Surviving Family Members Of Marathon Oil Building Accident File Lawsuit
A million-dollar wrongful death lawsuit has been filed by the surviving family members of two of the three men killed in a construction accident at the Marathon Oil Building earlier this month.
The Daily Hornet reports that the accident happened on Monday, October 5 at 1:30 p.m. when a staircase between the 13th and 14th floor of the tower collapsed without warning.
The families of 29-year-old Jose Alexander Santos Granados and 36-year-old Dholman Obdulio Gomez Castellano filed their suit on Thursday, October 8. The surviving family members of Caldelario Mexicano Solares are also planning on filing their own wrongful death suit against Marathon Oil, East Texas Precast, which manufactured the concrete used at the site, and contractor Gulf Shore Erectors.
According to the court documents which were filed in a Harris County Court, “a cascade of falling material loudly announced the oncoming mortal danger, but there was no time or space to escape.”
Three construction workers were killed, and one other person was injured when the concrete staircase fell. The initial collapse caused a domino effect that left the men trapped under tons of concrete rubble.
In the lawsuit, the defendants are accused of failing to comply with safety regulations and standards, failure to monitor and adequately train workers, and failing to provide adequate safety equipment for construction workers.
The families have said they are seeking damages of at least $1 million.