HOUSTON — The families of two Houston storm victims filed separate lawsuits after a crane collapsed onto the truck the victims were in on Thursday, May 16.
Juan Hernandez, 72, was killed when the crane crushed the cab of the cement truck during the intense derecho storm that brought 90 to 100 mph straight-line winds.
Crosby Ware, 66, suffered "traumatic and catastrophic" injuries to his head, neck and back, according to attorneys representing his family in the lawsuit.
It happened on Wingate near 75th Street in the Magnolia Park area.
The lawsuit filed by Kherkher Garcia names Sesco Cement, Corp., ASI Industrial, Lampson International, LLC., and McCray Crane & Rigging, Inc. The three companies were involved in a construction project at the Sesco Cement Plant near the Houston Ship Channel, according to the lawsuit.
It says the defendants required Ware to come to the plant to deliver the cement necessary for the ongoing construction project despite the severe weather conditions. They're accused of "gross negligence."
“These companies demonstrated a brazen disregard for human life by making a conscious decision to value profit over safety during a severe storm the entire region was warned about,” said attorney Kevin Haynes.
They're asking that a jury determine how much, if any, to award Ware's family for "pain and suffering, physical impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish and medical expenses."
The lawsuit is also asking for a temporary restraining order to ensure that no evidence related to the crane collapse is altered or destroyed.
Calvin Jones, the director of McCray Crane & Rigging, Inc., told us they didn't have any cranes or other equipment at the worksite.
We've reached out to the other companies named in the suit and are waiting to hear back.