Mobil Chemical Company v. Bell

McGEE, Justice.

This is a common law damage suit for personal injuries sustained by Edward L. Bell and J. A. Hurley, employees of an independent contractor constructing a large chemical plant for Mobil Chemical Company, when acetic acid escaped from a portion of the plant already completed and turned over to Mobil. A jury failed to find that Mobil was guilty of specific acts of negligence but answered res ipsa loqui-tur issues favorably to the plaintiffs.1 Based on these findings, judgment was entered that each plaintiff recover $12,000 from Mobil. The court of civil appeals has held, inter…