A contractor in Texas claims he was injured while working at SpaceX’s Starbase facility and is suing the company for negligence. The incident is the latest in a string of lawsuits filed against SpaceX over workplace injuries, highlighting the company’s poor safety track record.
Sergio Ortiz filed a lawsuit in Cameron County, claiming that he was struck by a piece of falling debris while working in an elevator shaft at Starbase, according to the San Antonio Express-News. The contractor is suing SpaceX and at least two other companies for negligence, though the amount of damages sought wasn’t specified.
Workplace hazards
According to the lawsuit, the incident took place on April 17, 2024, while Ortiz was installing sheet metal and patching walls inside an elevator shaft at a SpaceX facility. The worker alleges that welding leads—heavy-duty copper cables that connect welding machines to a clamp—fell onto his head, causing serious injuries.
Ortiz is claiming that SpaceX failed to secure the leads and didn’t enforce adequate prevention measures against falling objects, as well as adequate supervision and coordination among contractors and proper safety measures.
Gizmodo reached out to SpaceX for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Safety last
SpaceX has a rampant history of workplace injuries and plenty of lawsuits against it.
A 2023 Reuters report documented at least 600 unreported workplace injuries at SpaceX, with serious injuries such as amputations, crushed limbs, electrocutions, wounds to the head and eyes, and one death.
In January 2024, the wife of a SpaceX employee filed a lawsuit against the company for a workplace injury that left her husband in a coma. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration currently has at least four ongoing investigations over incidents related to SpaceX’s facility in Texas.
The series of incidents highlights SpaceX’s potential negligence when it comes to ensuring the safety of workers as the company pushes ahead to further its spaceflight ambitions.
