HOUSTON – The widow of a welder who was reportedly crushed to death on the job has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, per recent Harris County District Court records.
Collin County resident Susan Strickland sued OMi Holdings, Inc.; Hoist Parts, Inc.; doing business as OMi Crane Services; and Main Street Capital Corp. on June 4 in the Harris County 55th District Court, holding the businesses responsible for the Mar. 13, 2017 passing of Burl Strickland.
Court papers allege OMi ordered the decedent “to paint an approximately 8,000-lb., 30-ft. long steel beam by himself” at its Royse City warehouse, stating he had no assistance or supervision for completing the task.
All Burl Strickland had was “a crane system designed to be operated by two or more individuals.” The piece of heavy machinery included several defective parts, the original petition says.
A pair of OMi workers later discovered the decedent lifeless “between the steel beam he had been painting and a catwalk rail.” An autopsy revealed that Burl Strickland died from blunt force trauma to his chest.
The suit asserts his death “was preventable and caused solely by the OMi defendants’ conscious disregard for the employee safety and recklessness as an employer.”
Consequently, Susan Strickland seeks unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.
Charla G. Aldous of the law firm Aldous \ Walker LLP in Dallas serves as her lead counsel.
Harris County 55th District Court Case No. 2018-36992