Friday, August 1, 2025
  • Login
  • Register
Technology Tutorials & Latest News | ByteBlock
  • Home
  • Tech News
  • Tech Tutorials
    • Networking
    • Computers
    • Mobile Devices & Tablets
    • Apps & Software
    • Cloud & Servers
    • IT Careers
    • AI
  • Reviews
  • Shop
    • Electronics & Gadgets
    • Apps & Software
    • Online Courses
    • Lifetime Subscription
No Result
View All Result
Tech Insight: Tutorials, Reviews & Latest News
No Result
View All Result
Home News Tech Crunch

SpaceX faces two new lawsuits alleging safety‐related retaliation

July 31, 2025
in Tech Crunch
0 0
0

When longtime supervisor Robert Markert warned SpaceX leaders that one part of the rocket fairing recovery process could “easily cause serious injury or death,” he alleges he was ignored because “it was the more economical solution,” according to a recently filed lawsuit. A few months later, he was out of the job.

Markert is one of two former SpaceX employees who have filed separate wrongful-termination lawsuits, both of which were removed to federal court earlier this month. The two complaints make similar allegations about how speed and cost-saving triumphed over other considerations — including safety.

The lawsuits arrive as SpaceX races to get its Starship ultra-heavy rocket ready to complete missions for NASA, commercial customers, and to launch the company’s Starlink satellite internet service. Beyond the Starship program, SpaceX also operates the most frequently launched rocket in history, the Falcon 9, which has flown 87 times so far this year.

Markert spent 13 years at the company before being terminated in April. He alleges that during his tenure technicians were sometimes required to work 15 to 20 days in a row, but when he brought this up to supervisors, he was told “the schedule comes first.” That punishing schedule, performed in a high-stress environment, resulted in injuries Markert alleges the ship technicians were too afraid to report.

When Markert suggested the company prioritize trainings and certifications, he was told “there is no time for that and the company would not spend money on it,” according to the complaint.

The second lawsuit, filed by SpaceX plumber David Lavalle, alleges he was fired after the company failed to accommodate multiple work-related injuries, including a fractured foot, severe neck pain, injuries to his back and shoulders, and wrist pain. While Lavalle filed for workers’ compensation for some of these injuries, he did not do so for all for fear of retaliation, the complaint says.  

Nine days after requesting medical leave for gout-induced knee pain, Lavalle was terminated. Lavalle, who is 60 years old, joined the company in 2014. He alleges in the complaint he was part of a wave of firings of older staff members, led in part by 28-year-old Scott Hiler, whom SpaceX hired as a new senior manager late last year.

Techcrunch event

San Francisco | October 27-29, 2025

A lawyer representing Markert declined comment, while Lavalle’s attorney did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment. SpaceX did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.

Recent reporting from TechCrunch showed that SpaceX outpaced its peers in worker injury rates for 2024. Data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration showed that the Starbase complex in Texas recorded an injury rate of 4.27 per 100 workers last year, nearly triple the aerospace manufacturing average of 1.6.

Markert, a resident of Los Angeles County, doesn’t expressly state where he worked at SpaceX. The lawsuit does note he worked with ship technicians. SpaceX’s west coast rocket fairing recovery operations count the highest injury rates of all SpaceX sites, the OSHA logs show, with an injury rate of 7.6 per 100 workers for the west coast operations.

Both complaints were filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and were then removed by SpaceX to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

ShareTweetShare
Previous Post

Gamers Are Furious About the Censorship of NSFW Games—and They’re Fighting Back

Next Post

I Watched AI Agents Try to Hack My Vibe-Coded Website

Next Post

I Watched AI Agents Try to Hack My Vibe-Coded Website

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You might also like

Reach Your Crescendo With MysteryVibe’s Ultra-Bendy Vibrator

July 31, 2025

In a Rut? Here Are the Best Sexy Gifts to Get You (and Your Partner) Revved Up

July 31, 2025

Measles Cases Are Soaring in Mexico

July 31, 2025

How Apple’s New Spotlight Compares to Raycast

July 31, 2025

Proton releases a new app for two-factor authentication

July 31, 2025

The Asus Chromebook CX14 Is a $429 Laptop That Isn’t Horrible

July 31, 2025
monotone logo block byte

Stay ahead in the tech world with Tech Insight. Explore in-depth tutorials, unbiased reviews, and the latest news on gadgets, software, and innovations. Join our community of tech enthusiasts today!

Stay Connected

  • Home
  • Tech News
  • Tech Tutorials
  • Reviews
  • Shop
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

© 2024 Byte Block - Tech Insight: Tutorials, Reviews & Latest News. Made By Huwa.

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Google
Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Sign Up with Google
Sign Up with Linked In
OR

Fill the forms below to register

*By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Tech News
  • Tech Tutorials
    • Networking
    • Computers
    • Mobile Devices & Tablets
    • Apps & Software
    • Cloud & Servers
    • IT Careers
    • AI
  • Reviews
  • Shop
    • Electronics & Gadgets
    • Apps & Software
    • Online Courses
    • Lifetime Subscription

© 2024 Byte Block - Tech Insight: Tutorials, Reviews & Latest News. Made By Huwa.

Login