Texas Refinery Worker Files $1M Lawsuit After Explosion Injuries

A worker injured in Monday's explosion at Valero's Port Arthur refinery has filed a million-dollar lawsuit claiming the company failed to maintain safety standards. The blast from a diesel hydrotreater was so powerful it shook homes 11 miles away from the facility.

A refinery worker has taken legal action against Valero Energy Corporation following an explosion that rocked the company’s Port Arthur, Texas facility earlier this week.

Jonathan Jaimes filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Jefferson County District Court in Beaumont, Texas, seeking damages exceeding $1 million. The legal action claims Valero failed to maintain proper safety standards at the refinery.

The explosion occurred Monday evening when a diesel hydrotreater unit detonated with such force that it rattled homes located 11 miles away from the facility near the Texas-Louisiana border.

According to court documents, Jaimes was present at the refinery during the incident but had no involvement in the activities that led to the blast. The filing states that the explosion’s impact and intense heat from the resulting fire knocked Jaimes to the ground, causing significant injuries.

The lawsuit details that Jaimes suffered damage to his back, neck, spine, and other areas of his body. He is also dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the incident.

In a regulatory filing submitted Tuesday to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Valero described the incident: “An unforeseeable release of process fluid in Complex 2 resulted in an ignition event and multiple process unit upsets.”

Kyle Findley, an attorney with Arnold & Itkin representing Jaimes, criticized the company’s safety practices in a written statement. “This was not an unavoidable accident – it was the result of gross negligence and a flagrant disregard for worker safety,” Findley stated.

The attorney further alleged: “Valero had awareness of the risks at this facility and chose to ignore them. When a company shows that kind of disregard for the safety of its workers and the surrounding community, it must be held accountable.”

Jaimes chose not to provide comment when contacted through his legal representation. Valero representatives did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday evening.