ATLANTA — Recently, a tragic event has unfolded regarding a man in Georgia who suffered from mental health issues. Joshua Armour’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit after his body was discovered locked inside a truck at a Sealy Mattress facility about a week after he went missing.
Relatives were in a frantic search for the 27-year-old after he disappeared in early October. His phone indicated that he was located on the premises of the Conyers, Georgia, facility, which is situated southeast of Atlanta. Upon learning of his potential whereabouts, the family alerted a Sealy supervisor, who then instructed employees to close and lock all trailer doors for security reasons. This directive prevented the family from searching for Armour, leading to further distress.
The complaint reveals that once the trailers were locked, it became impossible for anyone inside them to exit. The family’s lawsuit contends that “Sealy did absolutely nothing to locate or protect Joshua,” indicating a stark lack of action from the company in the face of a dire situation.
The lawsuit points out a troubling choice by Sealy: prioritizing the protection of its property over the wellbeing of Joshua and his family’s urgent appeals. In response to the incident, Tempur Sealy International expressed their sorrow over the matter, extending condolences to the family.
The company stated that a comprehensive investigation is underway to learn more about the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate event and confirmed their full cooperation with local authorities. Although there was video footage showing an unidentified individual on the property, a company supervisor did not allow the family to view it to verify if it was indeed Armour, as mentioned by Mark Johnson, an attorney representing the family.
Attempts to obtain the video evidence through written correspondence with Sealy went unanswered, adding to the family’s frustration. Meanwhile, Governor Brian Kemp has been advocating for measures that would restrict lawsuits against businesses, citing concerns regarding the economic impact of civil cases with substantial payouts. However, critics argue that such limits could impede the ability of injured parties to achieve justice.
Johnson expressed a strong belief that the lawsuit would likely withstand any legislative changes aimed at limiting legal actions. The Armour family is seeking a jury trial as they bring forth their case against several defendants, including Sealy Mattress Manufacturing Co. LLC and Tempur Sealy International Inc., with legal representation from the Atlanta law firms of Sinton Scott Minock & Kerew and Kenneth S. Nugent P.C.
Joshua Armour’s fiancée, Jasmine Jennings, shared heartfelt memories of him, describing him as a joyful, selfless person who loved to make others laugh. She noted that he had aspirations of advancing his career in plumbing and dreamt of pursuing civil engineering or contributing to economic development but never had the chance to further his training.
Correction: It has been noted that Joshua Armour was 27 years old at the time of his passing, correcting an earlier report that inaccurately stated he was 38.
