Laura Diaz v. Archer Daniels Midland Company

The parents, brothers and sisters of Francisco Moreno Garcia, who was scalded to death in a March 23, 2007 steam explosion at the ADM Bioproducts plant in Decatur, Illinois*. Moreno Garcia, a 26 year old employee of ECF, Inc., an ADM contractor. Garcia was insulating pipes 15 feet in the air when a waste compression device over pressurized and showered him with steam and hot caustic liquid. When the scissors lift he was on could not be lowered, Garcia was forced to disengage himself from his safety harness and tumbled onto the ground.



Witnesses testified to a gruesome scenario in which Garcia had third degree burns over 90% of his body that were so extensive that strips of his flesh were peeling off as he was pulled into the safety shower. A veteran emergency room nurse testified at the trial that it was one of the worst cases she had ever seen.



The defenses asserted by Defendant are not available.

Plaintiff's verdict for $6.741 million

"Shapiro said ADM offered him $500,000 and then a maximum $850,000 to settle the case, likely expecting a Decatur-area jury would not decide on a large award. He turned the offers down quickly, confident the jury would emphasize with Garcia’s family south of the border."