Takata Sued In Texas Ammonium Nitrate Explosion Posted on September 1, 2016 by Larry Bodine Houston attorney Mo Aziz of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend is representing Rene De Los Santos Olveda, who was seriously injured in the August 22, 2016 ammonium nitrate truckload explosion near Quemado, Texas. The lawsuit was filed against TK Holdings, Inc. and Takata de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. The suit is also requesting access to the blast site and all physical evidence, some of which has been retrieved by Takata, as well as access to Takata’s Monclova manufacturing facility to investigate quality control practices. According to Mr. Aziz, “A temporary restraining order is necessary at this time to gain access to the blast site and conduct crater analysis. Takata has been at the blast site since early last week and based on news reports has been confiscating evidence.” In the early hours of August 22, a truck hauling Takata airbag inflators and propellant to its warehouse in Eagle Pass, Texas crashed and exploded. The explosion destroyed a nearby home and vehicle, killing one woman and injuring several other people, including Rene De Los Santos Olveda. Due to Mr. Olveda’s proximity to the blast, he sustained a blast induced concussion and has suffered permanent hearing loss. “We know from other litigation that Takata has manufactured off-spec ammonium nitrate in the past and shipped it to customers. Ammonium nitrate that is low in density is more susceptible to detonate and is classified as an explosive,” said Mr. Aziz. Mr. Aziz serves on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the West Explosion Litigation Explosion that devastated the City of West in 2013. He also represents the parents of 17-year old Huma Hanif who was killed on March 31, 2016, by the defective ammonium nitrate airbag system in her vehicle that was manufactured by Takata. “Disasters such as West, Texas, the Takata airbag fatalities, and now Quemado, Texas highlight the dangers of ammonium nitrate,” said Mr. Aziz. To learn more about the lawsuit, contact Mo Aziz at 832-868-4198 or maziz@abrahamwatkins.com or Jessica Dean at 713-226-5131 or jdean@abrahamwatkins.com. To learn more about Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto and Friend, contact the firm at 713-222-7211 or visit www.abrahamwatkins.com.
