The Wright, Pichon and Gray law firm is representing workers who were injured and traumatized in the collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel under construction in downtown New Orleans. The firm is also representing local business and workers who have suffered and continue to suffer economic losses as a result of the collapse.
The preventable collapse of the construction site — which killed three people and injured more than 20 others — was caused by inadequate structure support, subpar materials and several other cost-cutting measures that cost innocent people their lives.
Instead of focusing on the greed of the companies that caused this tragedy, officials have chosen to detain our client, Delmer Joel Ramirez-Palma, because of his immigration status — after he spoke to a Spanish television station about his injuries.
Mr. Ramirez may need surgery due to the injuries he sustained while working for the ill-equipped construction site. His legal team at Wright, Pichon and Gray is concerned that he will not get the care he needs at the detention center where he’s being held near Oakdale, Louisiana. Mr. Ramirez had to spend a night in the St. Tammany Parish Jail before being transferred to central Louisiana. His only crime – an immigration hold for federal authorities.
As Mr. Gray told Nola.com, the unfair targeting of Mr. Ramirez highlights a larger problem with this case: construction workers who knew that the site was unsafe were afraid to come forward for fear of deportation. And those who did, were ignored.
“Immigrants are exploited for the growth of our great nation,” Mr. Gray said. “And that does not have to be the case.”
Other workers at the site were also injured, Mr. Gray said, but they haven’t come forward because they are scared of what will happen if they do.
The WPG law firm will work tirelessly to ensure that victims of this devastating – and preventable – incident get the compensation and justice they deserve, regardless of their immigration status.
“We’ll find out who did this, we’ll hold them accountable, and we’re going to make sure that nothing like this happens again,” Jeremy Pichon said.
The WPG firm will also fight Mr. Ramirez’s deportation.
The companies believed to have caused this mess include 1031 Canal Development, Kailas Companies, Harry Baker Smith Architects, Heaslip Engineering, and Citadel Builders. The immigration status of the injured workers should have no bearing on their abilities to be compensated for the negligence of others.