Lawsuit Filed For Worker Burned in ‘Waymon L. Boyd’ Dredger Explosion

Coast Guard crews respond to a dredge on fire in the Port of Corpus Christi Ship Channel, Aug. 21, 2020. U.S. Coast Guard Photo

A lawsuit has been filed in Nueces County on behalf of Jose Cantu, a worker who was “seriously injured and burned on August 21, 2020, in an explosion and fire that occurred while he was working on the dredge the Waymon L. Boyd.”

The lawsuit alleges that the defendants, “failed to adequately plan the job, identify the pipeline in question, and warn the crew of the Waymon L. Boyd about the pipeline in question.” As a result, Cantu sustained severe burns and was taken to the burn unit.

Attorney Kurt Arnold of the Houston law firm Arnold & Itkin represents Cantu and his family. Arnold & Itkin represented more crew members and families of those lost or injured during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion than any other firm. Kurt Arnold says, “Burn cases are the most horrific types of injuries that we deal with because the pain for the survivor is unimaginable, it has a catastrophic impact on their ability to participate in daily activities, and turns the lives of everyone in the family upside down.”

Kurt Arnold says, “This type of maritime disaster should never have happened. There’s no excuse for it. We are determined to discover the full truth of why this happened and ensure that the companies accept full responsibility for the severity of the consequences. The defendants need to do the right thing to take care of these workers and their families. We’re committed to making sure a disaster like this never happens again.”

The dredging vessel Waymon L. Boyd was operating in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel when it caught fire Aug. 21 and later sank, killing four and injuring several other crew members.

The cause of the incident remains under investigation, but reporting indicates the dredge may have struck a submerged propane pipeline, triggering an explosion.

The dredge was owned and operated by Orion Marine Group.

The article was originally published by The Clearview Post, a non-profit foundation that aims to educate the public regarding the role of the civil trial court and the importance of trial by jury in American society.

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