When an explosion tore through his workplace, Chris Huckabaa barely had time to process what was happening before a second blast sent him running. In the brief window before communications went dark, he called his wife to tell her he was alive. In this video, Chris shares what that day was like, how Arnold & Itkin fought for him when others weren't getting the same help, and how the outcome secured his family's future.
Chris Huckabaa had just gotten his tools out and was ready to start his shift when a deafening noise tore through the plant. The first blast sent everyone scrambling, trying to figure out what had happened. Then it blew again.
"It blew up the first time and everybody kind of freaked out and started looking around trying to figure out what the hell is going on. It blew again and I just took off."
In the chaos, Chris knew helicopters and news crews would arrive quickly, and his wife would see it. He had maybe 30 seconds.
"I called my wife for like a few seconds. I just said, 'Hey, plant blew up. I'm okay. Don't worry. Call you later. Love you.' For like eight hours I couldn't talk to my wife."
When Chris turned to Arnold & Itkin, he found a team that fought for him in ways he says other workers weren't experiencing with their own representation after the plant explosion.
"Whenever I talk to some of these other guys who had other people representing them, they were like, 'You're getting help with that?' They couldn't understand how I was getting help with things and they weren't."
Chris says the outcome didn't just address what happened. It gave him and his wife something lasting.
"I was able to take care of my family now and have things—an actual retirement that I can work on now. So it's not just about the here and now. It's about me actually securing me and my wife's future."
For Chris, Arnold & Itkin made a real difference during the most difficult time of his life.
"Arnold & Itkin is a great law firm that can help you through hard times whenever you don't know what to do. This is a blessing and this is a godsend."
Went into work as usual, got tools out, just ready to go to work. We heard a horrendous loud noise that scared the crap out of us. It blew up twice. It blew up the first time and everybody kind of freaked out and started looking around trying to figure out what the hell is going on. It blew again and I just took off. I just remember, because I knew the helicopters and the news will be going off and my wife will be freaking out, so I had about 30 seconds.
I was able to use my phone, and I called my wife for like a few seconds. I just said “Hey, plant blew up. I'm okay. Don't worry. Call you later. Love you.” For like eight hours I couldn't talk to my wife. At first, I didn't know how it was going to go.
At the end of the day, I'm glad that I had Arnold & Itkin there to fight for me. Whenever I talk to some of these other guys who had other people representing them, they were like “You're getting help with that?” They couldn't understand how I was getting help with things and they weren't.
I've heard of so many people getting hurt and saw people get hurt—mangled. A lot of things happened and nobody's gotten anything. With the fact that I was able to get what I did, I was just very pleased with it because I wasn't expecting to be able to take care of my family now and have things—an actual retirement that I can work on now. So it's not just about the here and now. It's about me actually securing me and my wife's future.
Arnold & Itkin is a great law firm that can help you through hard times whenever you don't know what to do. This is a blessing and this is a godsend.
