USA – Jury Awards $118 Million to Victims of Houston Propylene Explosion

November 13, 2025

A Harris County jury has awarded more than $118 million (£90 million) in damages to seven people injured or affected by the 2020 propylene explosion at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing Company in Houston, Texas. The verdict, reached on November 12, 2025, followed a two-week trial and three days of deliberation in a Harris County District Court.

The catastrophic explosion, which occurred on January 24, 2020, killed two Watson Grinding employees and a nearby resident, while causing extensive damage to hundreds of surrounding homes.

Investigation and Cause of the Explosion

Watson Grinding specialized in precision machining, grinding, and High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) coating — a process that uses propylene, a highly flammable hydrocarbon gas.

An investigation by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) revealed that a hose inside a coating booth had detached from its fitting overnight, releasing propylene that accumulated inside the building.

When workers arrived the next morning, the gas concentration had reached explosive levels. At approximately 4:30 a.m., an employee entered the building and turned on the lights, igniting the vapors and causing the massive explosion.

The CSB attributed the incident to a combination of factors, including:

A degraded, poorly crimped rubber hose that disconnected from its fitting,
Failure to close the manual shutoff valve at the propylene storage tank after the previous day’s operations, and
Non-functioning safety systems, such as the gas detection alarm, exhaust fans, and automatic shutoff mechanisms.

3M’s Role and the Jury’s Findings

The jury also found 3M Company liable for its part in the disaster, assigning it 49% of the fault — equal to Watson Grinding’s share. Evidence presented in court showed that 3M was contracted to inspect and maintain the facility’s gas detection systems over a two-year period but failed to do so to the expected safety standards.

During the trial, 3M representatives reportedly acknowledged shortcomings in their maintenance work. According to the plaintiffs’ legal team, this failure represented a broader breach of trust to both the company and the community.

“This verdict is a public indictment of corporate indifference,” said Will Moye of Moye Law Firm, who represented the victims along with Rob Kwok and Ryan Loya of Kwok Daniel LLP. “3M built its reputation on safety, yet its conduct contributed to one of Houston’s deadliest explosions. This jury made clear that even the most powerful corporations will be held accountable.”

Ongoing Legal Actions

Earlier in 2025, the same legal team won a $37.9 million (£29 million) verdict against 3M and Teledyne-Detcon for five other residents impacted by the same explosion.
More than 900 additional claims related to the 2020 incident remain pending in the courts.

USA