Landmark $82.5 Million Dollar Verdict Over Hot Oil Heater Explosion

June 8, 2010 Houston, Tx.: A Harris county jury today found the company that constructed, engineered and installed a Cleburne natural gas processing plant negligent in the death of a Mineral Wells, Texas man.  Hanover Compression LP, now known as Exterran Energy Solutions LP of Houston was ordered to pay $82.5 million dollars in damages to the deceased’s family, together with Quicksilver Resources Inc., the owner of the plant that was found partly negligent.

Joshua Wade Petrie, 27, was attempting to start a hot oil heater on May 25, 2007, when the heater exploded.  A day later the man died, leaving behind a widow, Candee Petrie, and three minor children.  Mr. Petrie’s father, Mark Petrie, was also a claimant.

Petrie’s attorneys Rob Ammons and Bennett Midlo of the Houston-based Ammons Law Firm argued in court the natural gas processing plant and its equipment were negligently refurbished, as Hanover had agreed to do.

“Hanover Compression sold the gas processing plant in Hood County to Quicksilver Resources in March of 2005,” says Ammons.  “ Hanover was supposed to fully refurbish the plant and the hot oil heater.  Hanover failed to refurbish and upgrade the heater to the applicable current industry standards and that is what caused the explosion.”

The trial in Judge Robert Schaffer’s Harris County Judicial District Court #152 encompassed the three-year anniversary of Petrie’s death.

Rob Ammons is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, in addition to being Board Certified in Civil Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.  Rob Ammons’ law practice, The Ammons Law Firm, is located in Houston, Texas.  The Ammons Law Firm practice is exclusively personal injury law, handling such cases as tire defects, oil rig explosions, truck accidents, plant explosions, refinery accidents, wrongful death, post-collision fires, seat belt defects, airbag defects, SUV rollovers, and workplace accident injury.