The family of Jose Luis Bautista Jr., 25, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against SpaceX in Cameron County District Court. His mother, Lydia, and brother, Alan, allege negligence and gross negligence. They are seeking a jury trial and more than $1 million in damages. Bautista fell 40 to 50 feet on May 15 when a steel I-beam he was working on tipped over, according to the lawsuit.
Bautista worked for Delta Fabrication & Machine Inc., a SpaceX contractor helping build a nearly 40-story building that will be used to build and maintain Starship rockets. The lawsuit says the beam was not secured at its base because the concrete floor was inadequate for holding the bolts. It also says a SpaceX official had told Delta Fabrication to use a beam strap along with a come-along cable to secure the beam.
SpaceX project superintendent Cody Stewart told Cameron County sheriff's investigators that the contractor was removing and replacing some beams, according to the report. The sheriff's report said Bautista was working on the beam from a scissor lift when it fell during an adjustment to the rigging.