A devastating workplace tragedy is now at the center of a bombshell lawsuit, after a young Texas father was allegedly killed by flying industrial equipment during what attorneys are calling a completely preventable job gone wrong.
Garrick Newell, 29, was working as a contractor at a TPC Group plant in southeast Houston on February 7 when disaster struck. According to the lawsuit, Newell had been assigned to help remove a massive belthead from a boilermaker — a piece of machinery weighing over 1,000 pounds — when it suddenly broke loose.
What happened next was described as nothing short of horrifying.
The equipment allegedly “flew” nearly 15 feet before slamming directly into Newell, killing him in a violent and chaotic scene that his family’s attorneys say never should have happened.
“This whole thing could have been avoided,” said attorney Mo Aziz, who is representing Newell’s grieving family.
The lawsuit accuses TPC Group of directing Newell to perform an “unsafe” task while also failing to properly maintain the equipment involved. Another attorney on the case, Scott Armstrong, didn’t hold back, claiming that nothing at the facility happens without company oversight and approval — raising serious questions about how such a deadly incident was allowed to unfold.
Newell wasn’t just another worker on site. He was a husband and father of two who had built a strong reputation in the industry as a general foreman supervisor specializing in refinery shutdowns. His obituary described him as deeply committed to his work, often spending weeks away from home to support his family and ensure projects ran safely.
Now, that same dedication is at the heart of a lawsuit alleging his life was cut short by negligence.
TPC Group has declined to comment on the case, citing ongoing litigation. The company, which calls itself North America’s largest independent processor of C4 hydrocarbons, has previously touted its commitment to safety and community.
But this isn’t the first time the company has faced scrutiny.
In 2019, a series of explosions at a TPC facility in Port Neches injured three people and prompted an investigation by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. Officials later found the company failed to identify dangerous chemical buildup risks and lacked an effective safety management system.
For Newell’s family, those past failures only deepen the pain — and the questions.
How could this happen again? And could it have been stopped before another life was lost?
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