On Aug. 1, 2023, Monett was working on the site of the new Everette Lee DeGolyer Elementary School in Northwest Dallas when he was hit in the head by a Watson 1100 drilling rig. According to court documents, Monett’s parents claim that a “swing alarm” on the drilling rig, designed to warn people close by that the rig is spinning or turning, failed to work properly, putting their son in harm’s way.
“Boston’s job was to assist in the drilling of foundation piers. He wore a safety vest, steel toed boots, eye protection and a hardhat,” reads the complaint. “Boston stood near the Watson rig as it drilled the first hole for the first pier. Suddenly and without any warning to Boston, the operator turned the rig, striking Boston in the head and knocking him into the partially dug hole. Boston suffered extreme, horrific, and ultimately, fatal injuries because of the force of the strike from the Watson rig.”
Monet was working for Maxon Drilling, based in his hometown of Decatur, which was a subcontractor on the DISD site for North Richland Hills-based Northridge Construction Group. He had been employed by the firm for only two weeks before his death. Calls to Northridge Construction and Maxon Drilling for comment were not returned by publication time.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor conducted an inquiry into the incident shortly after Monett’s death and recently issued a citation to Maxon Drilling. The citation outlined several violations the federal agency deemed “serious,” including lapses in safety training and an insufficiently safe work environment. The more than $1 million Monett's parents are seeking is a great deal more than Maxon was fined for the citations. In total, the drilling company was penalized $28,576 for the six infractions listed in the citation.
“On August 1, 2023, 19-year-old Boston Monett arrived at work expecting another day at his new construction job." – Michelle Simpson Tuegel, attorney
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The complaint also alleges that Northridge failed to “properly screen Maxon” before contracting with the company, adding that if it had done so “it would have discovered that Maxon has had related safety issues, which included severe injuries to Maxon workers from Maxon’s heavy equipment.” Dallas attorney Michelle Tuegel Simpson is representing Monett’s parents, Amy Rodenbaugh and Kyle Monett.
“On August 1, 2023, 19-year-old Boston Monett arrived at work expecting another day at his new construction job,” the attorney wrote in the statement. “However, due to the failures of Northridge Construction and others, Boston was struck and tragically killed by a drill rig. While nothing can truly alleviate the pain of losing a child, we’re committed on behalf of Boston Monett’s family to holding all of those responsible for his death accountable and to helping prevent similar tragedies in the future."
Although an allegedly inoperable “swing alarm” is detailed as the pivotal problem that led to Monett’s death in the suit, no such failure is listed in the OSHA citation.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 578 fatal occupational injuries in Texas in 2022, the last full year for which statistics have been reported. Of that total, 199 deaths were recorded in the natural resources, construction and maintenance category.
In an August WFAA interview, Boston was described by his parents as a kid who liked to ride bulls and enjoyed volunteering at the cowboy church he attended. In the WFAA piece, Kyle Monett recalled a conversation with Boston shortly before his death, saying "I remember him telling me how much he loved his job and how much he loved the people he worked with. I told him those are two things you can't beat."
