Miles, Sears & Eanni attorney Richard Watters represented Brian Hall and his wife Jean Hall in a personal injury case involving an industrial accident that occurred at AES Mendota in September of 2005.
Brian Hall, a fuel yard and safety team leader, was standing approximately fifty feet off the ground when a fireball engulfed him resulting in burns to approximately 65% of his body. The fireball was created when North American Industrial Services, Inc. used blasting materials to clear a mixture of sticky ash and molten material that had become clogged in a vessel at the AES Mendota plant.
Plaintiffs argued that North American Industrial Services, Inc. was liable for “ultra-hazardous activities” and was negligent for failing to follow OSHA regulations, as well as its own explosives safety manual.
The jury awarded Brian Hall $27,260,000 and his wife $250,000 for loss of consortium. This is the highest verdict to date in the Eastern District of California.
The award was subsequently reduced to $15,085,948.97 by the Court.
