LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18)- Four people injured in an explosion at UPS Freight in Lexington have filed suit against the company who shipped the acetylene tanks that are being blamed for the incident.
The explosion happened in May of last year when a torch ignited acetylene gas that was apparently leaking from a tank on the back of a UPS truck. Witnesses in the building heard a large blast and saw debris flying from the building. Part of the roof was damaged.
The Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services bus just pulled in to the UPS facility off Blue Sky Parkway @LEX18News pic.twitter.com/fsq4kp1Crf
— Conroy Delouche (@ConroyDelouche) May 30, 2018
Forty-five cylinders were eventually counted on board the truck and were being shipped by a company called Praxair.
The complaint alleges that the explosion was caused by a failure of at least one of the cylinders in the Praxair cargo that allowed the release of the highly flammable, dissolved acetylene.
“The Praxair Blast/Explosion was directly and proximately caused by the leaking, discharge, and/or release of flammable acetylene from one or more of the cylinders, and/or malfunction and/or failure of one or more of the cylinders among and a part of the Praxair Cargo,” reads the complaint.
The four plaintiffs are being represented by Morgan and Morgan law firm.
Attorney Shea Conley released a statement, “Our clients were healthy, active men doing their jobs when their lives were upended by a traumatic and damaging explosion that has left them with lifelong injuries. We believe this explosion and our clients’ resulting injuries were wholly preventable. Praxair had a responsibility to protect against and prevent this kind of foreseeable blast, and we allege that they neglected their duty to take the proper precautions. We will fight for justice on behalf of our clients and hold Praxair accountable for its negligence.”
The men suffered various injuries including hearing loss, gashes on their bodies and faces, to vision loss, to severe, ongoing anxiety. They are asking for damages.
