Plant & Refinery Accidents

Plant Explosion Survivors Share Their Story

“Go with them. Go with them, go with them, go with them. I would definitely recommend Arnold & Itkin to anyone—anyone that's looking for a personal injury attorney. Go with Arnold & Itkin because they are there for you. They have your back.”
Explosion Survivor
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Helping Victims of Plant Accidents

Millions Won After Some of the Nation's Most Catastrophic Accidents

Plant explosions are tragic and environmentally harmful. Worst of all, they are nearly always preventable. Plant managers and owners can take steps to stop these tragedies before they happen. But they don't. Industry is the backbone of this country, and it's what has made us a leader for over a century. That's why it bewilders us when companies do not take care of their facilities or their workers—these are things they depend on in order to continue. Companies need workers.

Unfortunately, we've found that plant owners and managers are dangerously short-sighted.

They forego routine maintenance in the name of uninterrupted production, despite the fact that it is more cost-effective to invest into the longevity of the equipment. They treat OSHA regulations regarding equipment updates like afterthoughts rather than the safety tools they were designed to be. They hire workers and put them to work unprepared and ill-trained.

These are not empty accusations either. These are based on our experience litigating plant explosions nationwide, including the 2013 Olefins Geismar explosion. The root cause of the explosion was Olefins’ failure to follow correct procedure. For the cost of a $5 repair, Williams Olefins LLC could have spared over 160 workers injury, trauma, and death. 

But they didn’t—and good men paid the price.

That’s why many of these workers have turned to Arnold & Itkin to present their cases. We have already won over $30 million in verdicts for victims of the Geismar explosion, and we aren’t finished yet. We will continue to fight for injured workers until refinery companies prioritize safety above short-term profits.

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Case Results

  • Record-Setting $357 Million

    Largest Workplace Accident Settlement in Texas History

    Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Jason Itkin, and Kyle Findley secured a confidential $357.7 million settlement on behalf of several injured clients injured in a workplace incident. Arnold & Itkin LLP was able to ensure that our clients each received record settlements. Collectively, it was the largest workplace accident settlement in Texas history. More importantly, Kurt, Jason, and the team were able to achieve this record settlement in only 16 months.

    Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $145,423,128.70

  • $141 Million

    Verdict Won for 9 Survivors of Explosion

    Against all odds, Arnold & Itkin secured a $141 million verdict against five defendants for a plant explosion that took three lives and injured many more. The defendants refused to take responsibility, stretching out litigation for seven years while offering a pittance to settle.

    Attorney Kyle Findley secured the nine-figure verdict for nine plaintiffs who survived a fatal explosion at a paper and containerboard plant in Deridder, Louisiana. Our clients were among over a dozen workers who were grievously harmed or killed due to the negligence and poor management of the five defendants, including a defendant who oversaw an accident eerily similar to this one in 2008.

    In 2017, our clients were working at the paper mill during a shutdown, which allowed contractors to do much-needed maintenance and repair work. This procedure included “hot work,” or work involving high-heat tools such as grinders, welders, and cutters. The hot work was conducted near two storage tanks that management knew emitted flammable gases; however, they ordered employees to continue working nearby regardless of the risk. As a result, the storage tanks exploded, robbing three workers of their lives and injuring several more.

    This incident would never have happened under more cautious and competent management. The defendants’ failures are especially egregious considering an incident almost exactly like this one happened at a defendant’s plant in Wisconsin in 2008. It was clear that they didn’t learn their lesson then, so we needed to make the lesson loud and clear with our case.

    These defendants offered our clients an extremely small amount to settle prior to trial and only raised their offer slightly after closing arguments. This was an enormous miscalculation on their part—the jury ended up awarding our clients more than 10 times what the defendants offered to settle. Our firm is enormously proud of our result, and we’re thrilled our clients can now live their lives in peace and security.

  • $97 Million

    Massive Settlement Secured for Refinery Workers

    Attorneys Jason Itkin and Kurt Arnold successfully secured a confidential $97 million settlement for refinery workers injured during a fire. Arnold & Itkin attorneys fought against some of the largest corporations in the world to seek justice on behalf of clients. By winning the fight, Arnold & Itkin was able to ensure that the workers received the medical attention they needed and financial security moving forward. The cases settled shortly before trial.

    Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $39,419,325.32

  • Record-Setting $92.7 Million

    Record Settlement for Burn Injury Victim

    Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Jason Itkin, and Kyle Findley obtained a $92.7 million settlement on behalf of a client who was severely burned during a workplace accident. This settlement set a statewide record for similar incidents and injuries. Notably, our firm held the prior state record for a burn case in Texas of $87 million as well. Arnold & Itkin is proud to have represented a deserving worker, settling his case to ensure he and his family will be taken care of for life.

    Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $37,798,027.33

  • Record-Setting $51 Million

    Settlement for Plant Workers Injured in Explosion

    When contract workers were injured in a plant explosion, they reached out to Arnold & Itkin for help. Attorneys Kurt Arnold and Kyle Findley represented the workers against defendants who denied liability and tried to shift blame to the plaintiff’s employer. After taking more than 40 depositions on behalf of our clients, who suffered orthopedic injuries and post traumatic stress disorder, we recovered a record-breaking settlement shortly before trial.

    Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $23,521,687.51

  • $44.6 Million

    Record-Setting Settlement Secured for 3 Refinery Workers

    Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Caj Boatright, and Roland Christensen obtained a $44.6 million settlement for 3 workers who were severely or fatally injured in a Gulf Coast refinery. Instead of taking responsibility, the refinery and its contractors hired a large legal team to evade liability. Our firm relentlessly forced the case to trial after taking dozens of depositions and exposing the bad acts that led to the incident. In the end, the defendants paid a record-setting settlement rather than face a jury.

    Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $18,696,926.33

  • $13.7 Million

    Massive Settlement Won Only Months After Injury

    Attorneys Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin achieved a $13.75 million settlement on behalf of an individual injured at a plant. Kurt and Jason were able to achieve this great result approximately nine months after the injury. The settlement ensures that the individual and his family will be taken care of for life.

    Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $5,635,658.33

  • $12 Million

    Injured Worker Received Settlement for Burn Injuries

    Attorneys Jason Itkin, Kurt Arnold, and Cory Itkin are pleased to announce that they have settled an injured plant worker's case for $12 million. The plant worker was burned at a refinery when a safety valve failed. Arnold & Itkin was able to ensure that the worker received the medical attention he needed and that his financial future is secure. The case resolved two weeks before trial.

    Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $4,314,677.50

  • $11.7 Million

    Settlement Won for Plant Worker Injured During Turnaround

    Attorneys Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin obtain a confidential settlement of $11.75 million on behalf of an injured man who received injuries while working a turnaround. He was injured in a plant a few days after he arrived due to hidden dangers at the plant not disclosed to him our his team. Following his injuries, his family hired Kurt and Jason and they were able to achieve this settlement within a year of the injury.

    Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $4,867,573.90

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