La Porte company blamed for fatal chemical exposure

An estate is suing over claims a family member died because a company in La Porte unknowingly exposed him to toxic chemicals.

Katie Shirley, and others, on behalf of the deceased John Shirley’s estate, filed a lawsuit on Aug. 31 in the Harris County District Court against LTC Transport Corp., with a facility in La Porte, Dow Chemical, and Cheryl Collins, citing negligence.

Shirley says that on Feb. 7, Collins asked John Shirley to clean an LTC tanker truck, thinking it contained a benign chemical, but moments after Shirley began his inspection of the truck, co-workers found him unconscious inside the tanker and rushed him to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he died the next day.

The suit alleges the tank actually contained the hazardous chemical Styrofoam RS 2030 Polyol, which causes anesthetic effects and reduces oxygen available for breathing.

The estate is seeking wrongful death damages and court costs. It is being represented in the case by Houston attorney Paul Smith.

Harris County District Court Case No. 2011-52079.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Harris County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.