Man driving by Watson Grinding says explosion threw his truck ‘like a ragdoll’

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A new lawsuit filed against Watson Grinding and Manufacturing says a man was injured on Friday when the explosion threw his truck “like a ragdoll.”

The suit, filed Monday, says Sean Rangel had to go to the emergency room with severe damage to his left eye. The filing includes a picture of Rangel with a patch covering the eye. It also says he’s suffering from flashbacks and sleeplessness.

Rangel, a Watson employee, was driving on the street behind the facility, the suit says, at the time of the explosion. So unexpected, it says, Rangel thought he had been hit by a speeding truck. He and his truck were “flung like a ragdoll.”

The lawsuit alleges negligence and gross negligence and says Rangel was aware of instances when the company used only “temporary fixes” for problems. He is seeking more than a million dollars in damages.

“This matter reflects the damage and human toll caused by the failure of large corporations from putting safety and common sense first,” the suit states.

In response, Dan Keeney, a spokesman for Watson told ABC13, “Thanks for reaching out. We won’t be commenting on any pending litigation.”