ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor LLC v. WESCO Distribution, Inc.
Feb 14, 2013OUTCOME: Trial Verdict
This case involved the April 28, 2006 ladle spill of 220 tons of 2400º F molten iron at the No. 3 Steel Shop of ArcelorMittal’s East Chicago, Indiana steel production facility. The investigation into ... the cause of the spill revealed that blowout coil components on two dynamic braking contactors of an overhead charging crane fractured prematurely. The fracture of the blowout coils, which WESCO sold and supplied to the ArcelorMittal plant, caused the mechanical brakes on the crane to remain disengaged, resulting in the uncontrolled descent of the ladle. Despite the best efforts of the crane operator, the ladle fell, tipped and spilled all of its molten iron contents within the steel shop. The spill caused a significant fire at the No. 3 Steel Shop and extensive damage to ArcelorMittal’s property and business, requiring a month of round-the-clock repairs to the facility and its equipment. A five week trial resulted in a jury verdict in the amount of $36,134,777 in favor of our clients, ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor LLC. The Court of Appeals of Indiana unanimously upheld the trial verdict. The trial verdict in favor of ArcelorMittal ranked as the 54th Highest Verdict within the United States in the Top 100 Verdicts of 2013 by VerdictSearch.
