HOUSTON – A blast at a Louisiana containerboard mill earlier this year has resulted in a wrongful death lawsuit, according to recent Harris County District Court records.
In a lawsuit filed on Apr. 25 against Packaging Corp. of America in the Harris County 129th District Court, Joe Gooch claims his son, Jody Lynn Gooch, perished in the event in question at the PCA DeRidder Containerboard Mill.
The explosion reportedly occurred at approximately 11 a.m. last Feb. 8. Two other men were killed along with Jody Lynn Gooch, who was employed by Elite Specialty Welding, LLC, per the suit.
Court papers explain that the cause of the blast is presently unclear yet preliminary investigation results from the Chemical Safety Board determined that an exploding 30-foot tall tank claimed Jody Lynn Gooch’s life.
PCA was reported to have experienced a similar incident nearly a decade ago.
The decedent’s employer is a co-defendant in the case.
Consequently, the elder Gooch seeks unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.
He is represented by attorneys Brent Coon and Eric W. Newell of the law firm Brent Coon & Associates in Beaumont.
Harris County 129th District Court Case No. 2017-27526