Update on Cause of Collapse of the Marathon Oil’s New Building

Earlier this week, we reported about the partial collapse of Marathon Oil’s new building under construction. Recent updates have confirmed that three construction workers in the building were tragically killed and one more was hospitalized with serious injuries. According to new information, a stairwell in the 15-story building collapsed where the construction workers were pronounced dead at the scene of the collapse, which began on the 13th or 14th floor. Rescue crews have finally recovered the bodies of all three workers two days after the tragic incident.

Daunting Statistics Regarding Deaths To Construction Workers in Texas

This fatal accident adds to the unfortunate statistics of construction-related deaths that occur each year in Texas. According to federal records, there were 25 deaths in Houston during 2019 involving construction-related accidents. Texas’ total number of deaths for construction workers in 2019 was 174.

As of today, there have been at least 40 Texans who have been killed while performing construction work—9 of these deaths occurred here in Houston.

Investigation of Who Is Responsible For The Partial Building Collapse

Harvey Builders is the company hired to oversee Marathon Oil’s project. According to its website, Harvey Builders has been in the construction industry for more than 60 years. In addition to its experience, Harvey Builders boasts its attention to safety, staying on schedule, and staying on budget.

Unfortunately, staying on schedule and budget gets placed in front of safety for many companies which leads to tragic results. According to public information from OSHA (the agency responsible for ensuring a safe workplace in the United States), Harvey Builders has had recent OSHA violations (as recent as October 2019) at other construction sites. Undoubtedly, OSHA will form a critical part of the ongoing investigation regarding Harvey Builder’s fault in the tragic collapse.

Why Do These Accidents Occur?

Many large corporations argue that accidents are going to happen no matter how safe you are. This is not true. Some of the most common factors attributable to workplace injuries are:

• Negligent training
• Negligent supervision
• Negligent hiring
• Placing profits over safety
• Making efforts to stay on schedule at the expense of safety
• Noncompliance with OSHA regulations

As long as employers continue to place profits over the above-mentioned factors, avoidable accidents will continue to occur. If you or a loved one has been injured at work, you have legal rights that should be handled by experienced attorneys. The Houston construction accident attorneys at Morrow & Sheppard have years of experience with construction site accidents. Call us today at 800-489-2216 for a free consultation regarding your accident and injuries.