Shoddy construction at Georgia data center killed worker, suit says
Sloppy electrical work by an Atlanta contracting firm caused a worker’s electrocution at a massive data center under construction in Fayetteville, his parents allege in a lawsuit.
The complaint, filed Monday against Allison-Smith Company, blames its negligence for the recent death of 25-year-old Anthony J. Riera Azuaje. He was electrocuted while working at the data center south of Atlanta on June 28 and died in a hospital four days later, the suit says.
A representative for Allison-Smith did not immediately comment on the incident and associated lawsuit.
The data center is being developed by Quality Technology Services, known as QTS, which is not a defendant in the case. A QTS spokesperson did not immediately respond to an inquiry Tuesday.
Riera Azuaje’s parents, Perpetio Antonio Riera Graterol and Noris Maritza Azuaje Montilla, claim Allison-Smith violated National Electrical Code requirements in providing temporary power to buildings of the data center.
They allege Allison-Smith installed the wrong fittings and failed to properly ground cables, causing a metal conduit to become energized.
Riera Azuaje was working at the site for a different electrical contractor, Andrew Electric, the lawsuit says. It says he was working on a scissor lift near Allison-Smith’s dangerous setup, unaware of the risk, when he “made incidental contact” and was electrocuted.
Riera Azuaje lost consciousness and collapsed, the lawsuit says, adding it took almost 15 minutes for others to arrive and help him. He was rushed to a hospital, where doctors tried for days to save his life, his parents said.
Tony Buzbee, an attorney representing the parents, said Riera Azuaje had no warning of the danger created by Allison-Smith and did nothing wrong. Buzbee said the incident is being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
“This case is a stark reminder that a workplace can be very dangerous, indeed fatal, when mistakes are made by those responsible for making sure things are safe,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
A spokesperson for OSHA did not immediately comment on the incident.
Buzbee said he intends to find out through the lawsuit whether there have been any other reports of shoddy construction or injuries at the data center.
The 615-acre data center site in Fayetteville is one of the largest of its kind in Georgia. Work began in March 2023 and is expected to end in February 2027, QTS says on its website.
QTS also has data center campuses in Atlanta and Suwanee and an office in Duluth.
Allison-Smith says it is one of the leading electrical contracting firms in Georgia and the Southeast. Outside Georgia, the company has offices in South Carolina and North Carolina.
Data centers have attracted controversy in Georgia, largely because of their need for energy, water and land.
In their lawsuit, Riera Azuaje’s parents seek unspecified compensation and damages for the full value of his life, among other things.
About the Author
Journalist Rosie Manins is a legal affairs reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
