Judge Gives South Carolina Workers $3.6M More for Injuries

April 7, 2009

A judge has ordered a South Carolina chemical distributor to pay two burned workers an additional $3.6 million, more than doubling what the pair received from a jury.

The Greenville News reports that Circuit Judge J.C. “Buddy” Nicholson ruled jurors didn’t give Scott Lawing and Curtis Martin enough to cover their losses.

Lawyers for the workers say they were suspended 25 feet in the air using blow torches to do maintenance at Univar USA Inc. in Seneca in 2004 when a spark caused improperly packaged chemicals to explode.

The judge ordered the company to pay Lawing an additional $2.2 million on top of the $1.9 million the jury gave him. Martin will get $1.4 million on top of the jury’s $1.4 million award.

Univar is deciding whether to appeal.
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Information from: The Greenville News