Spring consultants blamed for employee's third-degree burns

A Spring-area consulting group is being sued after an employee says he suffered severe burns at an oil well site in Smiley.

Dorean and Karroll Lindsey filed a lawsuit on June 17 in Harris County District Court against HTK Consultants, of Spring, Forest Oil Corp. and Joe Harris Sr., citing negligence, gross negligence and violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

The Lindseys say that on Feb. 5, Dorean was permanently disabled when a workplace accident at Forest Oil’s well site near Smiley caused severe first-, second- and third-degree burns on a large portion of his body. According to the brief, HTK Consultants acted negligently as worksite supervisors by failing to remedy dangerous conditions at the well.

The Lindseys are seeking actual and exemplary damages, as well as court costs. They are being represented in the case by Tyler attorney Jimmy Negem.

Harris County District Court Case No. 2011-36249.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Harris County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.