A Texas contractor has filed a negligence lawsuit against SpaceX, claiming he was injured by falling debris while working at the company’s Starbase facility in Cameron County.
At a Glance
- Sergio Ortiz says welding leads struck his head inside an elevator shaft on April 17, 2024
- The suit names SpaceX and two other companies for failing to secure equipment and enforce safety protocols
- At least 600 unreported injuries and multiple active OSHA investigations already shadow SpaceX
- Why it matters: The new case adds to mounting evidence of systemic safety lapses as SpaceX accelerates rocket production
Sergio Ortiz was installing sheet metal and patching walls inside an elevator shaft when heavy-duty copper welding leads tumbled down and hit him, according to the complaint filed in Cameron County and first reported by the San Antonio Express-News.
The lawsuit argues that SpaceX did not:
- Secure the welding leads
- Provide adequate fall-protection measures
- Coordinate supervision among contractors
- Enforce site-wide safety rules
News Of Fort Worth contacted SpaceX for comment; the company did not respond before publication.
Pattern of Injuries
Court records and federal data show Ortiz is hardly an isolated case. A 2023 Reuters investigation found at least 600 previously unreported injuries at SpaceX facilities, including:
| Injury Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Amputations | Multiple |
| Crushed limbs | Multiple |
| Electrocutions | Multiple |
| Head and eye wounds | Multiple |
| Fatalities | 1 |
In January 2024, another civil suit was filed by the wife of a SpaceX employee who remains in a coma after a workplace incident.
Regulatory Scrutiny
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration currently has four open inspections tied to SpaceX operations in Texas, federal records show.
Key takeaways
- SpaceX faces fresh litigation over contractor safety at Starbase
- The company has racked up hundreds of injury reports and multiple OSHA probes
- The latest suit underscores tension between rapid rocket development and worker protections
