Falling pipe is subject of lawsuit

A Harrison County man has filed suit against Warrior Energy Services, alleging he was seriously injured when a pipe fell on his back.

Pete Aguirre says he was working on rigs as a floor hand for CC Forbes in December 2012. He was working with a crew from defendant Warrior Energy Services, of Columbus, Miss., and was standing on the ground, attempting to guide a pipe with his hand as the Warrior workers slowly lowed the pipe from a standing position to a horizontal one, according to the complaint filed Aug. 27 in the Marshall Division of the Eastern District of Texas.

"Mr. Aguirre was guiding the pipe when the clasp attaching the pipe to the winch line became unfastened," the suit states. "The pipe fell and hit Mr. Aguirre's back. It was the Warrior crew that improperly secured the pipe clasp and that is the reason the incident occurred." 

Due to the incident, Aguirre experienced physical pain, suffering and mental anguish and lost wages, the complaint says. He also lost his earning capacity, endured physical impairment and disability and incurred medical costs, according to the complaint.

Aguirre blames the Warrior workers for causing his injuries, saying they negligently failed to act as a reasonably prudent person would have done, failed to provide a safe work environment, failed to protect him from work-related hazards, failed to properly train its employees and failed to implement appropriate safety policies.

In his complaint, Aguirre seeks actual and exemplary damages, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, costs and other relief the court deems just.

Attorneys Benton G. Ross and Douglas C. Monsour, of Longview, will represent him.

Marshall Division of the Eastern District of Texas case number: 2:14-CV-868

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Marshall Division of the Eastern District of Texas. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note that a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and it represents only one side of the story.