Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
As others have mentioned, regardless of what state it was in, I am sure it is way, way past the statute of limitations. This kind of BS is exactly why we have statutes of limitations.
Hopefully, someone can help guide me in the right direction regarding if anything can be done regarding receiving some kind of justice & compensation.
My aunt was killed in a chemical explosion back in the 1940s while she was at her job site. She was in her early 20s. Her boss was responsible for this. He lied about his education, credentials, etc. to get his job. There's plenty of proof online about this...countless articles, photos, and even a book written about this tragedy that I'm trying to find/obtain. I know boss' name, the name of the company she worked for, the address, etc. I just learned of all these articles, etc.
Is there here anything at all I can do to pursue this and if so, who can I contact? (My father has passed away a few years ago now and there are no other relatives of mine to ask about this.)
The first thing I would do is see an injury lawyer to see if you have a prosecutable case.
These lawyers take cases they can win and only get paid when you get paid.
I never heard about this either & can't say too much more w/o revealing my own ID, but I came to know of this when a chemist contacted me just last month. He actually wrote an article about it on his science history website & about my specific family. He must be in his 90s himself because I was shocked he was still alive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by silibran
Well, who would be getting compensation? You? Her children?
Is the company still intact?
Who would be responsible, if it is not?
What is the expiration of liability in your state?
She never had any children. Technically there's one last living sibling left (out of several), so she'd be in line to get any money. I don't know if she ever knew about this, but if she did, she wouldn't tell me about it.
Company's been blown up...killed 17 (my aunt & her boss included on that day), injured 150. Even disturbed homes in the nearby area too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aliasfinn
Is her boss still alive ?
I'd be interested in reading about this, could you provide some info such as the name of the company and where it happened ?
Maybe I'll PM you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kitty61
The first thing I would do is see an injury lawyer to see if you have a prosecutable case.
These lawyers take cases they can win and only get paid when you get paid.
Thanks a lot! Actually, a university law professor I contacted said generally, damages for an incident like this must be filed w/i 2 yrs of the incident, but that I should speak w/ a local personal injury attorney to get his or her opinion. So he didn't say all hope was lost.
It sounds like a fertilizer plant explosion (see 1948 Texas City explosion). There are many victims, both within and outside the plant. Compensation for the victims is usually provided by the company or by the government as in that case. It often comes down to improper storage or handling of chemicals, and still happens often today.
This is almost certainly beyond all statutes of limitation and I'd guess that nearly all parties to the incident are dead.
Solve it the other way: write the story up and get it published at as high a level as you can manage. There are history and true-crime writers who would pounce on something like this and give it national exposure.
OP, are you certain that your aunt's next of kin did not receive a settlement back in the 40's? It's quite possible that a year - or even a few years - after the incident money was paid out to survivors.
In any event, I agree with all the others who said the statute of limitations has long since expired, leaving you no legal recourse. I am a paralegal, by the way.
It's a terrible tragedy for sure, and investigating the event may be interesting, but do not anticipate any compensation on your aunt's behalf. I like Quietude's idea of writing about it and having the story published.
.
__________________
My posts as a Moderator will always be in red.
Be sure to review Terms of Service: TOS And check this out: FAQ
Moderator of Canada (and sub-fora), Illinois (and sub-fora), Indiana (and sub-fora), Caregiving, Community Chat, Fashion & Beauty, Hair Care, Games/Trivia, History, Nature, Non-romantic Relationships, Psychology, Travel, Work & Employment, Writing.
___________________________
~ Life's a gift. Don't waste it. ~
I appreciate the comments. It's just one of those tragic events in which I'll collect as much information as I can for my own personal intrigue. The article the chemist wrote had photos of my aunt in which I can tell it's her and the official 1940 US census with my dad's name and his 7 other family members.
I'd love to know what the connection was with specifically my family to this chemist/article writer and this woman who he stated as an "invaluable help". Were either of them a childhood friend, etc.? I'll ask him. They must both be in their 90s then by now because the only living relative of my dad's family is the very youngest daughter (my other aunt) and she's now in her late 70s. Two of the other sisters just passed within a few mos of each other just the last 1/2 of last year.
My father's family was also facing another devastating plight at that time along with others of their ethnicity, which is probably why they never had the chance or means to prosecute back then about it.
My aunt was only 21 or 22 when she passed...a life way too short. The sudden and devastating way she left this earth, even finding dental records was impossible. She was just wiped out and forever gone.
To clarify, the "wannabe chemist", which is the term they used for that liar who was the sole cause of the explosion died too in the explosion along with my aunt, 16 others, and 150 injured.
The chemist who contacted me last month who wrote the article is a different man. I wonder did he know the other guy?
Last edited by Forever Blue; 02-01-2019 at 05:22 PM..
As others have mentioned, regardless of what state it was in, I am sure it is way, way past the statute of limitations. This kind of BS is exactly why we have statutes of limitations.
Only members of a victim's immediate family would be compensated for a wrongful death. This would be mother, father, sister, brother, son or daughter. As a nephew, you wouldn't be eligible to collect damages, unless you were involved in some sort of business or financial activity with the victim and the death caused you a loss. In that case, the wrongful death of an unrelated business partner, might make you eligible for compensation. But in any case, it's far too late now to successfully pursue any legal action.
However, if there's evidence about the incident that has been newly discovered or made public, a journalist might have an interest in publishing a story about it. The court of public opinion might be swung in the direction of truth.
With a little luck, whatever chemical company this was back then, was either merged with or bought out by Monsanto, and now you can go after them for... BILLIONS.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
