A 63-year-old Stellantis worker was killed by a robotic arm while retooling the company's Dundee Engine Plant in Michigan in April 2025, according to a recently filed lawsuit. Ronald Adams, a U.S. Air Force veteran and father of three, was working on a large industrial chamber washer when the incident occurred.
According to court documents, Adams was repairing the machinery when two coworkers took a break, leaving him to work alone. Upon their return, they discovered Adams pinned between a robotic arm and a conveyor belt. Paramedics and an on-site electrician were called to lift the arm, but Adams was pronounced dead at a local hospital from catastrophic crushing injuries and traumatic asphyxia.
The lawsuit, filed by Adams' widow Shamenia Stewart-Adams, alleges that a lack of safety guards and safe work practices contributed to the fatal incident. The suit claims that a safety mechanism for the washer, which brought components to and from the cleaning machine, had been electronically bypassed with a special key. This alleged bypass allowed Adams to work on the machinery while it was not in a safe mode.
Fives Cinetic Corp, the supplier of the washer, is also named in the suit. The company reportedly stated that the accident would not have occurred if Stellantis had followed safe work practices.
Previous Incidents and Investigations
Adams' death is one of three industrial fatalities involving Stellantis workers in the U.S. over the past two years. In August 2024, Antonio Gaston, 53, was killed at a plant in Toledo, Ohio, after being caught on a piece of equipment. Earlier this month, James Brasher, 57, died instantly after falling from a second-story loading bay at a former Mopar office and striking his head on a dumpster.
All three men were members of the United Auto Workers union. Gaston's widow has filed a lawsuit against Stellantis, claiming the conveyor system that snagged him lacked essential safety equipment. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated Gaston's death, issuing a serious violation for machine guarding and a fine that Stellantis contested and settled for approximately $11,000.
OSHA is currently investigating Brasher's death, and a probe into Adams' fatality is also ongoing. Stellantis has stated that it regularly evaluates and strengthens its internal safety standards and protocols to protect employees across its operations.