The tragic fate of Victor Gomez Sr., who perished from electrocution at Tesla's Gigafactory in Austin on August 1, has resulted in his family seeking legal reparations. In a lawsuit filed in Travis County, the family is demanding $1 million in damages, alleging negligence on the part of the electric vehicle manufacturing giant. CBS Austin reports that Gomez was a contractor employed through Belcan, a company that sources talent for firms like Tesla.
The grievance details that Gomez was instructed to conduct inspections on electrical panels prior to them being activated. Contrary to safety protocols, one of the panels he was to inspect was reportedly live with electricity. The lawsuit as obtained by KVUE, claims this error is what ultimately led to Gomez's electrocution and subsequent passing.
After the incident, the Austin-Travis County EMS responded to a call about an adult in cardiac arrest at the factory site. Gomez was transported to Dell Seton Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The causes surrounding his death are currently under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), though official statements have yet to be released.
The family of Gomez has acted to secure experts to inspect the site before any potential evidence could be repaired or altered, but they are still to receive a response from Tesla, as per the details shared by his representatives. "So that's the high burden that they're going to have to meet. Tesla has a tendency to be very, very tough in litigation and they do not have a reputation of trying to settle early on," Adam Muery told KVUE, a personal injury attorney who has prior experience in filing lawsuits against Tesla.
While the legal discourse is set to unravel, concerns about workplace safety at tech and manufacturing facilities have once again come into the public eye. The community and the broader society wait, with bated breath, for the outcomes of the investigation and the subsequent legal proceedings. Both Tesla and Belcan have been contacted for comments regarding the lawsuit by media outlets but have not made any statements as of yet.
