On November 8, 2023, a catastrophic explosion and fire at a chemical storage facility in Texas left one man severely injured. The incident has now led to a lawsuit filed by the injured party and his spouse against three companies allegedly responsible for the hazardous conditions that caused the disaster. Plaintiffs Dalton Acuff and Laura Acuff have taken legal action against Sound SRS Holding LLC, Ridgeline Engineering LLC, and CLP Chemicals, Inc., filing their complaint on April 16, 2025, in Harris County District Court.
The lawsuit stems from an incident where chemicals stored in thin plastic totes at the Sound Resource Solutions facility ignited, causing an explosion and fire that severely burned Dalton Acuff. According to the plaintiffs' petition, Sound SRS Holding owned the property where the chemicals were stored; CLP Chemicals owned and stored chemicals at the site; and Ridgeline Engineering was responsible for health safety and environmental responsibilities at the facility. The plaintiffs allege that all three defendants were aware of the dangerous conditions posed by leaking plastic totes but failed to take necessary precautions to prevent such a disaster.
The Acuffs' complaint details several accusations against the defendants. They claim that these companies knew or should have known about the hazardous storage conditions due to leakage from plastic totes stacked without proper support or clearances. Furthermore, they argue that these conditions created a foreseeable risk of ignition and explosion. The plaintiffs assert that inadequate warning systems, fire control measures, and evacuation plans exacerbated the situation during the incident.
In their lawsuit, Dalton Acuff claims significant physical injuries requiring past and future medical treatment due to burns sustained in the explosion. He seeks compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, lost wages, and loss of earning capacity. Meanwhile, Laura Acuff seeks damages for loss of consortium due to her husband's injuries.
The legal filing outlines several causes of action including negligence on part of Sound SRS Holding LLC and CLP Chemicals Inc., premises liability for creating a dangerous condition at their facility; as well as gross negligence claims against all defendants involved. Additionally named is Ridgeline Engineering LLC which allegedly failed its duty by not implementing adequate safety protocols or training workers properly regarding emergency procedures within this high-risk environment.
Plaintiffs are seeking monetary relief exceeding $10 million dollars along with exemplary damages under Texas law due to what they describe as grossly negligent conduct by each defendant involved leading up until this tragic event occurred back in November 2023.
Representing them legally are attorneys Randall O Sorrels & Richard T Stilwell from Sorrels Law Firm based out Houston Texas while case proceedings will be overseen by Judge Nelson Cuero under Case ID: 2025-26969 filed within Harris County's judicial district system.