Undefeated Texas Industrial Accident Lawyers
Zehl & Associates has proudly filed suit on behalf of the families of two men tragically killed and one worker seriously injured in the fatal scaffolding collapse at the Port Arthur LNG construction project in Sabine Pass on April 29, 2026.
Attorney Ryan Zehl, who is leading the case, told 12News that the families are seeking answers about how such a catastrophic failure could occur at one of the largest industrial construction projects currently underway in Texas.
“There was clearly a failure,” Zehl said. “Their families sent them to work and expected them to come home that night, and they’ll never get to see them again.”
The families deserve to know exactly what happened, why it happened, and who is responsible. Our undefeated work injury lawyers are devoting whatever resources necessary to hold each responsible party fully accountable for the harm caused.
Fatal Scaffolding Collapse at Port Arthur LNG Construction Site Kills 3, Injures 2
The deadly scaffolding collapse occurred shortly after 2:00 a.m. on April 29, 2026, triggering an immediate work stoppage at the massive Port Arthur LNG construction project on South Gulfway Drive in Jefferson County, Texas.
According to reports and information uncovered during our investigation, workers were performing elevated construction activities utilizing a tank jump form system when their scaffolding gave way.
Five workers were reportedly knocked from an elevated work platform. Three workers lost their lives and two more suffered serious injuries.
While investigations remain ongoing, early evidence suggests that multiple safety failures may have contributed to the incident.
What Is the Port Arthur LNG Project?
The Port Arthur LNG facility is a multi-billion-dollar liquefied natural gas export terminal being constructed along the Texas Gulf Coast. The project is being developed by Sempra Infrastructure in partnership with ConocoPhillips and is expected to become one of the largest LNG export facilities in North America.
Construction activities involve hundreds of workers and multiple contractors performing complex operations around the clock. Projects of this size typically involve numerous companies with overlapping responsibilities for site safety, supervision, equipment, communications, and work coordination.
As a result, determining responsibility after a fatal industrial accident often requires examining the actions and safety practices of multiple entities—not just the workers directly involved in the incident.
Investigation Underway Into Potential Safety Failures
Our investigation has already uncovered evidence suggesting that the accident was not the result of an unavoidable event, but rather a preventable workplace tragedy.
Based on what we’ve uncovered so far, a simultaneous crane operation may have resulted in a load striking the scaffolding occupied by the workers, causing the structure to tilt and leading to the fatal fall.
We are investigating whether multiple companies involved in the project failed to properly coordinate work activities, identify hazards, communicate dangers, and implement adequate safety protections before allowing employees to work at elevation.
Potential safety failures under investigation include:
- Unsafe construction operations
- Failure to properly design, inspect, and maintain scaffolding systems
- Failure to identify and eliminate known hazards
- Inadequate worker training and supervision
- Failure to implement and enforce safety procedures
- Deficient job safety analyses and hazard assessments
- Unsafe crane and lifting operations
- Failure to maintain effective communications between crews
- Failure to provide workers with a reasonably safe workplace
Significantly, Bechtel — the primary construction contractor on the project — has acknowledged multiple safety failures in its own internal investigation, further raising questions about how this incident was allowed to occur.
How We’re Standing Up For the Families Harmed by the Fatal Port Arthur LNG Accident
We are proudly representing the families of Felipe Mendez, 25, of Houston, and Felix Lopez, 42, of Pearland, who lost their lives in this preventable tragedy, as well as injured worker Marcos Ramirez.
The devastating incident forever changed the lives of multiple families. Felipe leaves behind his wife and six-month-old daughter. Felix leaves behind four children. His oldest son, 21-year-old Felix Lopez Jr., was working alongside his father on the project and witnessed his father’s fatal fall.
While no lawsuit can undo what happened, we are committed to uncovering the truth, holding every responsible party accountable, and helping these families secure the justice they deserve.
Here is how we are fighting for our clients:
- Preserving critical evidence before it disappears. We immediately sought a temporary restraining order and temporary injunction to preserve evidence related to the incident scene, equipment, materials, documents, communications, and other records before they can be lost, destroyed, altered, or concealed.
- Conducting an independent investigation. We are working with a network of leading industrial safety, construction, crane operation, and engineering experts to inspect the incident site, analyze the evidence, and determine exactly how this tragedy occurred and how it could have been prevented.
- Identifying every responsible party. Our investigation is examining the roles of the project developers, construction contractors, supervisors, crane operators, safety personnel, and any other companies or individuals whose actions or failures contributed to the deaths and injuries suffered by our clients.
- Pursuing full compensation and accountability. We are seeking all available damages on behalf of our clients, including compensation for mental anguish, pain and suffering, lost earnings, and other losses, as well as punitive damages based on allegations of gross negligence and conscious disregard for worker safety.
- Preparing the case for trial, where we remain undefeated. We have requested a jury trial in Harris County, where ConocoPhillips maintains its principal office, and are fully prepared to take this case as far as necessary to obtain justice for our clients.
Undefeated Texas Industrial Accident Lawyers: 1-888-603-3636
Having successfully represented over 1,000 industrial workers against the largest petrochemical, oil and gas, and industrial companies in the world, Zehl & Associates has consistently demonstrated that we don’t just win for our clients – we set records.
If you or a loved one were injured in a workplace or industrial accident, contact us at 1-888-603-3636 for a Free Consultation or send us a confidential email through our Contact Us page.
All consultations are free, and you won’t pay us a dime unless we win your case.