The family of Eonias Mateo-Perez filed a wrongful death lawsuit after a wood chipper known as “the Intimidator” pulled Mateo-Perez to his gruesome death while he was on the job in central New Jersey.
The incident occurred on July 10, 2024, while Mateo-Perez, who was 22 when he died, was performing landscaping work using a Bandit Industries Intimidator 15XP wood chipper. The family’s attorneys filed the suit on October 21, 2025, in Hunterdon County Superior Court, accusing the machine’s manufacturer and others of negligence and product liability.
Allegations of defective design
According to the complaint, Bandit Industries designed the product with defects, and the manufacturer failed to include adequate safety mechanisms to prevent users from being drawn into its high-speed feed rollers. The complaint alleges that Bandit Industries failed to provide sufficient safety guards, emergency shut-off devices, or operator training requirements.
Mateo-Perez, a New Jersey resident and father of two, was reportedly operating the chipper when his clothing or limbs were caught in the infeed chute, instantly pulling him into the machine, prompting a state workplace safety inquiry.
The filing states that the company “placed profit over safety by continuing to sell the Intimidator without incorporating necessary design safeguards.” It further asserts that the product was “unsafe for its intended use and unreasonably dangerous to users like Mr. Mateo-Perez.”
The complaint argues that such features could have prevented or mitigated Perez’s potential injuries or death. It claims violations of the New Jersey Products Liability Act and alleges wrongful death, survival damages, and negligence. Perez’s family seeks a jury trial, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.
Bandit Industries has not yet publicly commented on the lawsuit. The company’s Intimidator series has been involved in previous federal safety bulletins, including recommendations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure that workers maintain safe distances and use protective equipment when operating high-capacity chippers.
