The family of a Texas man who died while working at Tesla’s Austin-area facility last week is suing the electric vehicle company and his employer.

The lawsuit said the worker, Victor Joe Gomez Sr., was at the facility on Aug. 1 to inspect electrical panels before they were set to be energized. But Gomez, an electrician, was unaware that a panel was already energized, and upon inspecting it was “immediately electrocuted” and knocked unconscious.

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Opening Night Swim | Thursday, Aug. 29 | 7-10 p.m. | The Line Hotel | Swim around to a DJ set by Hierba Malita and check out installations by local artist Hard Shapes.

Independent Film Showcase | Friday, Aug. 30 | 7-11 p.m. | The Contemporary Austin-Laguna Gloria | Enjoy a community picnic + watch shorts by local women and LGBTQ+ filmmakers.

Independent Music Showcase | Saturday, Aug. 31 | 7-11 p.m. | Cheer Up Charlies | Pop band Pam Reyes, pop-punk band Never, pop-rap artist promqueen, and Latin-pop musician p1nkstar will perform.

Official Daytime Pool (After) Party | Sunday, Sept. 1 | 1-5 p.m. | The LINE Hotel | Close out the festivities with poolside DJ sets from SUPERMCN4STY and Fairy Aries.

Want to attend them all? Weekend passes start at $40, while single tickets cost $10-$15.

AUSTIN, Texas — The family of a man who died while working at the Gigafactory Texas is suing Tesla and others for wrongful death. They are requesting more than $1 million in damages. 

The lawsuit claims that Victor Joe Gomez Sr. was working as a contract electrician at the Tesla factory construction site on Aug. 1, 2024, when he was electrocuted. 

Gomez was hired through Belcan Services Group L.P.–another one of the defendants in the lawsuit along with Tesla affiliate Colorado River Project, LLC–to inspect electrical panels before they were energized at the factory. While Gomez was inspecting one of the panels, he was unaware it had been energized, and it “immediately electrocuted him and knocked him unconscious,” the suit says. 

Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services were called to the factory and transported Gomez to Dell Seton Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. 

The family is asking for an investigation into the panel that electrocuted Gomez by an electrical engineering consulting expert hired by them. The suit also asks for the judge to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent destruction of any evidence at the factory. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration currently has an open safety investigation into the incident.