Valero Energy is facing a lawsuit after an explosion at its refinery in Port Arthur left a worker injured earlier this week.
The case was filed Wednesday in Jefferson County District Court in Beaumont, Texas, with the plaintiff seeking more than $1 million in damages.
The lawsuit was brought by Jonathan Jaimes, who said he was hurt during a Monday night blast at the facility.
According to court documents, the explosion happened when a diesel hydrotreater unit ignited, sending shockwaves strong enough to shake homes up to 11 miles away near the Texas-Louisiana border.
Jaimes claims he had no role in the events that led to the explosion.
The filing states that the force of the blast and heat from the fire threw him to the ground, causing injuries to his back, neck, and spine, EconoTimes reported.
He also reported suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder following the incident.
Worker sues Valero over Texas refinery explosion https://t.co/u9GB3FO8aJ https://t.co/u9GB3FO8aJ
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Worker Claims Valero Ignored Safety Risks
In the complaint, Jaimes accuses Valero of failing to properly maintain the refinery and argues the explosion could have been prevented.
According to Reuters, his attorney, Kyle Findley of Arnold & Itkin, said in a statement, "This was not an unavoidable accident – it was the result of gross negligence and a flagrant disregard for worker safety."
He added, "Valero had awareness of the risks at this facility and chose to ignore them. When a company shows that kind of disregard for the safety of its workers and the surrounding community, it must be held accountable."
Valero has not publicly commented on the lawsuit. However, in a filing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the company described the incident as "an unforeseeable release of process fluid in Complex 2" that led to ignition and multiple unit disruptions.
Emergency responders arrived after the explosion, but details about immediate response efforts have not been widely disclosed. Jaimes declined to comment publicly through his legal team.
Originally published on vcpost.com
