Family of Apopka firefighter who died after being injured on duty files lawsuit against city

APOPKA, Fla. — The family of an Apopka firefighter who died after he was injured while on the job last year has filed a lawsuit against the city.

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On June 30, 2022, Austin Duran was with another firefighter working to attach a trailer filled with sand to a hitch of another fire department vehicle when the trailer tipped over and fell on him.

Duran was pinned beneath the 4,500-pound trailer until help arrived but died from his injuries weeks later. He was 25 years old.

SEE: 'We still miss Austin': Family pays tribute to Apopka firefighter on Camping World Stadium A touching tribute also took shape Sunday afternoon among tailgaters. The parents of Austin Duran were there to keep the memory of their son alive more than a (Nicolle Osorio, WFTV.com)

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In a wrongful death lawsuit filed in Orange County Circuit Court Friday, Duran’s family claims the trailer was designed and built by the city and that the city did not comply with safety standards for the device.

The suit also says the firefighters were never trained on how to use the trailer before they were asked to move it.

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The suit goes on to accuse the city of gross negligence for ordering Duran to move the trailer without having trained him on it and claims the trailer had been taken out of service in the past because they city knew it was dangerous.

Read the full lawsuit below:

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