Opinion ID: 2640942
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Helf's Allegations Satisfy the Intent to Injure Standard

Text: ¶ 44 Helf's complaint alleges facts supporting the conclusion that her injury was intentional, rather than accidental, because her supervisors knew or expected that re-initiating the neutralization process would result in her injury. When Helf arrived at work on January 28, 1999, the neutralization process had already been initiated once, resulting in a noxious purple cloud that contained concentrated hydrogen sulfide, mercaptan gases, and other toxic chemical compounds. As the cloud drifted across the Refinery, it set off safety alarms and caused employees hundreds of yards away to fall ill and be sent home. Between this initial incident and Helf's incident, no safety measures were taken, such as pumping out the pit or locking out the sulfuric acid. When Helf was directed to start the neutralization process after she arrived at work, she was neither warned of the earlier incident, nor instructed that she would need protective respiratory gear. ¶ 45 Furthermore, Chevron had additional knowledge regarding the dangerousness of the caustic solution. Chevron knew that the caustic sludge was extremely toxic and that the neutralizing process produced intense and violent reactions and ultrahazardous vapors. On one previous occasion, Chevron had attempted to neutralize the caustic sludge onsite in a procedure that was more controlled than the open-air pit technique. That attempt produced large amounts of heat and noxious vapors, exposing the employees to a great risk of injury. ¶ 46 In light of the incident earlier in the day on January 28, 1999, the fact that no mitigation measures were employed to protect Helf from the same fate, and Chevron's knowledge, gained through experience and expertise, of the toxic character of the sludge, Helf's complaint alleged facts that could convince a reasonable jury that her injuries were the expected result of re-initiating the neutralization process. Thus, Helf's complaint satisfies the intent to injure standard because it alleges that Helf's supervisors knew or expected that whoever re-initiated the neutralization process in the open-air pit would be injured by exposure to the toxic gases released by the process.