Introduction to the Incident

Port Arthur LNG in Port Arthur, Texas, is a liquefied natural gas facility being developed and marketed by California-based Sempra Energy. Recently, a tragic incident occurred at the facility, resulting in the loss of lives and injuries to workers.

The Scaffolding Collapse

One of the workers who was injured in a scaffolding collapse at the Port Arthur LNG facility, along with surviving relatives of two of the workers who died, are seeking more than $1 million in damages in a lawsuit filed against multiple companies affiliated with the site. The collapse happened early Tuesday in Jefferson County, resulting in the deaths of three workers, including Felix Lopez and Felipe Mendez. Marcos Ramirez is one of two workers who were seriously injured in the incident.

Victims and Plaintiffs

Ramirez and relatives of Lopez and Mendez, including Felix Lopez Jr., who also was working at the site and witnessed his father’s death, are plaintiffs in the wrongful death lawsuit filed in Harris County. The lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of Port Arthur LNG LLC, its parent company Sempra, Houston-based ConocoPhillips, Fagioli Inc., and other related business entities.

Allegations of Negligence

"The theme that we see over-and-over again is that there was some kind of rush, or there was some kind of profit over safety — ‘Let’s get this done quicker, let’s hurry up, let’s not worry about the safety rules, we know what we’re doing,’ ” said Houston-based attorney Ryan Zehl, whose firm is representing the plaintiffs. “And all it takes is once for a tragedy to strike and a confluence of bad things and people are killed."

Response from Companies Involved

Fagioli Inc. did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for ConocoPhillips declined to comment, saying it is company practice not to comment on pending litigation. A spokesperson for Sempra also declined to comment on the lawsuit but released a statement about the incident, saying the impacted workers were employees of Bechtel, an engineering and construction firm contracted to work at the site. Bechtel was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

Investigation and Aftermath

Along with monetary damages, the lawsuit also seeks a temporary restraining order and injunction to preserve the conditions at the site that led to the scaffolding collapse. "It looks like a load failed or fell from the crane, made contact with the scaffolding, knocked the scaffolding over — caused it to tilt, and (three) of the workers tragically fell to their death," Zehl said. Sempra has announced that Bechtel has suspended work on the site while the incident is investigated.

Conclusion

The incident at the Port Arthur LNG facility is a tragic reminder of the importance of prioritizing safety in the workplace. The lawsuit filed by the victims’ families and the injured worker seeks not only monetary damages but also aims to ensure that the conditions that led to the scaffolding collapse are preserved and investigated. As the investigation continues, it is essential to learn from this incident and take steps to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future. The families of the victims and the injured worker deserve justice, and it is crucial to hold companies accountable for their actions and ensure that they prioritize safety above profits.