VERDICTS & SETTLEMENTS

$12.25 MILLION SETTLEMENT – PREMISE LIABILITY

PREMISE LIABILITY/ WRONGFUL DEATH/ BUILDING EXPLOSION

Darren Handke, et al. v. Triumph Foods et al., Case No. 05BU-CV05478

James Montee of the Montee Law Firm, P.C., and other attorneys representing twenty workers injured in an explosion at the Triumph Foods plant obtained the largest personal injury settlement in the history of Buchanan County. The $12,250,000.00 settlement resolved all personal injury lawsuits related to the explosion on October 12, 2005, during the construction of the Triumph Foods plant in St. Joseph, Missouri.

The explosion occurred when a worker lit a torch after a gas valve was left uncapped, allowing unscented gas to escape into the building. Plaintiff Fisher was killed in the accident; Plaintiff Jeurissen suffered back injuries and a crushed pelvis; Plaintiff Younger sustained a traumatic brain injury; and the remaining plaintiffs’ injuries ranged from a fractured leg to burns.

After extensive discovery, four defendants, Epstein and Sons, a Chicago-based construction company, IHP Industrial, a St. Joseph-based plumbing company, Missouri Gas Energy, and Triumph Foods agreed at mediation to pay a combined $12,250,000.00 to settle all plaintiff’s personal injury claims.