Archer Daniels Midland Sued by Man Severely Injured in Explosion

An Illinois man injured in a 2023 explosion at Archer Daniels Midland’s facility in Decatur, Illinois has filed a lawsuit against the company alleging that the company’s actions “displayed actual intent to harm its employees,” according to a complaint filed in county court on Oct. 15.

According to the lawsuit, ADM had a system in place to prevent explosions in the plant, but the system had not received maintenance since 2016, federal safety inspectors discovered. Also, according to the suit, the amount of corn germ dust (a combustible material) in the area of the plant that exploded had reached unsafe levels.

When the plaintiff arrived at ADM’s facility on April 20, 2023, the previous shift did not warn him about the dust buildup, the lawsuit contends. The buildup was in a bucket elevator, a machine that transports material vertically.

Later in the shift, the plaintiff’s supervisor noticed smoke coming from the elevator. The lawsuit claims that this meant that an explosion was “imminent.” The plaintiff’s supervisor told him to go to a specific location in the plant while the elevator was opened. When the burning material was exposed to oxygen, that’s when the explosion occurred.

The plaintiff suffered third-degree burns to his face, head, and body. He is now disfigured, according to his lawsuit. After the explosion, doctors had to put him in a medically induced coma for three weeks to help aid in his recovery. According to the plaintiff’s attorney, he is unable to work and has lifelong injuries.

The plaintiff, who is in his 40s, is seeking more than $50,000 in damages, according to his lawsuit. The suit was filed in circuit court in Macon County, Illinois where Decatur is located. According to the complaint, ADM was “fully aware of the unsafe conditions” in the elevator. “At the express direction of ADM via its employee/agent, [the plaintiff] was standing in the direct path of the explosion.

OSHA fined ADM more than $300,000 for the explosion and lack of maintenance. The explosion was among a series of incidents that have harmed both employees and first responders at ADM’s Decatur facility over the past several years.

In November of 2018, a dust explosion occurred. After, OSHA obtained a formal settlement from ADM. In the settlement, ADM promised to conduct routine maintenance on safety equipment. Then in January 2019, another explosion occurred. OSHA sent ADM a letter discussing the company’s issues with safety maintenance. In 2019, the ADM facility had two dust fires, according to the lawsuit. In April 2023, just days before the explosion in the bucket elevator, a locomotive crushed an employee to death. In August 2023, a fire broke out and two firefighters had to be hospitalized. In September 2023, another explosion injured eight employees. ADM’s Decatur facility accounts for 10% of all the dust explosions across the county from 2015 to 2023.

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Patel Law, PC represents the interests of plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits filed against negligent defendants. Call our Decatur personal injury lawyers today to schedule a consultation, and we can begin investigating your claims right away.

Source:

investigatemidwest.org/2024/10/22/adm-sued-by-man-severely-injured-in-2023-explosion/