Texas jury reaches a landmark verdict against the owner of an oil refinery in Pecos, Texas. 

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas , April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A Starr County, Texas jury has rendered a landmark verdict in favor of the family of a deceased worker who was killed in an oil facility in Pecos Texas. The verdict was part of a joint trial by two families who brought the case against the owner of the facility.

Following a two week trial, the jury determined that the owner, Upton Assets, LLC, must pay $817 million to the widow, parents, and daughter of the young welder killed at the facility. 

During the trial, attorneys for the families of the two men killed presented evidence of serious failures of workplace safety and conditions one expert testified were "deplorable." 

The verdict in favor of the young welder who was killed includes over $208 million in compensatory damages and $609 million as exemplary damages against the company. The jury found the company, Upton Assets, LLC, 100% to blame for the worker's death. 

The damages award is part of a total verdict of $1.6 billion awarded for the deaths of two workers at the facility. The family hopes that the case makes an important statement about the rights and dignity of workers in Texas. 

The family was represented by John Martinez, Marion Reilly, Michael Richardson, and Matthew McMullen of Martinez Reilly, PLLC.

CONTACT: matt@mrtrial.com

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SOURCE Martinez Reilly PLLC