Fighting For Justice After Industrial Catastrophes
Each year millions of Americans fall victim to industrial hazards, commercial negligence and corporate wrongdoing that result in debilitating or even life-threatening injuries.
At McGinn, Montoya, Love & Curry. P.A. (MMLC), we are unafraid of these large companies and complex litigation in these personal injury and wrongful death cases. We are available to handle cases involving the following, among others:
- Gas explosions and burns
- Mining catastrophes
- Toxic pharmaceutical drugs
Our lawyers draw upon their in-depth experience to provide an immediate response, preserve evidence and deal with governmental agency officials.
The attorneys of MMLC are national leaders in personal injury and consumer protection law. We will be glad to speak with you at what is likely one of the most difficult times of your life or the life of your loved one. Set up a free consultation by calling our Albuquerque office at 505-633-8796. You can also contact us online.
Se habla español
Moore, Et Al. V. El Paso Natural Gas Co., Et Al., United States District Court For The District Of New Mexico, Cause No CIV 00-663.
Our clients were horribly injured in a gas plant explosion because the plant, the designers of the plant and the manufacturer of a valve failed to spend $100 on a safety device that would have prevented the back flow of gas during routine maintenance. All three men suffered third-degree burns over a majority of their bodies, dislocated and sprained limbs, had gravel embedded in their skin, and lost some of their hearing.
The “cryogenics” plant where the explosion occurred was a maze of pipes and equipment, so our challenge in this case was coming up with a way to describe this complicated operation to jurors with no experience in such a place. The schematics necessary to understanding how the explosion occurred were difficult to follow even with the help of an expert in gas plant operations. Our firm reduced the confusing schematics and photographs to visuals in a PowerPoint presentation that made the case much more understandable.
VIEW Moore v. El Paso Natural Gas Co. PowerPoint presentation.
Delgado V. Phelps Dodge, 131 N.M. 272, 34 P.3d 1148 (2001).
Our client’s husband, Reynaldo “Junior” Delgado, was burned alive after he was ordered by his employer to drive a flammable vehicle into a pool of molten copper slag to retrieve a ladle of the same substance. This task was completely unnecessary. The ladle could have been removed safely and without risk to human life if the company had simply been willing to shut down production for a few hours.
This case dramatically changed the law in New Mexico after we took it all the way to the New Mexico Supreme Court. As a result, workers can now hold their employers responsible outside the Workers’ Compensation Act when the employer intentionally, willfully or with utter disregard for the consequences requires them to do something that may get them seriously injured or killed. As the supreme court said in its written decision, this change in the law will hopefully make dangerous workplaces safer for working men and women by making employers responsible for their willful actions.