News for North Texas
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Family Of Man Who Died Of COVID-19 Suing Dallas Meat Plant

The family of a man who died of COVID-19 has sued the West Dallas meat processing plant where he worked. The suit alleges Quality Sausage Company didn’t take the virus seriously or protect its workers. 

Hugo Dominguez
Credit Courtesy Blanca Parra Gonzalez
/
Courtesy Blanca Parra Gonzalez
Hugo Dominguez, 36, worked at Quality Sausage Company in West Dallas. He died of COVID-19 April 25.

Hugo Dominguez's longtime partner, Blanca Esther Parra, and Dominguez's brother Pablo, claim that he was told to report for work even after he developed symptoms of COVID-19. They say he contracted the virus at work.

The suit also alleges Dominguez wasn’t given the proper protective gear or training, and that Quality Sausage knew of the hazardous conditions workers were being exposed to inside the plant.

The company quote “failed to provide a safe work environment to its employees,” the suit says. It adds that Dominguez’s death could have been prevented and that the company’s negligence led to his death.

Dominguez, a forklift operator, died on April 25 at the age of 36. However, the lawsuit claims that around April 8, it had become clear some workers in the plant had become ill with symptoms of COVID-19. Another employee at the plant reportedly died after Dominguez.

Quality Sausage Company said in a statement that they had not recieved a copy  of the lawsuit and do not comment on pending litigation.

The company has temporarily paused production to review its safety procedures and test all workers.

Several of the nation's largest meat processing plants have been  shuttered after COVID-19 infections, cutting pork production by at least 25%. President Trump signed an executive order April 28 that requires meat plants to stay open to avoid shortages.

Got a tip? Email Stella M. Chávez at schavez@kera.org. You can follow her on Twitter @stellamchavez.

KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.

 

Plaintiff's Original Pe... by KERANews on Scribd

Stella M. Chávez is KERA’s immigration/demographics reporter/blogger. Her journalism roots run deep: She spent a decade and a half in newspapers – including seven years at The Dallas Morning News, where she covered education and won the Livingston Award for National Reporting, which is given annually to the best journalists across the country under age 35.