The law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner obtained a jury verdict for $28,591,000 on behalf of five plant workers that were injured in an explosion that occurred at the ExxonMobil Baytown Olefins Plant on July 31, 2019.
According to the law firm's press release, the explosion at ExxonMobil’s Baytown Olefins Plant occurred after a line ruptured due to buildup of an industrial byproduct called popcorn polymer. The forces of the blast destroyed the tower where the explosion occurred and created a fireball that measured approximately 900 feet tall, making it one of the largest industrial explosions ever seen on the Texas Gulf Coast.
When recently asked about a similar Houston KPRC news report, Todd Spitler, senior advisor of ExxonMobil's Corporate Communications and Media Relations, did not comment on the report but gave this statement: "We operate to the highest standards to safeguard the health and safety of our workers. We investigated the cause of the incident and have learned from this, and have made improvements to our processes and procedures to prevent recurrence. We are determined to being a valued and respected member of the Baytown community, and we understand that public respect and confidence are earned through performance, open communications and community involvement."
Spitler added, "We deeply regret any concern, disruption or inconvenience that this incident caused the community. We are sympathetic to the plaintiffs, but intend to appeal."
The Abraham Watkins trial team presented evidence that ExxonMobil had known for decades that popcorn polymer was an extremely hazardous substance that could lead to loss of containment and large plant explosions.
At trial, and for the three-and-a-half years of litigation leading up to the plaintiffs’ day in court, ExxonMobil denied any responsibility for causing the explosion or their failure in reducing associated risks at the plant. ExxonMobil also disputed the injuries that each plaintiff suffered as a result of the explosion. After three weeks of trial, the jury returned a verdict finding ExxonMobil 100 percent responsible for causing the explosion and awarded $28,591,000.00 in damages to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
Over the past ten years, OSHA has fined ExxonMobil’s Baytown complex for eight safety violations, seven of which were classified as serious. Other injuries at the Baytown complex reported from lawsuits filed in Harris County against the company over the last decade range from Benzene exposure to electrocutions, as well as several others suffering multiple injuries during explosions and fire evacuations.
