Arnold & Itkin Wins $61.5 Million Verdict Against 3M for Watson Grinding Explosion Survivors

A Harris County jury awarded $61.5 million on Monday to 24 survivors of the January 24, 2020, Watson Grinding explosion, finding that 3M failed to properly inspect the gas detection system meant to warn workers of a deadly propylene leak. Adam Lewis of Arnold & Itkin served as lead counsel for the plaintiffs, alongside Will Moye of the Moye Firm, Rob Kwok, Ryan Loya, Ranny Sawaf, Marcos Cardenas and Trey Termini of Kwok Daniel, and Adam Antony of the Antony Firm. It’s the third multimillion-dollar verdict against 3M since litigation over the explosion began, following a $118 million verdict a separate Harris County jury awarded to seven victims in November 2025, according to ABC13.

“The message from this verdict is unmistakable: companies entrusted with people’s safety will be held accountable when they fail to meet that responsibility,” said Adam Lewis, attorney at Arnold & Itkin. “The jury found that 3M failed to properly inspect and correct a critical gas detection system, with devastating consequences for the 24 survivors of the Watson Grinding explosion. This verdict delivers justice for those victims and sends a clear warning to every company: safety standards are not optional, and cutting corners has consequences.”

Taking On One of the World’s Largest Companies

3M is a multinational conglomerate with tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue and no shortage of defense lawyers. Winning a verdict of this size against a company with that much at its disposal takes years of preparation, and this is the third Harris County jury in this litigation to side with survivors over 3M’s defense.

The Failure at the Center of the Case

By the early morning hours of Friday, January 24, 2020, a 2,000-gallon propylene tank at the Watson Grinding facility on Gessner Road in northwest Houston had been leaking gas since the evening before, with no alarm ever sounding. When a worker flipped a light switch, the gas ignited. The explosion killed three people, injured dozens more, and damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes in the surrounding neighborhood. The destruction was severe enough that then-Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo called the area a “disaster area.” The U.S. Chemical Safety Board later confirmed the plant’s gas detection and alarm system had failed to warn anyone before the blast.

The gas sensors were never properly wired into Watson’s control system, leaving them incapable of ever triggering an alarm or automatic shutdown, no matter how much propylene leaked. 3M was responsible for inspecting that system and ensuring it functioned properly. This defect allegedly went unresolved through service visits in 2017, 2018, and 2019, the last of which came about six months before the explosion, when a technician who identified himself as a 3M employee left Watson believing the problem was fixed. Plaintiffs argued 3M had actual knowledge of the risk and proceeded with conscious indifference toward the people living and working around the plant. The jury agreed, awarding the 24 survivors $61.5 million.

A Long Road That Isn’t Over Yet

More than six years after the explosion, survivors are still fighting for accountability in court, and it doesn’t end with this verdict. After the $118 million verdict in November, the company said it disagreed with the jury and planned to appeal. Another trial is scheduled for October 2026.

If they try to appeal this latest result, Arnold & Itkin’s Texas plant explosion attorneys will be ready. We will continue to publish updates as the remaining Watson Grinding cases move toward trial.