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Houston Crane Co. Slammed with $640M Verdict Over Construction Site Fatality 

Jurors in Harris County this week awarded the family of a man who was killed at a construction site a total of $640 million, most of which came in the form of a whopping $480 million assessment of punitive damages against Houston-based TNT Crane & Rigging. 

David Lester Loree II was killed in September 2021 at a job site during construction of the College of Business and Library building on the Texas A&M University-San Antonio campus, according to the lawsuit. Loree, a journeyman pipefitter, was part of a crew working to install HVAC units on the fourth floor of the building at the time of the incident. 

Michelle Casady

Michelle Casady is based in Houston and covers litigation and appeals — including trials, breaking news and industry trends — for The Texas Lawbook.

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