A welder at Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas was struck in the chest and head by a carbon steel pipe with enough force to lift his feet off the ground, according to a lawsuit filed in Travis County.
Juan Jesus Chavez was welding two, 25-foot-long sections of carbon steel pipe. To align them, a strap was secured around both pipes and connected to a forklift, which was used to level and bring the pipe ends together. Chavez tacked one side of the joint to hold the pipes in place, the lawsuit states. Before the second side could be secured, however, the forklift operator raised the forks, causing the unsecured pipe to swing free and strike Chavez.
His lawyer, civil attorney Tony Buzbee, says Chavez suffered a closed head injury and an orthopedic injury to the neck and back in the March 18 incident.
Chavez is suing his employer, EFX Industrial, and Tesla Inc. over negligence. The lawsuit says the two required Chavez to perform welding work on an unsecured and improperly suspended pipe, “despite the open and obvious danger.”
It also alleges Tesla and EFX Industrial failed to properly train employees on safe rigging and lifting operations, did not provide adequate safety equipment and failed to properly supervise the work.
Chavez is seeking more than $1 million in damages for physical pain and suffering, impairment, mental anguish, medical expenses and lost earning capacity. The case is filed under a discovery plan that could allow additional facts to emerge ahead of trial.
EFX generally denied the allegations in a filing on Monday. The company also argued that Chavez’s claim is barred by the remedy provision of the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act and that Chavez’s own acts or omissions could have contributed to any alleged injuries.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. The automaker, which employs more than 16,500 people in the Austin area, has recently reduced headcount at its factory east of the city. As staffing declined, reported injuries also fell. In 2025, employees recorded 667 OSHA-reportable incidents — a 38% decrease from 2024 — along with 38 incidents involving contractors.
The safety of employees and contractors has been an ongoing concern at the plant. Travis County voted earlier this month to withhold some of Tesla’s tax breaks after it provided incomplete documentation on several provisions, including those involving construction site safety.
Chavez’s case is the latest lawsuit involving a vehicle operator at the factory. A former safety supervisor sued Tesla earlier this year after he allegedly suffered a traumatic brain injury when 150 pounds of unsecured Cybertruck parts fell from a passing transport cart in Feb. 2024.