HOUSTON — A Houston area construction company is facing a wrongful death suit after one of its workers was exposed to a co-worker with COVID-19 symptoms, caught the virus and died from complications.
Angelita Clayton, individually and as representative of the Estate of Ricky Lee Clayton, deceased, filed a complaint May 29 in Harris County District Court against Williams Brothers Construction Co., Inc., alleging wrongful death and violation of the Texas Labor Code.
According to the plaintiff's complaint, her husband, Ricky Clayton, worked for the defendant for more than five years. She claims that on June 5, 2020, her husband was asked by his supervisor to pickup a fellow co-worker who was experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and drive him home.
The plaintiff further claims that the sick co-worker had knowingly been exposed to someone with Coronavirus, and that shortly after being exposed to the co-worker, Clayton himself began to have COVID-19 symptoms and died from complications of the virus on July 3, 2020.
The plaintiff alleges that Williams Brothers failed to implement social distancing among its employees or provide them with masks, gloves or face guards or perform temperature checks during the employee virus outbreak. She also alleges the defendant failed to require employees to stay home if they were sick or to shut down the workplace temporarily.
The plaintiff seeks monetary and all other just relief. She is represented by Brian Sutton of Sutton & Jacobs LLP in Beaumont.
Harris County District Court case number 2021-32493