— A Takata truck explosion lawsuit has been filed in Texas claiming the explosion caused injuries to a local man when the truck crashed and exploded in Texas.
The lawsuit was filed by Rene De Los Santos Olveda, of Maverick County, Texas, who says he suffered a concussion from the explosion and now has permanent hearing loss. The truck was transporting airbag inflators and the propellant ammonium nitrate to its destination in Eagle Pass, Texas.
The Takata truck explosion occurred on August 22, 2016, when the tractor-trailer crashed, caught fire and exploded in the town of Quemado, in Maverick County, Texas. The explosion caused extensive property damage and the death of Lucila Robles, a woman whose home was destroyed in the blast.
Robles was missing for two days before officials found her remains inside of her Quemado home. The truck explosion also injured two occupants in the Takata truck and two people in a car that was on the road when the truck exploded.
The lawsuit says ammonium nitrate has a clear history of destroying lives, going all the way back to 1916 when 115 lives were lost in the UK.
4/2/1916: Kent, UK - 115
9/15/1916: Oakdale, Pennsylvania - 5
11/26/1920: Vergiati, Italy - 20
7/26/1921: Kriewald, Germany - 19
9/26/ 1921: Oppau, Germany - 561
3/01/1924: Nixon, New Jersey - 17
4/29/1942: Tessenderloo, Belgium - 189
3/02/1944: Milan, Tennessee - 4
4/16/1947: Texas City, Texas - 600
7/28/1947: Brest, France - 21
2/12/1953: Pinole, California - 12
12/28/1956: New Castle, Pennsylvania - 1
8/07/ 1959: Roseburg, Oregon - 14
1/09/1963: Typpi Oy, Finland - 10
9/1966: United Kingdom - 1
3/1961: Holland - 2
8/1972: Australia - 3
1974: United Kingdom - 1
9/1974: France - 4
11/1988: Kansas City, Missouri - 6
9/1989: South Africa - 2
8/02/1994: New Guinea - 11
12/13/1994: Port Neal, Iowa - 4
1/06/1998: Xingping, China - 22
9/21/2001: Toulouse, France - 30
3/09/2004: Barracas, Spain - 2
4/22/2004: North Korea - 162
5/24/2004: Romania - 18
9/10/2007: Mexico - 40
4/17/2013: West, Texas - 15
8/12/2015: Port of Tianjin, China - 173
5/27/2009: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - 1
12/24/2009: Richmond, Virginia - 1
9/03/2013: Alhambra, California - 1
7/27/2014: Malaysia - 1
9/07/2014: Los Angeles, California - 1
9/29/2014: Orlando, Florida - 1
1/18/2015: Houston, Texas - 1
7/22/2015: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - 1
12/22/2015: Kershaw, South Carolina - 1
3/31/2016: Sugar Land, Texas - 1
The Takata truck explosion complaint claims the propellant and inflators were defectively designed because Takata knew they could explode and knew the risk could be reduced by using a different design. Ammonium nitrate is a relatively cheap explosive to use and the company could have spent more money on a different propellant and saved lives.
The plaintiff alleges Takata neglected to take actions reasonably required to protect him from the dangerous conditions Takata knew or should have known existed when using ammonium nitrate.
Olveda wants compensation for past and future physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, permanent bodily impairment and disability, medical expenses and all other damages available.
The lawsuit was filed in the District Court of Maverick County, Texas - Rene De Los Santos Olveda v. TK Holdings, Inc. and Takata de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.
The plaintiff is represented by Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend.
