A worker at the INEOS plant in Pasadena, Texas, who was injured during an explosion on March 22, has filed a lawsuit against the company.
Pasadena INEOS plant ( Photo: Houston Chronicle )
Arturo Jimenez, who was thrown to the ground by the blast, claims gross negligence and is seeking punitive damages on behalf of the Pasadena INEOS plant
Jimenez and his co-workers reportedly attempted to evacuate but found themselves trapped due to various exits not being opened. The explosion was caught on camera and described as a “bleve explosion” by Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia. A tanker carrying liquid petroleum gas was transferring the chemical to storage when a leak occurred, leading to the explosion.
The lawsuit filed by Jimenez’s attorney, Kurt Arnold, alleges that Jimenez was subjected to additional shock waves and significant heat due to subsequent explosions. Arnold says that incidents like this happen too frequently in the community and traumatize workers. He claims that in each chemical plant explosion, his firm has investigated, they have discovered that management ignored fundamental safety protocols, leading to the disaster.
Arnold’s firm, Arnold & Itkin, has represented hundreds of workers injured in explosions similar to Pasadena
Chemical plant explosions have become more frequent since 2018, according to a survey of incidents since 2013. Arnold says that chemical plants should be getting safer with improvements in technology, but instead, more catastrophic incidents are occurring.
He believes that chemical plant explosions are preventable if owners and operators prioritize safety over profits.
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