4 Investigation: Albuquerque must pay victims of city landfill accident

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – The hazard at Albuquerque’s busiest landfill is costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

KOB’s 4 Investigates team first told you about people being injured at the Eagle Rock Convenience Center two years ago. In March, a jury decided that one of those accidents was worth nearly $1 million.

In June 2019, Lawrence Gonzales was at the landfill unloading branches from a landscaping site when a front-end loader clearing debris got a little too close. It grabs the branches beneath his feet and sweeps him into the pit.

A surveillance video captured the whole thing on camera.

“This is the injury that led to Mr. Gonzales being here today. That is the injury, the incident, for which the city accepts liability,” Gonzales’ attorney Chris Lucero said in a civil lawsuit against the city of Albuquerque in March.

Five years after the accident, Gonzales’ injuries from that day continue to take their toll. It’s hard for Gonzales to get around, and even harder for him to do the physical work he’s done his entire life.

In the civil trial, jurors concluded that the city owed Gonzales $850,000, more than 35 times the $24,000 the city thought it would pay.

Gonzales said it was meant to send a message to the city about the safety, or lack thereof, at the city landfill. However, the state caps civil damages at $400,000, so Gonzales ultimately agreed to $350,000.

“I’d rather have my health back than the money, you know?” Gonzales said.

The last few years have been hard for Gonzales’ family. His son Eugene suffered a brain aneurysm shortly after the trial. A GoFundMe page has been set up.

“Take it a step further and do what you want them to do,” Gonzales said.

KOB 4 contacted the city. The first few times a spokesperson told us they couldn’t talk about this case due to Gonzales’ lawsuit. So we tried again after the civil trial. For the third time, the city refused to sit down with us and talk about the growing bill we all have to pay.

A spokesperson sent us a statement:

“Eagle Rock Convenience Center, working with our safety officers, evaluated the incident and reviewed safety protocols in place to ensure we are taking every possible measure to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The City of Albuquerque Waste Management Department remains committed to the safety and well-being of all residents of our facilities.”

After all, Gonzales’ case is just one of nearly a dozen accidents we’ve uncovered over the years. Many of them also go to court.