Lawsuit Alleges Safety Protocols Not Established, Failure to Warn of Hazards

HOUSTON, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A Texas worker severely injured in a Kinder Morgan pipeline explosion this week has filed suit seeking to hold the company accountable and preserve critical evidence at the explosion site, The Ammons Law Firm said today.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Orlando Cantu against Kinder Morgan, Inc., Kinder Morgan Texas Pipeline LLC, and Kinder Morgan Tejas Pipeline LLC. According to the petition, Kinder Morgan owned, operated, managed, controlled, and/or maintained the pipeline located at or around County Road 310 near FM 1822, south of Edna, Texas, in Jackson County.

The petition alleges that Cantu was performing work on the pipeline on April 22, 2026, when the pipeline exploded at approximately 3 p.m., causing him to sustain severe injuries.

The lawsuit asserts claims for negligence, premises liability and gross negligence. It alleges that Kinder Morgan failed to establish safety protocols for work on the premises, failed to recognize and eliminate work hazards, failed to warn of hazards, failed to provide adequate maintenance and inspections, failed to provide a safe worksite, failed to control conditions surrounding the pipeline to prevent the release and presence of explosive gases and/or materials, and failed to ensure that no explosion or fire would occur.

The Case

According to the petition, Cantu was injured while performing work on a Kinder Morgan pipeline in Jackson County. The lawsuit alleges that an unreasonably dangerous condition existed on the premises, including but not limited to the pipeline, and posed an unreasonable risk of harm.

The petition further alleges that Kinder Morgan knew, or in the exercise of reasonable care should have known, of the unreasonably dangerous condition and failed to exercise ordinary care to reduce or eliminate the risk to Cantu.

The lawsuit also alleges that Kinder Morgan's acts and omissions constituted gross negligence because they involved an extreme degree of risk and were undertaken with actual, subjective awareness of the risk, but with conscious indifference to the rights, safety and welfare of others, including Cantu.

Cantu seeks damages for medical care costs, lost wages and earning capacity, physical impairment, physical pain, emotional distress, mental anguish, disfigurement, exemplary damages, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, and court costs.

The case is Orlando Cantu v. Kinder Morgan, Inc., Kinder Morgan Texas Pipeline LLC, and Kinder Morgan Tejas Pipeline LLC, Cause No. 202627731, in the 164th Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas.

Legal Counsel for Orlando Cantu

Cantu is represented by Rob Ammons and Heriberto "Herbie" Montalvo of The Ammons Law Firm in Houston, alongside co-counsel Omar Escobar Jr. of the Escobar Law Firm, and Jesus A. Zambrano and Edgar E. Garcia of the Zambrano Law Firm. This same legal team recently secured a $1.6 billion unanimous jury verdict in Starr County, Texas, on April 17, 2026 — one of the largest workplace wrongful death verdicts in U.S. history — in a case involving the deaths of two workers killed in an explosion at a hazardous-chemicals facility in Pecos, Texas.

Statements from Counsel

Lead attorney Rob Ammons, The Ammons Law Firm: "Pipeline operators have a responsibility to protect workers from explosive hazards before work begins, not after a catastrophic failure occurs. This lawsuit seeks accountability for Mr. Cantu and answers about how this explosion happened and why it was not prevented."

In addition to damages, Cantu requested an ex parte temporary restraining order and temporary injunction hearing to preserve the status quo and prevent the explosion scene from being modified, cleaned or altered before he has an opportunity to inspect it. Yesterday, an Agreed Temporary Restraining Order was entered by the Court, with Kinder Morgan's agreement, restraining Kinder Morgan from altering, dismantling, moving, or disposing of pipeline components or associated equipment within 100 feet of the explosion site. The order also requires Kinder Morgan to make the preserved area available for visual and non-destructive inspection by Cantu and his retained experts within 14 days.

About The Ammons Law Firm

The Ammons Law Firm is a Houston-based catastrophic injury and wrongful death firm that tries serious cases across the country. The firm is headed by Rob Ammons, who has served as lead counsel on more than 550 separate cases resulting in verdicts or settlements in excess of $1 million, and dozens of verdicts or settlements of more than $10 million. The firm regularly accepts cases through referral counsel nationwide. Learn more at ammonslaw.com.

CONTACT: Erin Powers, Powers MediaWorks LLC, for The Ammons Law Firm, 281.703.6000, [email protected].

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SOURCE The Ammons Law Firm