A Texas resident has filed a lawsuit seeking over $1 million in damages following a workplace accident involving multiple energy companies. Ruben Martinez filed the complaint in Harris County District Court on August 1, 2024, against Rockwater Energy Solutions DBA Select Chemistry, LLC, Franklin Mountain Energy, LLC, and Liberty Oilfield Services LLC.
The case centers around an incident that occurred on June 6, 2023, at a job site in Jal, New Mexico. According to the complaint, Martinez was operating a truck and tasked with connecting a hose to unload a corrosive liquid. The hose provided by Rockwater Energy Solutions was allegedly clogged, causing a transfer pump to malfunction and spray the corrosive liquid over Martinez and the surrounding area. This led to Martinez slipping and falling due to the hazardous conditions created by the spill. "No notice or warning was provided to Plaintiff regarding the condition of the hose," states the complaint.
Martinez accuses the defendants of multiple acts of negligence including failing to ensure proper procedures were used, failing to provide notice or warning of the clogged hose, failing to maintain a safe jobsite, and failing to train and supervise their employees adequately. He also alleges that they violated applicable local and federal laws and regulations. As a result of these alleged failures, Martinez claims he sustained serious injuries leading to pain, mental anguish, physical impairment, loss of earnings both past and future, as well as medical expenses.
The plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages for his injuries and losses. Specifically, he is asking for reasonable medical care expenses incurred in the past and those likely to be incurred in the future; compensation for physical pain and suffering both past and future; loss of earnings; loss of earning capacity; loss of household services; mental anguish; physical impairment; as well as punitive damages due to what he describes as gross negligence on part of the defendants.
Representing Ruben Martinez are attorneys Jack Nugent (State Bar No. 24116840) and M. Paul Skrabanek (State Bar No. 240630) from Pierce | Skrabanek PLLC located at 24 Greenway Plaza Suite 500 Houston TX 77046. The case has been assigned Case ID: 2024-48815 in Harris County District Court under Judge Marilyn Burgess.