Arnold & Itkin Files Lawsuit After Well Fire Leaves Mechanic with Severe Burns & Traumatic Brain Injury

SANTA FE, N.M., Jan. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Arnold & Itkin has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a mechanic who suffered catastrophic injuries when a flash fire erupted at an oil and gas wellsite in New Mexico. The complaint, filed in the First Judicial District Court of Santa Fe County, alleges negligence, premises liability, and product liability against multiple defendants in the energy and manufacturing industries.

On July 11, 2024, the mechanic was working for Kodiak Gas Services at the Seawolf 1H wellsite in Lea County, New Mexico. After completing a 12-hour shift, he was called back to the site to replace a wiring harness and a valve that had been damaged in an earlier fire. While standing approximately 12 feet high on a catwalk and testing a gas compression system, a flash fire occurred due to a gas leak from a metal-braided hose. The worker was forced to jump from the elevated platform to escape the flames.

The incident left him with severe burns to his hands, neck, and face, as well as a traumatic brain injury from the fall. His injuries have required extensive medical treatment, and a limited conservatorship was established in October 2025 to manage his affairs.

The lawsuit names five defendants across the energy and manufacturing sectors. Targa Resources LLC and Targa Northern Delaware, LLC are Delaware limited liability companies that allegedly operated and controlled the wellsite. William Pierce is identified as the designated company representative for Targa Northern Delaware, LLC. Equipment manufacturers Caterpillar, Inc. and Custom Compression Systems, LLC are also named as defendants.

According to the petition, the gas compression system was designed to use pressurized natural gas instead of compressed air to start its diesel engine—a decision the lawsuit characterizes as inherently dangerous. The complaint alleges this configuration, combined with the defective metal braided hose, created the conditions that led to the gas leak and subsequent fire.

The lawsuit asserts multiple causes of action. Against all defendants, Arnold & Itkin alleges negligence, including failures to ensure that equipment was functioning properly, to implement lockout/tagout procedures during repairs, to conduct hazard assessments before assigning work, to supervise operations adequately, and to warn the worker of known dangers from gas leaks.

The complaint brings premises liability claims against Targa Resources LLC and Targa Northern Delaware, LLC, alleging they controlled the worksite and failed to warn of or remedy the unreasonably dangerous condition posed by the defective compression system.

Against Caterpillar, Inc. and Custom Compression Systems, LLC, the lawsuit alleges product liability on three grounds: marketing defect and failure to warn about gas leak risks and proper safety protocols; design defect for choosing pressurized natural gas over safer compressed air systems; and manufacturing defect in the construction and assembly of the system with the faulty hose component.

The petition also seeks punitive damages against all defendants, alleging they acted with reckless disregard for worker safety by maintaining defective equipment, directing repair work near known hazards, and failing to implement basic safety measures despite awareness of extreme risks.

The case is being handled by Arnold & Itkin attorneys Roland Christensen and Alec Paradowski, in partnership with local counsel from Durham, Pittard & Spalding, L.L.P.

"Oil and gas workers are around combustible materials day in and day out, and the risk of fires is known throughout the industry," Mr. Christensen said. "Safety steps, including servicing and maintaining the equipment at worksites, have to be taken seriously or serious injuries occur. Our team refuses to be outworked in our fight for justice, and I look forward to fighting on behalf of our client to get the best possible result, no matter what."

About Arnold & Itkin LLP

Arnold & Itkin LLP is a New Mexico personal injury law firm representing plaintiffs in maritime disasters, oilfield accidents, and catastrophic injury cases. The firm has secured more than $20 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients nationwide and has won some of the largest verdicts and settlements for work accidents in the nation's history, holding award records in multiple states.

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Arnold & Itkin LLP
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SOURCE Arnold & Itkin LLP