A Houston resident has filed a lawsuit against his employer, alleging severe negligence that led to a workplace injury. On July 16, 2024, Jose Servelio Cardoza-Gonzales lodged a complaint in the District Court of Harris County, Texas, accusing Zhou Jie, Tian Peter, and TCG Construction, Inc. of gross negligence and other related charges.
The incident at the heart of this case occurred on March 23, 2023. According to the complaint, Cardoza-Gonzales was working at a construction site located at 9938 Bellaire Boulevard in Houston when he fell through a damaged scaffold provided by his employers. The plaintiff claims that despite notifying his supervisors about the scaffold's condition, he was instructed to proceed with his work without any safety measures or protective equipment. This resulted in him suffering severe injuries after falling from the faulty scaffold.
In an alarming twist, Cardoza-Gonzales alleges that after the accident, Zhou Jie transported him to Memorial Hospital but misrepresented herself as his sister and instructed him to lie about how the injury occurred. The defendant allegedly told medical personnel that Cardoza-Gonzales had fallen at home rather than at work. This misrepresentation is cited as part of the broader negligence and misconduct claims against the defendants.
Cardoza-Gonzales argues that Zhou Jie, Tian Peter, and TCG Construction failed to provide necessary safety training and equipment, creating hazardous working conditions. He further contends that they did not offer workers' compensation insurance and paid him in cash or check—practices he believes should classify them as non-subscribers under Texas law.
The plaintiff seeks compensation for physical pain, mental anguish, disfigurement, loss of earning capacity, and future medical expenses resulting from his injuries. Additionally, he is asking for punitive damages due to what he describes as grossly negligent behavior by the defendants.
Representing Cardoza-Gonzales is Kimberly K. Bruno from Bruno Law Group PLLC. The case has been assigned Case ID 2024-44292 and will be presided over by judges from the 165th Judicial District Court in Harris County.