Court Upholds Dismissal of Worker's Claim for Fall Down Stairwell

A Texas appellate court upheld a grant of summary judgment dismissing an injured oil rig worker's tort claims based on his fall down a stairwell. Case: Lopez v. Ensign U.S. Southern Drilling, No. 14-15-00872-CV, 03/21/2017, published. Facts: Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas owns an oil well in Karnes County, Texas. It contracted with Ensign U.S. Southern Drilling to provide a drilling rig for the well, and it hired Stratagraph Inc. to provide support services. The contract between Freeport and Stratagraph expressly recognized Stratagraph as an independent contractor, responsible for the ...