Tesla Sued by Family of Electrician Who Died at Austin Facility

The family of a Texas man who died while working at Tesla’s Austin-area facility last week is suing the electric vehicle company and his employer.

The lawsuit said the worker, Victor Joe Gomez Sr., was at the facility on Aug. 1 to inspect electrical panels before they were set to be energized. But Gomez, an electrician, was unaware that a panel was already energized, and upon inspecting it was “immediately electrocuted” and knocked unconscious.

The filing said the man was transported from the scene by Austin-Travis County EMS to Dell Seton Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The family is seeking more than $1 million in damages as part of the lawsuit, which was filed Aug. 6 in Travis County, Texas. The lawsuit also asks Tesla to preserve the panel, any surveillance footage and any other potential evidence related to the incident.

Tesla couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. In addition to Tesla the family also sued Colorado River Project LLC, a Tesla affiliate, and Belcan Services Group L.P., the man’s employer.

The filing alleges the electric panel “posed an unreasonable risk of harm” and the defendants had knowledge or “reasonably should have known” about the dangerous condition and failed to warn Gomez.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has also said that its investigating the incident.

Top photo: A sign at a Tesla Inc. electric vehicle dealership in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. Tesla will produce a new model that will cost €25,000 ($26,863) at its factory near Berlin, Reuters reported, as competition intensifies to produce more affordable electric vehicles for the European market. Photographer: Liesa Johannssen-Koppitz/Bloomberg.