HOUSTON — An electrician who suffered severe injuries at a Houston area job site when a co-worker slammed into the forklift he was sitting on with a multi-ton excavation machine is claiming negligence.
Rene Muniz filed a complaint July 15, 2021, in Harris County District Court against J.E. Dunn Construction Company and Israel Reyna alleging negligence and gross negligence.
According to the complaint, Muniz, works as an electrical supervisor for J & N Electric and was working at the Gables apartment tower near the River Oaks District in Houston on December 28, 2019. He claims that that he was sitting on a forklift working on the electrical wiring, when suddenly Reyna, who was a foreman for J & E, slammed into the forklift with a skid-steer loader.
Muniz claims he suffered “serious" injuries that include severe pain, physical impairment, lost wages and mental anguish. He alleges Reyna's negligence for not using reasonable care when operating the skid-steer loader including operating the machine with "a zero-radius turning mechanism in a confined area," failing to follow OSHA regulations and standards and not providing him aid after the accident. Muniz also alleges J.E. Dunn's negligence for failing to properly train their employees or enforce safety protocols.
Muniz seeks monetary relief, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. He is represented by Scott Armstrong and Adam Grable of Armstrong & Lee LLP in Houston.
Harris County District Court case number 2021-42886