Construction Worker Blames Faulty Truss For Paralysis

A construction worker has filed a personal injury suit claiming his paralysis was caused by his fall from the roof of an apartment building that he blames on a truss he alleges was faulty.

According to the suit filed by Merced Fernandez in Texas’ Jefferson County Circuit Court on February 26, he was installing roof joists on Beaumont Trace Apartments on November 20, 2008, when the truss he stepped on broke and collapsed, causing him to plummet 10 feet.

The suit says that the fall resulted in Fernandez becoming a paraplegic, experiencing physical pain and mental anguish, incurring medical expenses, and losing wages. He also claims to have sustained scarring, disfigurement, and physical impairment.

The suit names Centerpoint Builders, Beaumont Trace Apartments, and Trussway Holdings as defendants.

The suit alleges negligence on the part of the defendants for failure to protect Fernandez from an unsafe condition, failure to correct said unsafe condition, failure to warn, failure to provide a safe workplace, failure to properly train Fernandez, failure to properly supervise Fernandez, failure to provide proper tools, failure to provide adequate protection from falls, use of inferior building materials, violation of provisions set forth by O.S.H.A. and ANSI, and retaining unqualified employees.

Fernandez seeks unspecified damages.