A jury awarded nearly $5.7 million to a crane operator who was severely burned when he fell into an open sluiceway. In 2007, Mike McCraven, then 56, was an employee of Austin Industries and working at a Pasadena Refining System Inc. plant when he was told move a boom truck. As he was walking to the truck, he fell into an open sluiceway, which was full of boiling water. He sustained burns over 15 percent of his body and permanently lost feeling in his feet, and he said he is no longer able to work as a crane operator as a result. He blamed PRSI, alleging it was negligent because it left the drain covers off the sluiceway and continually flooded the area with boiling water. PRSI in turn filed suit against Austin Industries, contending it failed to adequately communicate the existing conditions to McCraven before he started the task. The jury found PRSI 75 percent, Austin 20 percent and McCraven 5 percent liable.
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