Family of Man Killed at Construction Site Demand Answers says Attorneys at AlderLaw and Torkzadeh Law Firm

LOS ANGELES, July 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The family of a man killed while working at the site of the Upper Narrows Pipeline Replacement Project near Victorville is demanding answers about the cause of his death.  David Padilla, 38, was killed on June 24, 2015, when the 25-ton winch he was operating malfunctioned, catapulting him and the winch across a shored pit.  Padilla's two young daughters have retained noted trial attorneys Michael Alder of AlderLaw PC and Reza Torkzadeh of The Torkzadeh Law Firm to investigate the circumstances leading to their father's death. 

Based on Alder's and Torkzadeh's investigation, it appears that Mr. Padilla was working for FoxFire Contractors, Inc., on a project to replace a pipe that had been damaged.  Mr. Padilla and other workers were removing a large piece of a micro-tunneling machine from a tunnel when the winch being operated by Mr. Padilla broke loose.  Both the winch and Mr. Padilla ended up at the tunnel entrance, killing Mr. Padilla.  Attorney Reza Torkzadeh has been in touch with officials from OSHA but says the family will have to file a lawsuit to obtain all the answers they need.  "This is something that never should have happened," says attorney Michael Alder.  "Two young girls have been left without a father due to what appears to be gross negligence at a dangerous work site." 

The Upper Narrows Pipeline Replacement Project is operated by the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (VVWRA).  According to the VVWRA's website, the goal of the Project is to bring wastewater from Hesperia through a large pipe being drilled through the Upper Narrows in order for VVWRA to clean and purify the water before reusing it or returning it to the Mojave River.  The contract for the Upper Narrows Pipeline Replacement Project was awarded to James W. Fowler Co. in January 2014 with a scheduled completion date of mid-2015. As part of the Project, workers use a specially made 84" tunnel boring machine to carve an 1800' long tunnel through solid rock underneath the hillside. 

In June 2015, VVWRA noted on its website that crews had been "working hard to remove the tunnel boring equipment to prepare for installation of the large pipe within the tunnel."  Attorney Torkzadeh says it appears that the contractor, James W. Fowler Co., put timely completion of the project ahead of workplace safety.  "A properly anchored winch would never malfunction as this one did, and it appears that this winch was owned and controlled by James W. Fowler Co.," says attorney Torkzadeh.

Attorneys Alder and Torkzadeh plan to file suit in the Superior Court of San Bernardino County.

About AlderLaw PC
AlderLaw PC is a leading plaintiffs' law firm with offices in Los Angeles (Century City) and Santa Barbara.  It represents plaintiffs in personal injury, business tort, and employment litigation nationwide.  The firm was founded in 2000 by attorney Michael Alder, former president of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) and 2011 Trial Lawyer of the Year.  Alder has tried more than 80 cases in his career and works with a team of 15 associate attorneys.  AlderLaw PC has obtained more than $750 million in verdicts and settlements since its founding.  For more information, visit www.alderlaw.com.

About The Torkzadeh Law Firm
The Torkzadeh Law Firm is an accident and personal injury law firm with offices in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, and Chicago.  The firm exclusively represents victims and their families in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases nationwide.  Reza Torkzadeh was selected in 2014 and 2015 as a "Super Lawyer" in California, an honor received by only 5% of the attorneys in the state.  In 2012, he was invited to membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, one of the most prestigious trial lawyers organizations in the country.  Torkzadeh is the co-author of the book Accidents Happen But Who's Going to Pay the Bills? A Consumer's Guide to the California Personal Injury and Wrongful Death System. For more information, visit http://www.torklaw.com.

SOURCE The Torkzadeh Law Firm; AlderLaw

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