Lawsuit filed against cement company after fatal Houston crane collapses during storm

An injured cement factory worker has filed a lawsuit against several companies he says allowed the plant’s operations to continue during a severe storm last week after cranes collapsed, the injuring and killing one of his colleagues.

The lawsuit, filed by Crosby Ware against Sesco Cement, Agri-Systems, Lampson International and McRay Crane & Rigging, accused the companies of gross negligence for failing to shut down operations during the storm forecast for the region.

“Despite actual knowledge of weather forecasts and real-time weather conditions, as well as the dangers associated with continued crane and other construction operations, Defendants nevertheless continued to conduct business as usual,” it states. Ware’s court filing, specifying that the defendants allegedly demanded that he “come to the factory to deliver the cement necessary for the current construction project.”

Ware claims a crane then fell on the truck he was in due to the strong wind and as a result he “suffered catastrophic injuries”, including “traumatic injuries to his head, neck and back”.

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The worker killed was Juan Francisco Hernández, 72, according to local television station KTRK. (KRIV)

“It is beyond despicable that the defendants took no steps to provide a safe working environment, with catastrophic results for Mr. Ware and his family, whose lives were forever altered due to the gross negligence of these parties,” Kevin Haynes, a partner at the law firm Kherkher Garcia, LLP, which represents Ware, said in a press release. “The careless and reckless actions of these companies took place during weather conditions that required crane operations to be stopped immediately, but these companies decided that the storm was not dangerous enough to temporarily interrupt their quest for profits. “

Haynes said his client would “need extensive recovery and medical treatment” and was seeking to “recover maximum damages.”

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The crane collapse occurred during a severe storm that passed through Houston on May 16, 2024. (KRIV)

Juan Francisco Hernández, 72, was killed by a directly hit crane during the same storm, according to KRTK.

Footage from the factory scene after the storm appeared to show crane wiring hitting Ware’s cabin.

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None of the defendants immediately responded to a request for comment from Fox News Digital, but Lampson International told local station FOX 26: “Our crane was under an operating lease with the user of the crane who had it full care, custody and control “We had no staff on site at the time of the incident, we were not operating the crane and were not involved in its use and there is no indication that they were. There was something wrong with the crane. “