Contractor Company Owner Charged in Michigan Workplace Death
A western Michigan man has been charged with a crime in the death of a man who fell through a roof in 2012.
The state attorney general’s office says investigators found many problems with Black River Builders. The state says the victim, Brian Tarachanowicz, was not wearing protective equipment, and no inspections were performed to detect hazards.
Tarachanowicz fell 26 feet while removing a roof deck at a commercial building in Sparta, north of Grand Rapids.
Black River Builders owner Joe Novak of Holland has been charged with a safety violation causing death, a felony. He’s due Wednesday in 63rd District Court.
A message seeking comment was left at Black River Builders.
Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Popular Today
- Don’t Sweat the Heatwave, El NiƱo Is Cooking up Some Raucous Weather for California
- Will California’s New Smoke Claims Law Create a Recovery Bottleneck?
- Before the Nuclear Verdict: Rethinking How Liability Claims Are Managed
- Agentic Intelligence for Claims Dominates New Tech Launches
Popular This Month
- Credit Acceptance Reaches $710M Predatory Auto Lending Settlement With Most States
- The Great Hemp Reset: How the Federal Ban on Intoxicating Hemp Products Will Reshape Risk and Coverage
- Londoners Find ‘Horrendous’ Cracks in Their Homes After Successive Heat Waves
- Torrential Rain Brings Deadly Floods Back to East Coast of Spain