CASE RESULTS DEPEND UPON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE. CASE RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT A SIMILAR RESULT IN ANY FUTURE CASE.
In January of 2011, Randy Rossell, an electrician at a gas plant in Texas, was severely burned when a compressor at the plant exploded during startup. Mr. Rossell claimed that Siemens Energy, Inc. was responsible for the explosion, arguing that Siemens failed to conduct a thorough hazard analysis. He alleged that the company didn't take reasonable steps to form a standard-compliant safety program that could have prevented the explosion.
On November 20, 2014, a Texas trial jury returned a defense verdict in favor of Siemens finding the company not liable for the 2011 gas plant explosion. Randy Rossell et al. v. Siemens Energy Inc. et al., Siemens Energy, Inc., Defendants, District Court of Winkler County, Texas, Case No, 16.301.
Lead counsel for Siemens, Alana Bassin, commented to Law360, "Siemens is very sympathetic to Mr. Rossell, who experienced severe burns as a result of the gas explosion and was in no way at fault. Siemens always exercised reasonable care in its work at the plant and was not the cause of the incident.”
Read a Law360 report on this verdict.