One of the men killed in the collapse was identified by a former coworker as Dontrell Magee, who went by the nickname “Reggie.”
SABINE PASS, Texas — Many have been left grappling with the fallout of deadly accident at the Port Arthur LNG site that claimed the lives of three construction workers early Monday morning.
The incident occurred when a section of scaffolding collapsed, causing five workers to fall, two of them dying at the scene.
According to Jefferson County Justice of the Peace Brad Burnett, the victims were a 25-year-old from Houston and a 42-year-old from Pearland. A third worker, a 41-year-old from Houston, later died at the hospital.
RELATED: 3 dead, 2 injured in scaffolding collapse at Port Arthur LNG construction site in Sabine Pass
Sempra Infrastructure, which is overseeing the project, confirmed that two additional workers were injured but have since been released from the hospital.
One of the men killed in the collapse was identified by a former coworker as Dontrell Magee, who went by the nickname “Reggie.” Charles McLemore, who worked with Magee on the Golden Pass LNG project in Sabine Pass two years ago, described him as a hardworking and dependable man.
“He’s one of the good ones that we shouldn’t have lost,” McLemore said. “He was a good dad, he always did things with his kids. When we worked together we could trust him, ask him anything he would do it for you.”
According to Sempra Infrastructure, all three deceased workers were employed by Bechtel, the contractor handling Phase 1 of the Port Arthur LNG project.
McLemore explained the perils faced Magee faced daily as a rigger for the company.
“He hooks up the load to what the crane is going to be lifting,” McLemore said. “Climbing scaffolding, going up in manlifts. A lot of people don’t realize that everyday you do jobs like that what Reggie did you might not go home.”
As the community mourns, legal experts say questions about responsibility and negligence may soon come into play. Attorney Mark Sparks explained that in Texas, worker’s compensation laws limit legal options for injured workers but not necessarily for families of deceased employees.
“If you’re injured you cannot sue your employer if that employer has worker’s compensation insurance. However, if you are killed as a result of gross negligence by your employer your family can still file a lawsuit for wrongful death,” Sparks said.
Sparks noted that families must file such a lawsuit within two years if they intend to pursue legal action.
Sparks emphasized that identifying the cause of the collapse and assigning responsibility will be key steps in any potential legal proceedings.
“As a result of OSHA investigations there is no award of damages to any victims; it’s all fines and disciplinary issues for violations,” Sparks said.
McLemore, still grappling with the loss of his friend, spoke on behalf of those who worked alongside Magee.
“Fellow operators, fellow riggers, we all loved Reggie,” McLemore said.