Jorge Campos Killed in Loving, NM, Well Accident
Loving, NM -- October 8, 2016, Jorge Campos was killed as the result of an accident where he was struck by equipment at a work site.
OSHA released an accident summary on the fatal workplace incident. Due to vague language, the exact location of the accident is unclear. Campos was said to be working for North American Tubular Services, LLC, which is based out of Kilgore, TX.
According to the OSHA report, Campos was somehow struck by well casing at a work site. It's unclear what kind of work was being done, and there were no details on what occurred in the accident.
The incident inflicted fatal injuries to Campos, and he died. OSHA did not release any additional information.
Map of the Area
Commentary
Too often I find OSHA reports like this one that really offer little information or very confusing information. The report says the accident happened in "Kilgore, NM 88256," which as far as I've found doesn't actually exist. What I do see is that the 88256 zip code is located in Loving, NM, and that North American Tubular Services is based out of Kilgore, TX. I can only assume Mr. Campos was working at a rig in New Mexico owned by a Texas company or doing work for a Texas company at a rig owned by a 3rd party.
Honestly, the fact that these reports are so unclear makes me worry about the people who lost a loved one in the accident. Most people would assume these reports are just summaries for public use and that family members are told the full story. Our firm has had plenty of clients in the past that show this to be untrue. Many times, OSHA goes into a workplace after a fatality, does an investigation, throws out some fines, and then moves on. They aren't there to help the surviving family or explain to the public what happened.
As a result, seeking compensation from these companies is often a burden that falls to the families. They have to conduct a secondary, independent investigation to determine exactly what killed their loved one and how it was allowed to happen. This is why many people seek out the assistance of experienced legal representation. OSHA and other official entities aren't obligated to go beyond the bare minimum of their requirements, so punishing these companies for having unsafe working environments falls to the world of civil law.
If a thorough investigation is conducted and there is any wrongdoing on the part of the company, then they need to be held accountable. Not only for the sake of the family, but also to ensure no one else has to suffer the same tragedy.
--Grossman Law Offices
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