Soulard Boiler Explosion Cases Settle For Over $47 Million

A little more than two years after a massive boiler explosion occurred in Soulard, the parties have announced a settlement of all pending lawsuits. On April 3, 2017, a 3,000 pound, pressurized steam container violently exploded at the Loy‐Lange Box Company facility on Russell Avenue. The container flew 500 feet through the air before crash landing into the Faultless Linen facility. One person was killed and two were injured at Loy‐Lange, while three more were killed and another injured at Faultless Linen.

Lawsuits filed by those injured and the families of those killed were consolidated for an August 2019 trial before Judge Michael Noble in St. Louis. A two‐day mediation was conducted by retired Judge Glenn Norton on June 6 and 7. During mediation, the plaintiffs reached settlements with Kickham Boiler and Engineering, Chicago Boiler Company, Aquacomp Water Treatment Services, Loy‐Lange, and Arise Incorporated. Following mediation, the plaintiffs also settled with Clayton Industries. The total amount of the settlements is slightly over $47 million.

This tragedy resulted from a prolonged series of errors by the various defendants in the case, beginning with the failure by the designer and manufacturer to include a corrosion allowance on the pressure vessel. Thereafter, inadequate water chemistry treatment, blowdowns to remove sediment, and inspections by the vessel’s owner and outside consultants during the life of the vessel led to excessive corrosion. Additionally, a deficient repair of the leaking vessel four years earlier by an outside company left defective, corroded material in place.

As legal experts in wrongful death claims in St. Louis, the Simon Law Firm took a lead in this litigation on behalf of the Plaintiffs which resulted in a global settlement on behalf of all Plaintiffs of over $47 Million. We represented the Plaintiffs in 2 of the 7 cases, including one wrongful death case and one injury case. Each of the Defendants paid the following:

• Kickham Boiler and Engineering – $728K
• Chicago Boiler Company – $2 Million
• Aquacomp Water Treatment Services – $2 Million
• Loy-Lange – $4 Million
• Arise Incorporated – $17.5 Million
• Clayton Industries – $21 Million

For media inquiries or more information, contact Tim Cronin at The Simon Law Firm. Counsel for the Plaintiffs in this litigation are listed below.