Caribbean Petroleum Corp. Named in Another Lawsuit
Dec 14, 2009 | Parker Waichman LLP
There has been a third class action lawsuit filed in the October 23rd Caribbean Petroleum Corp. oil explosion in Puerto Rico. According to the Associated Press, attorneys representing plaintiffs in this latest lawsuit are requesting that it be consolidated with the two lawsuits filed earlier into a single case.
The most recent Puerto Rico explosion lawsuit accuses Caribbean Petroleum of not training employees properly and failing to ensure that equipment was working correctly, the Associated Press said. The lawsuit involves 1,000 new plaintiffs and 23 new defendants. It is seeking at least $5 million to reimburse people for damage to their homes and other losses.
The Caribbean Petroleum Corp. explosion occurred the company’s gasoline warehouse and distribution center in Catano, just outside of San Juan.The fire, which burned for nearly three days, produced plumes of thick, black smoke that filled the air with hazardous contaminants, including carbon monoxide and sulfur. More than 1,500 people were evacuated. Many evacuees, some of whom were suffering from respiratory illnesses, were unable to return for several days. Many businesses were also forced to close.
In November, U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) said that a malfunctioning fuel monitoring system probably led to the massive blast.
