Pearland man sues after chin, spine, throat crushed

A Pearland man is suing over claims unsafe conditions caused a workplace accident that crushed his chin, spine and throat.

Pearland resident Adan Capetillo filed a lawsuit on May 21 in Harris County District Court against Turner Industries Group and Valero Energy, citing negligence.

Capetillo says on April 25, he suffered injuries while building scaffolding on a job site at the Valero Port Arthur Refinery, owned by Valero Energy. According to the brief, an unsecured pipe installed by Turner Industries fell, crushing his throat and pinning him between two pipes.

The suit alleges Capetillo was left stranded at the top of the scaffolding, severely injured and bleeding, until a crane with a rescue basket lowered him to the ground. Medics then life-flighted him to a local hospital for treatment, according to the brief.

Harris County District Court Case No. 2012-29549.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Harris County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.