Mark "The Bird" Fidrych's Widow Files Wrongful Death Suit Against Mack Trucks

Mark S. Fidrych, who pitched for the Detroit Tigers Major League baseball team, died at age 54 in April, 2009, at his Northborough home when he was working on a dump truck.

According to the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, now the family of the Major Leaguer has filed a wrongful death and product liability lawsuit.

The death was ruled accidental, as reported on MLB.com in 2009, with findings presented to the Associated Press through the Worcester District Attorney's office. At the time of his death, Fidrych had been working on something underneath the truck when his clothes got tangled in the truck's power takeoff shaft, said the article. The driveshaft piece spun and Fidrych died by suffocating.

Fidrych used a 1987 10-wheel Mack dump truck, and Fidrych's widow—Ann E. Pantazis—filed a civil suit on April 11 in Worcester Superior Court against Mack Trucks of Greensboro, NC, Morse Mack Sales of Worcester and Ballard Mack Sales & Service, also located in Worcester, according to the Telegram.

The wrongful death suit alleges negligence, and seeks punitive damages.

On May 16, Mack Trucks and Ballard Mack Sale and Service denied the allegations, added the Telegram.