When a chemical plant explosion in Pasadena, Texas, tore through the facility where Chiedu Obi was working, he thought he was dead. In this video, Chiedu describes the chaos of the blast, seeing coworkers burned and injured around him, and learning that the explosion was caused by failures that the plant could have prevented. He shares how Arnold & Itkin helped him through the hardest time of his life and gave his family a more secure future.
Chiedu Obi was working at a chemical plant in Pasadena, Texas, when an explosion tore through the facility without warning.
“All of a sudden, it felt like a train just started coming. We felt the ground shake, and I heard this loud noise. As soon as we turned around, and it just—poof. From then on, it was just chaos.”
The scene that followed was devastating. Chiedu saw coworkers burned and injured all around him. One was being carried away in a wheelbarrow. Others had their shirts off, their skin red from burns.
“34 years old, never been in a situation where I had seen that much devastation. It was literally like a war zone."
Chiedu says the explosion was caused by a reactor that over-pressurized after the plant started up a unit without properly notifying workers. For him, the conclusion was clear:
“I believe the plant failed us because they say every accident is preventable. That was preventable what happened to us. They put money over our lives."
Having never been through anything like this before, Chiedu searched online for a personal injury firm and came across Arnold & Itkin.
“I saw their reviews were remarkable. That's how I decided to go with Arnold & Itkin in the end to represent me.”
From the start, Chiedu says the entire team was there for him.
“They made me feel comfortable through this rough patch in my life.”
Today, Chiedu says his future and his family’s future are more secure because of the support he received.
“I'll be able to make sure my kids are okay. I'll be able to make sure my fiancé and I are okay. Our future is locked now for the better, for the good."
He says Arnold & Itkin went beyond anything he expected.
“They exceeded my expectations...I would definitely recommend Arnold & Itkin to anyone that's looking for a personal injury attorney. They have your back. They will go above and beyond."
I thought I was dead.
All of a sudden, it felt like a train just started coming. We felt the ground shake, and I heard this loud noise. As soon as we turned around, and it just—poof. From then on, it was just chaos. All I saw was one of my buddies in a wheelbarrow. I didn't know if he was dead or if he was alive. I saw some other people that I worked with. They were standing up there with the shirt. Some of 'em had their shirts off, red where they were burned.
34 years old, never been in a situation where I had seen that much devastation.
It was literally like a war zone.
There was over-pressurization in a reactor, and they had done a startup of a unit without letting everyone know, so that's what caused the outcome of the war zone, the injuries. I believe the plant failed us because they say every accident is preventable. That was preventable what happened to us. They put money over our lives.
I've never been through this, so through the Internet, I just looked up personal injury lawyers. I saw their reviews were remarkable. That's how I decided to go with Arnold & Itkin in the end to represent me.
Everyone was there for me. Like, they made me feel comfortable through this rough patch in my life. I feel that my future is a lot more secure. I'll be able to make sure my kids are okay. I'll be able to make sure my fiancé and I are okay. Our future is locked now for the better, for the good.
They exceeded my expectations of what to even expect. I would definitely recommend Arnold & Itkin to anyone that's looking for a personal injury attorney—go with Arnold & Itkin because they're there for you. They have your back. They will go above and beyond. You just might be surprised in the end of what they're capable of.
