Plant explosion survivor Bryan Cotton recalls the moment a massive blast caught him off guard while he was working on a pillar. Thrown off-balance and forced to run through debris to escape, Bryan describes the chaos of that day and how Arnold & Itkin helped him and his family move forward. He calls the firm "great lawyers with integrity" who treated him like family.
“You don’t go to work and expect an explosion to happen.”
Bryan Cotton was working at a plant in Louisiana when a reboiler tank ruptured, triggering a massive explosion that tore through the facility. The force of the blast threw him off-balance and left him wondering how to escape.
Bryan had been standing on a pillar at the time of the explosion, and in the moments that followed, it was a race to safety as he ran and jumped over broken cement and twisted pipe.
The explosion killed two workers and injured 167 others. Bryan was among those left dealing with the physical toll of the blast and the difficult road that followed.
When he turned to Arnold & Itkin, Bryan says the firm was honest with him from the start.
“They didn’t promise me anything, but they said, ‘We’ll do the best we can do, Mr. Cotton. We will work our hardest to take care of you and your family after this is over with.’”
Bryan took this to heart and trusted Arnold & Itkin with his case.
For Bryan, what stood out was more than just the legal work. It was the way he was treated.
"They are great lawyers. Lawyers with integrity."
He says Arnold & Itkin became more than his legal team. They became people he could count on. At a time when Bryan’s future seemed anything but certain, this made all the difference.
"To me, they mean family. They are my new friends now."
Today, Bryan reflects on how critical it was to have the right people in his corner.
"I don't know what level I would be on today if I didn't have Arnold & Itkin."
Bryan's story is a reminder that, for workers facing the aftermath of a plant disaster, having advocates who fight with integrity means everything. Now, Bryan and his family are facing a secure, bright future.
Well, I was working at the time. I was standing up on a pillar, and when the explosion happened, it caught me off guard. You don't go to work and expect an explosion to happen. So, when it happened, I became off balance. Some of my injuries came from that and from running and jumping. I had to run and jump over a lot of material, a lot of pipe and broken cement. I don't know what level I would be on today if I didn't have Arnold & Itkin.
They didn't promise me anything, but they said, “We'll do the best we can do, Mr. Cotton. We will work our hardest to take care of you and your family after this is over with.” So, I took their word. They are great lawyers. Lawyers with integrity. To me, they mean family. They are my new friends now. It is always good to have a good friend, but a friend like Arnold & Itkin…I would want them to be in my corner now and I thank God for them.
