Abelardo Apodaca Killed in Work Accident in Willis, TX
Willis, TX — April 26, 2024, Abelardo Apodaca was killed as the result of a work accident at around 5:00 p.m. along I-45.
According to preliminary details about the accident, it happened in the area of the I-45 service road and Longstreet Road.
Investigators said that 32-year-old Abelardo Apodaca and other workers were in the process of moving heavy material off a trailer at the time. While doing so, some of the material tipped and fell, landing on Abelardo Apodaca. As a result, Abelardo Apodaca was killed.
No other workers were reportedly injured. The OSHA report listed an alleged serious violation citation in their report.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
I have a lot of people come to me about accidents like the one described here. Someone loses their life, and OSHA finds one or two reasons to issue citations. Is that really all there is in terms of accountability? Well, Texas actually has very unique work fatality laws. Despite what many think, families are not always stuck relying solely on OSHA and the workers' comp system to set things right. There are exceptions where an employer's subscriber status allows families to advocate for a remedy that's fair, and there can also be exceptions where employers are open to more severe penalties than they might be ordinarily. I can't say what circumstances would apply to this situation based only on the OSHA reports. However, I can't recall a single fatal work accident that came across my desk which didn't at least warrant further scrutiny.
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