2004

Family of man killed in Hickam accident files lawsuit

Advertiser Staff

Family members of a tractor-trailer driver who was crushed and killed Sept. 12 while construction piles were being unloaded from his truck at Hickam Air Force base have filed a lawsuit against Healy Tibbits Builders Inc. and forklift operator George Leota.

The lawsuit, filed yesterday by attorney Wayne Kekina on behalf of widow Yvonne B. Tani and her children and grandchildren, claims Leota and the construction company were negligent in unloading the piles from the truck driven to the site by Nobuo Tani, who was struck and killed by some of the piles that tumbled off of the truck.

Leota could not be reached to comment and a Healy Tibbits spokesperson was not immediately available to respond to allegations contained in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit seeks monetary damages with the amount to be determined at trial.