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Yeah, the $1,800 fine for not filing a worker's injury with OSHA is also strange, because I don't see how it would cost a company less than $1,800 to pay a lawyer to complete and file that form.

I think this is likely a process problem. Having been a safety officer for a lab in the past, there are two types of injury reports. One for regular injuries, you have a week to report. Serious injuries need to be reported within 24 hours. These are death and amputation injuries (there might be more, it's been a few years).

Anyway I suspect they missed the deadline because it slipped through the cracks.

Whatever the cause is, the fine is so low that it's actually cheaper to simply not comply with the regulation.

At least it's a rare case where leadership sees the consequences of their lackluster safety practices

I would assume that OSHA fining the company does help out a subsequent wrongful death suit.