HOUSTON – Three new lawsuits were filed against Intercontinental Terminals Company in the wake of the fire at its chemical holding facility in Deer Park in March.
The three separate lawsuits, all filed by the Hadi Lawfirm, were on behalf of three residents, two women and a man.
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The lawsuits are each seeking $1 million for damages against ITC Deer Park and Alice Richardson, its spokeswoman during the fire, for negligence. The filings said the residents suffered from illnesses that did not exist prior to the fires.
The lawsuits cite that the chemicals released into the atmosphere, Toluene, Xylene, Naphtha and Benzene, among others, caused the plaintiff to be exposed and re-exposed several times over, "causing them severe injuries and damages," the document read.
The lawsuits claims Richardson, who became the face of ITC in the early days of the fire, failed to properly disclose and warn the public of the high levels of dangerous chemicals and carcincogens released into the air as a result of the burning tanks, according to the lawsuit. It also claims Richardson also downplayed the risks associated with the fires and toxicity of the chemicals.
Check out the timeline of events below: