DALLAS, TEXAS – A Dallas County jury has awarded nearly $72 million ($71.95 million) to a grieving family after finding an Irving construction firm liable in the death of Hernan Murillo, a 40-year old husband and father of four from Arlington, according to Kevin Queenan of Queenan Law.
The jury found Irving-based Walker Engineering liable for the death of Mr. Murillo following an incident at a Frito-Lay warehouse. According to trial testimony, Murillo was one of three workers installing new electric lines at the facility when the scissor lift he occupied with two co-workers was toppled by another worker, who struck them with a separate boom lift he was operating. The impact caused Mr. Murillo and his co-workers to fall 30 feet.
M. Kevin Queenan, of Queenan Law Firm, managed much of the early litigation and discovery that led to the outcome for the victim’s family. “It’s our job to present the best case to the jury in this situation. Through our findings, the jury recognized that Mr. Murillo’s death was caused by the unsafe practices of the defendants, and that negligence took a father and husband from his family. This judgement is a step in helping them move forward, but it doesn’t bring him back home.”
Carlos Lopez of the Queenan Law Firm, who was also involved in structuring the case against Walker Engineering, said, “This level of award sends the message that workers, and their families, expect employers to look after the safety of their loved ones. I’m proud that our firm was part of presenting this widow’s case to a jury. We were able to help the family tremendously.” In the four-and-a-half years since the lawsuit was filed, 961 documents were entered into the record of the Dallas County Court.
Queenan Law has been representing victims of construction, industrial, and trucking incidents for more than 25 years. Queenan Law works hard to uncover the facts, and build the legal case required to bring peace of mind to their clients. It takes tremendous skill and strategy to successfully arrive at truth and justice, especially with a jury filled with unknown individuals and an opponent who is working hard to disprove that truth.
ref: Case: Luara Lopez v. Walker Industrial LLC et al
Case No. DC-19-16959
Description: Personal Injury-Negligence
Filing Date: Oct. 22, 2019
Verdict Date: April 25, 2024
Judge: Dallas County 44th District Court Judge Veretta Frazier
Plaintiff Attorneys: Charla Aldous, Brent Walker and Eleanor Aldous of Aldous/Walker, Dallas; and M. Kevin Queenan, Carlos Lopez of Queenan Law Firm, Houston.
Defendant Attorneys: Bob Bragalone, B. Ryan Fellman, Soña Garcia at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, Dallas; Joe Byrne of Byrne, Cardenas & Aris, Dallas.