On April 17, 2013, an explosion at a fertilizer plant in the city of West, Texas, left 15 people dead and roughly 150 more with burn injuries and other wounds. Many of those victims and their families filed lawsuits in the wake of the event, and a settlement was recently reached in one of the cases.
KBTX News reports 280 potential jurors were dismissed from duty at the McLennan County Courthouse earlier this month after it was announced the parties on both sides of the dispute had reached an agreement. The decision will have no impact on the hundreds of other cases filed in connection with the incident.
A petition submitted on behalf of an estimated 200 victims of the West fertilizer plant explosion provides documents from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board showing the blast could’ve been prevented. Officials say the chemicals that ignited were stored in a wooden building with no fire suppression system in place. This means the plant’s owners failed to implement action and policies that could have prevented the blast and subsequent fire.
Officials have said the finding shows more safety policies need to be implemented to prevent future incidents.
At Daniel Stark Injury Lawyers, our legal team knows the struggles many of those affected by the West fertilizer plant explosion. That’s why our College Station personal injury lawyers are hopeful this settlement helps bring closure to the victims involved. We also hope similar settlements can be reached with others harmed as a result of the blast.
