In Re Kirby Offshore Marine Operating LLC v. the State of Texas

NUMBER 13-22-00377-CV
COURT OF APPEALS
THIRTEENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS
CORPUS CHRISTI – EDINBURG
IN RE KIRBY OFFSHORE MARINE OPERATING, LLC
On Petition for Writ of Mandamus.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Before Justices Benavides, Silva, and Peña
Memorandum Opinion by Justice Benavides1
Relator Kirby Offshore Marine Operating, LLC (Kirby) filed a petition for writ of
mandamus through which it asserts that the trial court2 abused its discretion by granting
a motion for new trial in favor of the real party in interest, Southern Recycling, LLC
1 See TEX. R. APP. P. 52.8(d) (“When denying relief, the court may hand down an opinion but is not
required to do so. When granting relief, the court must hand down an opinion as in any other case.”); id. R.
47.1 (requiring the appellate courts to “hand down a written opinion that is as brief as practicable but that
addresses every issue raised and necessary to final disposition”); id. R. 47.4 (distinguishing opinions and
memorandum opinions).
2 This original proceeding arises from trial court cause number 2019-DCL-03625 in the 444th
District Court of Cameron County, Texas, and the respondent is the Honorable David Sanchez. See id. R.
52.2.
(Southern). In summary, as will be explained in more detail, Kirby sold Southern a tank
barge and its towing vessel for scrap. During shipbreaking, the tank barge caught fire and
caused personal injury and death to the employees involved in the work. After resolution
of the personal injury and wrongful death claims, Kirby and Southern litigated breach of
contract and related claims against each other. The gravamen of the dispute was whether
Kirby met its obligation under the parties’ agreement to appropriately clean the barge of
hazardous materials prior to its sale.
Their claims were submitted to a jury, and the jury awarded damages to Kirby, but
not to Southern. The trial court entered a take-nothing judgment against both Kirby and
Southern, but later granted Southern’s motion for new trial. Kirby contends that the trial
court’s articulated reasons for granting a new trial—that (1) there is an irreconcilable
conflict in the jury’s verdict, and (2) the verdict is not supported by legally and factually
sufficient evidence—are not supported by the record.
After conducting a merits-based review of the order granting a new trial, we agree
with Kirby. Accordingly, we conditionally grant the petition for writ of mandamus.
I. BACKGROUND
In March of 2019, Kirby, which owns and operates a fleet of tug barges,
decommissioned a tank barge, the DBL 134, and its towing vessel, the Viking. The tank
barge was equipped with heating coils, or pipes, which encompassed the barge’s cargo
tanks. The heating coils had previously been used to keep cargo hot during
transportation; however, leading up to the sale, the heating coils were not in use, and the
barge was being used to transport other substances, such as gasoline. Southern’s wholly
2
owned subsidiary, International Shipbreaking LLC (ISL) specializes in scrapping or
shipbreaking marine vessels for recycling, and Southern intended for ISL to scrap the
DBL 134 and Viking.
Kirby and Southern executed a purchase and sale letter agreement in which
Southern agreed to pay Kirby seventy percent of the estimated aggregate purchase price
of $908,424.00, or $635,896.80, within three days from the date of the agreement, with
the aggregate purchase price to be adjusted and the remainder thereafter based on
deadweight surveys of the vessels. Kirby agreed to deliver the vessels to Southern. The
agreement contains seven enumerated paragraphs which contain the following
provisions that are directly relevant to the parties’ dispute:
[Kirby] agrees that the Barge shall be delivered to [Southern] cleaned of all
chemicals, petroleum products, and sludge. A Marine Chemist certificate
will be sent to [Southern] where available.
[Southern] shall inspect the Vessels upon delivery by [Kirby], and, upon
acceptance by [Southern], [Kirby] shall have no further obligation to
[Southern] with respect to the Vessels, except as provided herein.
[Southern] specifically acknowledges that the Vessels are sold “as is, where
is,” without warranty of seaworthiness, condition, fitness for purpose or
intended use, merchantability, or any other warranty whatsoever by [Kirby],
except as set forth herein.
[Kirby] acknowledges that [Southern] is not a hazardous waste disposal
company, and, therefore, upon discovery of any toxic or hazardous
substances on or in the Vessels, [Southern] shall immediately notify [Kirby]
in writing, and [Kirby] shall remove said substance at its cost. Should [Kirby]
fail or otherwise refuse to remove the substance within five (5) days from
the date of such notification, [Southern] may immediately remove and
dispose of the substance in compliance with all applicable laws and
regulations, all at [Kirby’s] cost and expense.
3
Before Kirby delivered the barge to Southern, Kirby had the barge cleaned by Clean
Water of New York, Inc. (Clean Water). After Clean Water’s work on the barge, Austin
Montanti, a marine chemist3 employed by Independent Testing & Consulting, Inc. (IT&C),
inspected the barge and issued a marine chemist certificate stating that the barge was
safe for shipbreaking.
Southern made the initial payment for the barge, and Kirby sent the barge and tug
to a shipbreaking facility belonging to ISL pursuant to Southern’s instructions. After the
barge arrived at ISL’s facility, ISL employed another marine chemist, James Bell,
employed by Maritime Chemists Services of the Coastal Bend of Texas, Inc. (Maritime),
to inspect the barge. Bell issued a marine chemist certificate which also stated that the
barge was safe for shipbreaking.
On May 14, 2019, after ISL had been shipbreaking the DBL 134 for approximately
two weeks, its employees Jorge Loredo and Nestor Aguilar, who were pumpers,4 were
working on the barge in cargo tank 2-S. Other employees had been sent home due to
poor weather conditions. Loredo and Aguilar were using a Sawzall, an electrical
reciprocating saw, to cut through the heating coils in the tank when the Sawzall ignited
vapors emanating from the heating coils. The resulting fire seriously injured both
employees, and Loredo ultimately died as a result of his injuries. Subsequent
investigations determined that remnants of gasoline in the heating coils ignited during the
3According to trial testimony, a marine chemist is an “independent expert who inspects vessels
and authorizes what work may or may not be performed.”
4 ISL’s various categories of workers include “laborers” who handle most tasks, such as removing
insulation or pipes, “pumpers,” such as Aguilar and Loredo, who drain pipes and tanks, and “cutters” who
use torches to cut metal during the shipbreaking process.
4
shipbreaking process.
The personal injury plaintiffs 5 filed suit against Southern, Kirby, Clean Water,
IT&C, Bell, and Maritime. They did not sue ISL, who employed Loredo and Aguilar, due
to the workers compensation scheme. Southern and Kirby filed cross claims against each
other. Southern sued Kirby for failing to adequately clean the vessel before delivering it
to Southern seeking to recover: (1) the amount Southern paid to the personal injury
plaintiffs in settlement ($8 million), (2) the attorney’s fees and legal expenses that
Southern incurred in defending the personal injury lawsuit ($1,271,156), and (3) the
consideration Southern had paid Kirby for the vessel ($635,896.80). Kirby denied liability
and counter-sued Southern for the remaining payment due for the sale of the vessels.
Ultimately, all defendants settled with the personal injury plaintiffs prior to trial,
leaving only the causes remaining between Southern and Kirby.6 Southern and Kirby’s
case was submitted to a jury for trial over a two-week time span. The charge submitted
to the jury contained extensive definitions and instructions regarding: the nature of the
claims between the parties, breach of warranty, damages for breach of warranty, breach
of contract, damages for breach of contract, promissory estoppel, and fraudulent
concealment. The relevant portions of the charge to the jury and its verdict are
summarized as follows:
• Kirby’s failure to comply with a warranty was a proximate cause of
damages to Southern; however, the jury did not award any damages to
5 These individuals included Dora Mendieta, individually, and as next friend of J.L. III and as legal
representative of the estate of Jorge Loredo, deceased; Jane Mary Loredo, individually as surviving mother
of Jorge Loredo; Nestor Aguilar, individually; and Lorena Aguilar, individually.
6 The defendants settled the personal injury and wrongful death lawsuit for the global amount of
$38,600,000.
5
Southern after considering three specified elements of damages:
(1) Southern’s reasonable cost to settle the claims asserted against it by
the original plaintiffs which was a natural probable and foreseeable
consequence of Kirby’s failure to comply; (2) return of Southern’s down
payment of $635,896.80; and (3) attorney’s fees in the amount of
$1,271,156 incurred by Southern in defending the personal injury claims
brought by the original plaintiffs.
• Kirby failed to comply with the purchase agreement for the barge;
however, the jury did not award any damages to Southern after
considering two specified elements of damages: (1) the reasonable cost
to settle claims against it by the original plaintiffs; and (2) the return of
Southern’s down payment.
• Southern failed to comply with the purchase agreement for the barge;
and the jury awarded Kirby $272,527.20 as damages caused by
Southern’s failure to comply.
• Kirby failed to comply with the purchase agreement first.
• Kirby committed fraud against Southern; however, the jury did not award
any damages to Southern after considering two specified elements of
damages: (1) the reasonable cost to settle claims against it by the
original plaintiffs; and (2) for the return of Southern’s down payment.
• The negligence of ISL, Southern, Clean Water, Bell, and Montanti
caused the occurrence, and Kirby was thirty-one percent responsible;
ISL was twenty-nine percent responsible; Southern was twenty-five
percent responsible; Clean Water was three percent responsible; and
Bell and Montanti were each six percent responsible.
Southern objected to the jury’s verdict under Rule 295 of the Texas Rules of Civil
Procedure and requested the trial court to require the jury to continue deliberations;
however, the trial court overruled Southern’s motion. See TEX. R. CIV. P. 295 (delineating
the procedure for correcting a defective verdict). Southern then filed a motion for judgment
notwithstanding the verdict, or alternatively, a new trial. The trial court denied Southern’s
motion.
6
On November 30, 2021, the trial court issued a take-nothing judgment against both
Southern and Kirby and taxed costs of court against Southern. On or about December
16, 2021, Southern moved to modify the judgment seeking to reallocate the court costs.
On February 11, 2022, the trial court sua sponte signed an order vacating its judgment
and granting a new trial; however, its new trial order did not explain the court’s rationale
for granting a new trial.7 See id. R. 320 (allowing the trial court to grant a new trial “on the
court’s own motion”). Southern thus requested the trial court to modify its new trial order
to explain its reasoning.
On June 2, 2022, the trial court signed an amended order granting Southern’s
motion for a new trial which delineates the trial court’s rationales for granting a new trial.
In summary, the trial court concluded that: (1) the jury’s finding that Kirby breached a
warranty conflicted with the jury’s finding that Southern should not recover any damages,
and (2) the jury’s finding that Southern should recover zero damages was supported by
legally and factually insufficient evidence.
This original proceeding ensued. By one issue, Kirby asserts that the trial court
abused its discretion by ordering a new trial and Kirby lacks an adequate remedy by
appeal to address this error. Southern filed a response to the petition for writ of mandamus
in support of the new trial order, and Kirby filed a reply thereto. See TEX. R. APP. P. 52.2,
52.4, 52.8.
7 See In re Kirby Offshore Marine Operating, LLC, No. 13-22-00236-CV, 2022 WL 2057506, at *1
(Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg June 7, 2022, orig. proceeding) (mem. op.).
7
II. MANDAMUS
Mandamus is an extraordinary and discretionary remedy. See In re Allstate Indem.
Co., 622 S.W.3d 870, 883 (Tex. 2021) (orig. proceeding); In re Garza, 544 S.W.3d 836,
840 (Tex. 2018) (orig. proceeding) (per curiam); In re Prudential Ins. Co. of Am., 148
S.W.3d 124, 138 (Tex. 2004) (orig. proceeding). The relator must show that (1) the trial
court abused its discretion, and (2) the relator lacks an adequate remedy on appeal. In re
USAA Gen. Indem. Co., 624 S.W.3d 782, 787 (Tex. 2021) (orig. proceeding); In re
Prudential Ins. Co. of Am., 148 S.W.3d at 135–36; Walker v. Packer, 827 S.W.2d 833,
839–40 (Tex. 1992) (orig. proceeding). “The relator bears the burden of proving these two
requirements.” In re H.E.B. Grocery Co., 492 S.W.3d 300, 302 (Tex. 2016) (orig.
proceeding) (per curiam); Walker, 827 S.W.2d at 840.
“A writ of mandamus shall issue to correct a clear abuse of discretion committed
by a trial court in granting a new trial.” In re Whataburger Rests., LP, 429 S.W.3d 597,
598 (Tex. 2014) (orig. proceeding) (per curiam); see In re Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.,
Inc., 407 S.W.3d 746, 757–58 (Tex. 2013) (orig. proceeding); In re United Scaffolding,
Inc., 377 S.W.3d 685, 689 (Tex. 2012) (orig. proceeding). In such a case, the relator lacks
an adequate remedy by appeal. In re Columbia Med. Ctr. of Las Colinas, Subsidiary, L.P.,
290 S.W.3d 204, 209–10 (Tex. 2009) (orig. proceeding).
III. NEW TRIALS
Rule 320 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure gives the trial court broad discretion
to grant a new trial “for good cause, on motion or on the court’s own motion.” TEX. R. CIV.
P. 320. However, because the Texas Constitution guarantees the right to trial by jury, that
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authority is not “unfettered.” In re Bent, 487 S.W.3d 170, 175 (Tex. 2016) (orig.
proceeding); see TEX. CONST. art. I, § 15; In re Cambell, 577 S.W.3d 293, 297 (Tex.
App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2019, orig. proceeding). Although trial courts have significant
discretion in granting new trials, “such discretion should not, and does not, permit a trial
judge to substitute his or her own views for that of the jury without a valid basis.” In re
Columbia Med. Ctr., 290 S.W.3d at 212; see In re United Scaffolding, Inc., 377 S.W.3d at
688–89; In re Pantalion, 575 S.W.3d 382, 383 (Tex. App.—Beaumont 2019, orig.
proceeding) (per curiam).
We employ a two-tier analysis to determine whether a trial court has abused its
discretion in granting a new trial. First, we examine the facial validity of the order granting
a new trial. See In re Bent, 487 S.W.3d at 176; In re United Servs. Auto. Ass’n, 521
S.W.3d 920, 927 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2017, orig. proceeding [mand. denied]).
An order granting a new trial must provide “an understandable, reasonably specific
explanation why [the parties’] expectations are frustrated by a jury verdict being
disregarded or set aside, the trial process being nullified, and the case having to be
retried.” In re Bent, 487 S.W.3d at 176 (quoting In re Columbia Med. Ctr., 290 S.W.3d at
213); see In re Munsch, 614 S.W.3d 397, 400 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2020,
orig. proceeding [mand. denied]). Second, we perform a merits-based review of the trial
court’s articulated reasons for granting a new trial. See In re Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.,
Inc., 407 S.W.3d at 758; see also In re Whataburger Rests., L.P., 429 S.W.3d at 598. If
the articulated reasons are not supported by the law and the record, mandamus relief is
appropriate. In re Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., 407 S.W.3d at 761–62. “[T]he abuse-
9
of-discretion standard applies to merits review just as it does in all mandamus
proceedings.” In re Bent, 487 S.W.3d at 178.
IV. IRRECONCILABLE CONFLICT IN JURY’S VERDICT
In part of its first issue, Kirby alleges that there is not an irreconcilable conflict in
the jury’s verdict. The trial court’s first rationale offered in support of granting a new trial
is that the jury’s affirmative answer to Question 1 of the charge—“Was the failure, if any,
of [Kirby] to comply with a warranty a proximate cause of damages to [Southern]”—
conflicts with the jury’s failure to award any of the damages sought by Southern in
Question 2 of the charge, which asked, “What sum of money, if any, if paid now in cash,
would fairly and reasonably compensate [Southern] for its damages, if any, that were
proximately caused by [Kirby’s] failure to comply [with the warranty]?”
A. Applicable Law
The Texas Supreme Court has explained that we review alleged conflicts in jury
findings as follows:
The threshold question in reviewing jury findings for fatal conflict is “whether
the findings are about the same material fact.” Bender v. S. Pac. Transp.
Co., 600 S.W.2d 257, 260 (Tex. 1980). In making this determination, courts
have a “duty to harmonize jury findings when possible.” Producers Chem.
Co. v. McKay, 366 S.W.2d 220, 224 (Tex. 1963). Courts must uphold jury
findings if “there is any reasonably possible basis upon which they may be
reconciled.” Bender, 600 S.W.2d at 260. The inquiry does not end, however,
if the court determines that the findings create a conflict about the same
material fact. The court must determine whether the conflict is fatal to the
entry of judgment. Bay Petroleum Corp. v. Crumpler, 372 S.W.2d 318, 319
(Tex. 1963).
To determine whether a conflict is fatal,
the court must consider each of the answers claimed to be in
conflict, disregarding the alleged conflicting answer but
10
taking into consideration all of the rest of the verdict, and if,
so considered, one of the answers would require a judgment
in favor of the plaintiff and the other would require a judgment
in favor of the defendant, then the answers are fatally in
conflict.
Little Rock Furniture Mfg. Co. v. Dunn, [222 S.W.2d 985, 991 (Tex. 1949)].
Thus, to satisfy this test, the party claiming conflict must show that one of
the conflicting findings “necessarily requires the entry of a judgment
different from that which the court has entered.” Id.Arvizu v. Estate of Puckett, 364 S.W.3d 273, 275–76 (Tex. 2012) (per curiam) (footnote
omitted); see Burnett v. Rios, 549 S.W.3d 214, 220–21 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.]
2018, no pet.). Thus, jury findings can conflict or be inconsistent, or even be in
“irreconcilable conflict,” and still not be fatal to the entry of a judgment; however, if the
jury findings create a conflict about the same material fact, and one of the conflicting
findings “necessarily requires the entry of a judgment different from that which the court
has entered,” then the conflicting findings are fatal to the entry of a judgment. Arvizu, 364
S.W.3d at 275–76.
B. Analysis
As stated previously, the jury found that Kirby’s failure to comply with a warranty
was a proximate cause of damages to Southern, but the jury failed to award Southern
any damages. We examine whether these jury findings create a conflict about the same
material fact and whether one of the conflicting findings necessarily requires the entry of
judgment different from that which the court has entered. See Arvizu, 364 S.W.3d at 275–
76. We conclude they do not. Liability and damage findings do not concern the same
material fact; thus, the jury’s findings here do not necessarily require the entry of a
different judgment. See Davis v. Nat’l Lloyds Ins., 484 S.W.3d 459, 475 (Tex. App.—
11
Houston [1st Dist.] 2015, pet. denied) (concluding that a finding that the defendant
breached a contract, common law, and statutory duties did not fatally conflict with a finding
of zero damages); 7979 Airport Garage, L.L.C. v. Dollar Rent A Car Sys., Inc., 245 S.W.3d
488, 505 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2007, pet. denied) (concluding that a breach-
of-lease finding did not present an irreconcilable conflict with a zero damages award);
Cooper v. Lyon Fin. Servs., Inc., 65 S.W.3d 197, 204 n.5 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.]
2001, no pet.) (concluding that findings of liability coupled with a zero damage award
“merely show[ed that the claimant] met his burden of proof in the first instance but not in
the second”); Am. Recreational Mkts. Gen. Agency, Inc. v. Hawkins, 846 S.W.2d 476,
478 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1993, no writ) (“The ‘if any’ language used in [the
damages question] gives the jury the option to find that [plaintiff] was entitled to zero
dollars for actual damages despite the jury’s finding in the previous question. An answer
favorable to a party concerning one of the elements submitted and an answer of ‘none’
or ‘zero dollars’ to another issue does not put the answers in conflict.”); see also Watts v.
BHP Billiton Petroleum (Ams.), Inc., No. 14-05-00480-CV, 2006 WL 2669350, at *5 (Tex.
App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Sept. 19, 2006, pet. denied) (mem. op.) (“We note first that a
finding favorable to a party on liability does not render a conflict with a finding of zero
damages.”); Fischl v. Fischl, No. 04-03-00345-CV, 2004 WL 1195705, at *3 (Tex. App.—
San Antonio June 2, 2004, no pet.) (mem. op.) (concluding that a breach of contract
question and a damages question did not concern “the same material fact”).
C. Summary
We conclude that the jury’s finding that Kirby breached a warranty and the jury’s
12
failure to award damages for that breach are not fatal to the entry of a judgment based
on the findings. See Arvizu, 364 S.W.3d at 275–76; Davis, 484 S.W.3d at 475; 7979
Airport Garage, L.L.C., 245 S.W.3d at 505. Accordingly, we reject this rationale for the
trial court’s new trial order, and we sustain Kirby’s sole issue to the extent it concerns an
irreconcilable conflict in the jury’s verdict.
V. SUFFICIENCY OF THE EVIDENCE
In its second issue, Kirby contends that the jury’s verdict was supported by legally
and factually sufficient evidence. The new trial order states that the jury’s failure to award
damages to Southern was not supported by the evidence because, inter alia, it was
uncontested that Southern suffered damages in specific amounts 8 and because any
negligence on Southern’s part was “immaterial” in the context of a breach of express
warranty. Southern alleges that its damages were caused by Kirby’s breach of warranty
in selling a ship with hidden pockets of gasoline in the heating coils—a problem which
Kirby allegedly knew about but concealed. In contrast, Kirby asserts that ample evidence
supports the jury’s verdict. Kirby contends that its actions did not proximately cause
Southern’s damages and Southern could have avoided its losses by exercising
8 The jury charge contained the parties’ stipulation that Southern incurred $1,271,156 in
reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses and provided that Kirby “[did] not agree that any of these fees or
expenses are damages caused by Kirby, only that this amount is reasonable and necessary for the defense
against the plaintiffs’ claims.” Despite the express language of the stipulation, both the new trial order and
Southern’s arguments suggest that the stipulation encompassed liability issues. “In construing a stipulation
by parties to a judicial proceeding, a court must determine the intent of the parties from the language used
in the entire agreement, examining the surrounding circumstances, including the state of the pleadings, the
allegations made therein, and the attitude of the parties with respect to the issue.” Humble Surgical Hosp.,
LLC v. Davis, 542 S.W.3d 12, 19 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2017, pet. denied). “A stipulation by
parties to a judicial proceeding should not be given greater effect than the parties intended.” Id. Examining
the language of the stipulation and considering that the parties engaged in a two-week trial on liability, we
conclude that the stipulation addressed only various elements of damages but did not encompass liability.
See id.13
reasonable care.
A. Standard of Review
Evidence is legally insufficient to support a jury finding when: (1) the record
discloses a complete absence of evidence of a vital fact; (2) the court is barred by rules
of law or of evidence from giving weight to the only evidence offered to prove a vital fact;
(3) the evidence offered to prove a vital fact is no more than a mere scintilla; or (4) the
evidence establishes conclusively the opposite of a vital fact. Shields Ltd. P’ship v.
Bradberry, 526 S.W.3d 471, 480 (Tex. 2017); Crosstex N. Tex. Pipeline, L.P. v. Gardiner,
505 S.W.3d 580, 613 (Tex. 2016); Ford Motor Co. v. Castillo, 444 S.W.3d 616, 620 (Tex.
2014) (per curiam) (op. on reh’g). When determining if legally sufficient evidence supports
a jury finding, we consider evidence favorable to the finding if a reasonable factfinder
could and disregard contrary evidence unless a reasonable factfinder could not. Crosstex
N. Tex. Pipeline, L.P., 505 S.W.3d at 613; City of Keller v. Wilson, 168 S.W.3d 802, 807,
827 (Tex. 2005). We indulge “every reasonable inference deducible from the evidence”
in support of the challenged finding. Gunn v. McCoy, 554 S.W.3d 645, 658 (Tex. 2018).
Evidence is legally sufficient when it constitutes more than a “scintilla” of evidence on
which a reasonable juror could find the fact to be true. Crosstex N. Tex. Pipeline, L.P.,
505 S.W.3d at 613.
The evidence is factually insufficient to support a jury finding if, considering the
record as a whole, the supporting evidence is so weak, or so contrary to the weight of all
the evidence, as to make the finding clearly wrong and manifestly unjust. Id. at 615. When
reviewing a finding for factual sufficiency, we set it aside only if, after considering and
14
weighing all the pertinent record evidence, we determine that the credible evidence
supporting the finding is so weak, or so contrary to the overwhelming weight of all the
evidence, that the finding should be set aside, and a new trial ordered. Id.; Cain v. Bain,
709 S.W.2d 175, 176 (Tex. 1986); Pool v. Ford Motor Co., 715 S.W.2d 629, 635 (Tex.
1986) (op. on reh’g). The factfinder is the sole judge of the witnesses’ credibility and the
weight to be given to their testimony. Golden Eagle Archery, Inc. v. Jackson, 116 S.W.3d
757, 761 (Tex. 2003).
The charge instructed the jury that Kirby breached an express warranty to
Southern if, among other things, Southern could show that it was injured by the failure of
the product to comply with the express warranty and the failure was the proximate cause
of the injury. Causation is an essential element of a breach of warranty cause of action.
See Mack Trucks, Inc. v. Tamez, 206 S.W.3d 572, 582 (Tex. 2006) (holding that breach
of warranty claims require proof of causation-in-fact); Hyundai Motor Co. v. Rodriguez,
995 S.W.2d 661, 667 (Tex. 1999) (concluding that liability for breach of warranty requires
“showing of proximate causation”); Casa Del Mar Ass’n, Inc. v. Gossen Livingston
Assocs., Inc., 434 S.W.3d 211, 221 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2014, pet. denied).
Proximate cause includes causation in fact, which requires that the defendant’s conduct
be a substantial factor in bringing about the injuries in question. See Mack Trucks, Inc.,
206 S.W.3d at 582; Union Pump Co. v. Allbritton, 898 S.W.2d 773, 775 (Tex. 1995),
abrogated on other grounds by Ford Motor Co. v. Ledesma, 242 S.W.3d 32, 46 (Tex.
2007); Peeler v. Hughes & Luce, 909 S.W.2d 494, 498 (Tex. 1995). According to the
supreme court:
15
The word “substantial” is used to denote the fact that the defendant’s
conduct has such an effect in producing the harm as to lead reasonable
men to regard it as a cause, using that word in the popular sense, in which
there always lurks the idea of responsibility, rather than in the so-called
“philosophic sense,” which includes every one of the great number of events
without which any happening would not have occurred. Each of these
events is a cause in the so-called “philosophic sense,” yet the effect of many
of them is so insignificant that no ordinary mind would think of them as
causes.
Lear Siegler, Inc. v. Perez, 819 S.W.2d 470, 472 (Tex. 1991) (quoting RESTATEMENT
(SECOND) OF TORTS § 431 (1965)). Further, the supreme court has “repeatedly explained
that ‘the connection between the defendant and the plaintiff’s injuries simply may be too
attenuated to constitute legal cause,’ which ‘is not established if the defendant’s conduct
or product does no more than furnish the condition that makes the plaintiff’s injury
possible.’” Allways Auto Grp., Ltd. v. Walters, 530 S.W.3d 147, 149 (Tex. 2017) (per
curiam) (quoting Union Pump Co., 898 S.W.2d at 776); see W. Invs., Inc. v. Urena, 162
S.W.3d 547, 551 (Tex. 2005); IHS Cedars Treatment Ctr. of DeSoto, Tex., Inc. v. Mason,
143 S.W.3d 794, 800 (Tex. 2004); Lear Siegler, Inc., 819 S.W.2d at 472; Bell v. Campbell,
434 S.W.2d 117, 122 (Tex. 1968). Thus, in some cases, “the conduct of the defendant
may be too attenuated from the resulting injuries to the plaintiff to be a substantial factor
in bringing about the harm.” IHS Cedars Treatment Ctr., 143 S.W.3d at 799.
B. Evidence
We review the jury’s finding of zero damages for the legal and factual sufficiency
of the evidence. The jury examined voluminous exhibits and heard testimony from: Kirby’s
corporate representative James Fewell, its senior port engineer Richard Wykoff, and
Captain Christopher Nash; Southern’s chief operating officer Andrew Sheppard and its
16
vice-president for marine logistics and decommission Douglas Higginbotham; Clean
Water’s vice-president Ralph Duca; marine chemist Montanti; ISL’s president Christopher
Green, its safety manager Alejandro “Alex” Mata, supervisor Sergio “Cheto” Beltran
Flores (Beltran), and its safety officer Jose Alfredo Selvera; marine chemist Bell; and
expert witnesses Dennis John Scardino and Michael B. Craddock, consultants with
Engineering Systems, Inc.; Bob Borison, a marine safety expert; Joel Dupre, a
shipbreaking expert; and James Mazerat, a fire safety expert.
(1) The DBL 134 and its History
The DBL 134 was equipped with metal heating coils, or pipes, that spanned from
the deck into the vessel’s ten cargo tanks, crisscrossed the cargo tanks, then returned to
the deck. They were intended to be filled with thermal oil9 and acted as an enclosed loop.
According to trial testimony, the heating coils spanned approximately three miles in
length.
Richard Wycoff, the senior port engineer with Kirby who was in charge of the DBL
134 and the Viking, testified that he handles the coordination of repairs, maintenance,
and annual regulatory inspections of Kirby’s vessels by the Coast Guard and American
Bureau of Shipping. If any entity finds deficiencies during the annual inspections, the
deficiencies must be remedied before the vessel resumes operations. According to
Wycoff, when a barge is built, it is given a five-year certificate, and in that period, the
9 According to trial testimony, thermal oil is not considered a hazardous substance. It is a
combustible liquid with a flash point of 380 degrees. The flash point indicates when a liquid is heated enough
to provide vapors which can be ignited by a heating source. In contrast, gasoline, which is considered a
hazardous substance, has a flashpoint of minus 75 degrees.
17
barge must be dry docked twice at three and five-year intervals. At three and five years,
the required inspections include the cargo tanks, which must be cleaned prior to each
inspection. Wykoff testified that Kirby does not perform ship cleaning, and it hires vendors
to perform maintenance on its vessels.
Wykoff testified regarding the history of the DBL 134. In 2012, the Coast Guard
instructed Kirby to disable or remove the thermal fluid heater on the barge which,
according to some of the trial testimony, indicated that there was a problem with the
heating system. This was characterized elsewhere in the record as a “lock out” or “tag
out,” and indicated a high priority issue. According to Wykoff, the alarm system for the
heater was not successfully demonstrated during the inspection, so the Coast Guard
instructed Kirby to either remove the heater from the barge or block it off so that it could
not be used. Kirby blocked it off, thus satisfying the deficiency. Wykoff testified that the
issue identified in this inspection had nothing to do with the condition of the heating coils.
In 2014, the barge was dry docked for repairs and its five-year inspection. At this
point, the heating coils had not been in service since 2012. An internal Kirby
memorandum stated, however, that Kirby had “renewed” sections of the heating coils and
one of its employees recommended removing them entirely during the next dry docking.
According to Wycoff, the 2014 repairs had nothing to do with the heating coils, although
they had to be moved and replaced due to work on the adjacent bulkhead, and the heating
coils were successfully subjected to pressure testing after the repairs. According to
Wykoff, the 2014 records showed no indications that the heating coils were impaired, and
Wycoff did not know why a Kirby employee had recommended their removal.
18
In 2017, the barge went in for an intermediate dry docking. Crewmembers informed
Wycoff about the results of a cargo pipeline pressure test, advising him that a “3 [inch]
heating coil rupture” was found in the 1P tank, “heating coil rupture found (full of gas)” in
the 4P tank, and “several holes in heating coil [were] found” in the barge’s 5S tank. Wykoff
testified that he personally inspected the tanks after receiving this report and found no
evidence that the heating coils were leaking. According to Wykoff, any permeations of the
heating coils would have left fluids or “staining” on the floors of the cargo tanks as well as
elevated hydrocarbons, and they found neither. Wykoff acknowledged that he did not
inspect every inch of the heating coils, he used a flashlight for illumination, he did not use
a mirror to examine the lower sides of the coils, and he possessed no documentation
evidencing his inspection. However, he further testified that other workers in the yard, the
American Bureau of Shipping, and a marine chemist also examined the heating coils and
found no holes or deficiencies. Thus, Wykoff did not recommend that Kirby replace the
heating coils, and instead recommended that Kirby consider replacing the thermal fluid
tracer lines, which are on the deck of the barge, and thus more susceptible to corruption,
at the next dry dock.
Wykoff testified that in 2017, Kirby was contemplating using the DBL 134 for
caustic service, which involves products with a low freezing point, so Kirby needed to
maintain the heating coils to preserve that option. Wycoff testified that he had three
stainless steel cargo pumps specifically built for caustic service, at a cost of approximately
$300,000, and that he recommended blasting and cleaning the cargo tanks in preparation
for coating them with a specific substance suitable for caustic service.
19
At trial, Wykoff was shown several photographs of the heating coils, taken in 2019,
which depicted numerous holes in the heating coils. Wycoff testified that the holes were
not there when he inspected the barge two years previously. According to Wycoff, the
holes depicted in the photographs appeared to be damage sustained in the intervening
years by freezing temperatures.
(2) Kirby’s Decision to Scrap or Sell the DBL 134 and Viking
In 2019, Kirby decided to scrap or sell the barge and tug. On or about March 27,
2019, Fewell solicited bids from the recycling community to purchase the DBL 134 and
the Viking. Fewell informed the bidders that: the “[b]arge cargo tanks will be cleaned,” the
barge carried “[p]revious cargoes of gasoline and ethanol,” “[t]he tug and barge must be
scrapped,” “reselling or any alternate usage” was not allowed, and “[s]crap bid subject to
being pulled if potential foreign buyer funds deposit prior to scrap award.” Fewell informed
potential purchasers that the vessels would be sent to Clean Water “to undergo cargo
tank cleaning of the DBL 134.” Fewell estimated that cleaning the barge would take
approximately three days, then the Viking would be used to transport the DBL 134 to the
purchaser’s location.
(3) Kirby’s Directives to Clean Water
Kirby sent the barge to Clean Water for cleaning. Based on documentation in the
record, the DBL 134 arrived there on March 28, 2019, and Clean Water began work on
the barge that same day. On March 28, 2019, Fewell sent an internal email to fellow Kirby
employee Jordan Anderson regarding “[c]leaning instructions for DBL 134,” requesting
that someone advise Clean Water that “[c]argo tanks/lines/pipes/etc. should be ‘[s]afe for
20
shipbreaking,’” and directing that “[a]t completion please have the chemist certificate sent
to me showing ‘safe for shipbreaking.’” Shortly thereafter, Anderson included Kirby
employee Augie Barreiro on an email responding to Fewell’s directions and asking
Barreiro to confirm with Clean Water it was performing the requested tasks. Later that
day, in another internal Kirby email, Barreiro advised Fewell and Anderson:
1. For Clean Water to perform barge’s cleaning “safe for shipwrecking
and gas free” they will need to muck cargo tanks in addition to the
basic cleaning /safe for tank entry. Chemist is scheduled to arrive to
unit this evening and will then determine amount of sediment to
remove.
2. Spoke with crew, and was reminded that there are coils in all cargo
tanks and those were found to be leaking during last shipyard period.
Do we need to blow the coils? If we do, most likely all cargo tanks
will be contaminated and the barge will need to be clean again.
3. Clean Water had prior commitments to clean other barges, therefore
if mucking is required unit will need to be relocated to Clean Water
Main Yard and/or go to anchor and return upon completion of other
two barges cleaning.
Fewell responded, in relevant part:
1. Yes, it needs to be suitable for shipbreaking. Let me know what the
chemist says. Assume sediment should only be rust. The barge has
been in dedicated gasoline service and just loaded an ethanol trip. If
there were true bottoms the ethanol would likely have cleared them
out.
2. Leave oil in the coils. Scrappers can vac it out, cold cut, etc.
3. We will just have to figure out schedule once we have more clarity
for item 1.
Wykoff testified that he was on vacation when the DBL 134 was sent to Clean
Water in 2019, so Barreiro handled the communications with Clean Water regarding
cleaning the barge. Wycoff was unaware that Clean Water lacked experience in cleaning
21
a ship for shipbreaking purposes; however, Wykoff testified that Kirby has never directed
that a barge be cleaned specifically for either lay-up or shipbreaking. Wykoff testified that
the scope and parameters regarding how a vessel is cleaned are determined by the
cleaning service and the marine chemist, and Kirby relies on the marine chemist’s
certificate to ensure that its vessels are properly cleaned. Wykoff testified that he has
used Clean Water to clean Kirby’s vessels since 2007, and that Clean Water is used by
the United States Navy and all the other ship owners in the New York Harbor.
(4) Clean Water’s Work
At trial, Duca, the vice-president of Clean Water, testified that Clean Water had
been cleaning vessels for approximately thirty years, and one of its specialties is cleaning
tank barges that carry cargo such as gasoline. Duca testified that Clean Water cleaned
vessels for Kirby pursuant to a master services agreement, Kirby never instructed Clean
Water to cut corners or costs, and Kirby was “probably the most or one of the most
conservative companies” for which Clean Water provided services.
Duca testified that Kirby had used an auditor to check Clean Water’s work several
times in the past. The auditor scored cleaning companies on a scale from zero to four,
where a zero indicated that the company lacked a safety manual, and a four indicated
that the company had a perfect safety manual. In 2017 and 2018, the auditor assessed
Clean Water with a 0.49 and 0.44 scores respectively. Clean Water reviewed its
performance on the audits with the auditing company but did not review them with Kirby.
At trial, Fewell testified that Clean Water’s scores on the audits did not concern Kirby
because the auditor’s scoring materials provided that most companies score between a
22
zero and a one, and Clean Water’s scores fell within this parameter.
Duca testified that the Clean Water manual specifies the use of the “Butterworth”
method to clean vessels, and that Butterworthing is “the designated cleaning method that
the entire industry uses” for cleaning the inside of cargo tanks. According to Duca,
Butterworthing consists of “basically hot water under pressure” followed by ventilation.
Clean Water’s manual specifies that when cleaning vessels that have stored gasoline,
the vessel must first be purged of gasoline vapors before beginning the Butterworthing
process.
Clean Water had cleaned the DBL 134 for Kirby on other occasions in the past.
Duca testified that in March 2019, Barreiro told Clean Water to clean the barge for “lay-
up” rather than for shipbreaking; however, Duca explained that the terms were basically
synonymous under Clean Water’s understanding. Duca conceded that Clean Water had
not previously cleaned a ship for shipbreaking purposes. It took Clean Water two to three
weeks to clean the barge, which was the most extensive cleaning that it had ever
undertaken on the DBL 134. According to Duca, Clean Water mucked out the cargo tanks
to remove debris, which entailed physically going down into the tanks with scrapers and
shovels and removing the collected sediment. Clean Water removed 150 drums of muck
from the barge, which Duca testified was an “inordinate” amount in comparison to a
standard job which typically involves only twenty-five to fifty drums of muck. Clean Water
charged Kirby $176,620.10 for cleaning the barge, and it was one of the most expensive
jobs Clean Water had performed for Kirby or any other customer.
23
Duca testified that Kirby did not inform Clean Water that the heating coils on the
barge were perforated or leaking. Duca testified that the fact that Kirby did not provide
that information “didn’t have an impact on what we were doing”; however, Duca conceded
that if Clean Water had known that the coils were leaking and contained gasoline, Clean
Water would have changed its procedure and assessed the situation in consultation with
Kirby and a marine chemist.
Duca testified that he did not think that there was any process that could remove
all petroleum from a vessel. The standard that Clean Water sought to achieve was “gas
free” or “vapor free.” Duca testified that the marine chemist is the arbiter regarding
whether a vessel has been sufficiently cleaned. According to Duca, Clean Water’s
cleaning methods are not designed to remove residual gasoline that might be trapped in
the linings of the cargo tanks or inside the heating coils at the bottom of the cargo tanks.
Duca testified that Kirby did not provide Clean Water with cleaning manuals, used by a
separate Kirby entity, which suggested that cargo tanks could be cleaned by hydro
blasting. Duca testified that he has never heard of anyone using hydro blasting, grit
blasting, or sandblasting as methods for cleaning cargo tanks. On this topic, Fewell
testified that he did not believe hydro blasting was a common cleaning method, and that
hydro blasting is used to prepare tanks when they are being painted or provided with new
linings.
(5) Montanti’s Inspection and Certificates
Clean Water retained marine chemist Montanti to inspect the DBL 134. Initially,
Montanti walked the surface of the barge with his gas meter, then began looking into each
24
of the vessel’s ten cargo tanks. Montanti did not inspect the heating coils because they
were covered with “a few inches of silt and filth.” In this first inspection, Montanti did not
review all of the vessel’s cargo tanks because the air from the tanks that he tested at the
beginning of his inspection exceeded the recommendations for safe entry. In this regard,
Montanti testified that a vessel’s designation as “gas free” essentially means that the
vessel has no flammable vapors and has the minimum oxygen content to sustain life.
Montanti ultimately issued a series of three marine chemist certificates regarding
the DBL 134 on March 30, 2019, April 5, 2019, and April 11, 2019, which essentially
represent the evolving status of the DBL 134 through the course of Clean Water’s work
on the barge. Marine chemist certificates are prepared on a basic form that includes
standard printed directions and qualifications. The certificates are completed by the
marine chemist with specific data regarding the vessel and specialized instructions. The
basic form for a marine chemist certificate requires data regarding, inter alia, the last three
loads that the vessel carried, the type of vessel, the tests performed, the inspected
spaces, the safety designations, the instructions, and the test results. In terms of printed
data, the forms advise, among other matters, that: “[a]ll lines, vents, heating coils, valves,
and similar enclosed appurtenances shall be considered ‘not safe’ unless otherwise
specifically designated.” The forms further advise that a certificate is rendered void by
“physical or atmospheric changes” affecting the safety designations, and, unless stated
otherwise, “all spaces and affected adjacent spaces are to be reinspected daily or more
often as necessary by the [shipyard competent person (SCP)] in support of work prior to
entry or recommencement of work.”
25
Montanti’s initial March 30, 2019 certificate stated, inter alia, that some of the cargo
tanks were not safe for workers or hot work, directed Clean Water’s employees to enter
some of the tanks with restrictions, including a respirator and proper personal protective
equipment (PPE), and instructed the SCP to reinspect certain spaces daily. Montanti’s
second April 5, 2019 certificate included similar warnings and restrictions. On April 11,
2019, Montanti issued his third and final marine chemist certificate stating that the barge
had carried “Gasoline/Ethanol (x3)” for its last three loads, that the atmosphere was safe
for workers, and that the vessel was safe for shipbreaking. In the certificate, Montanti
provided specific instructions to “[m]aintain an active fire watch during [h]ot [w]ork.”
Montanti testified that “hot work” is any work that involves sparks, high heat, or fire.
Montanti discussed the certificate’s printed directive that heating coils “shall be
considered ‘not safe.’” He agreed that “the baseline expectation is that all lines, vents,
heating coils, valves and similarly enclosed appurtenances shall be considered not safe
unless specifically designated.” Montanti testified that the only time that hot work should
be performed on heating coils is if they are specifically included in the “inspected spaces”
section of the marine chemist certificate. According to Montanti, the distinction between
hot work and cold work is important because cold work eliminates the potential for fire by
eliminating activities which cause sparking. Montanti had no expectation that anyone
would perform hot work on the heating coils and his certificate did not allow the coils to
be dismantled by hot work. Montanti expected the heating coils to be dismantled, or
disconnected at the flanges, blown with water, and drained. Montanti noted that Fewell’s
26
email to Barreiro regarding cleaning the barge also contemplated that the coils would be
dismantled by cold work, which can be performed by certain pneumatic or hydraulic tools,
including some types of Sawzalls.
Montanti testified that marine chemists rely on the National Fire Prevention
Association (NFPA) 306 guide, which includes rules, regulations, and minimum
standards, and provides guidance regarding the locations where combustible materials
may be found on vessels and safety precautions for entry and work in confined spaces.
Fewell is a member of the NFPA technical committee on gas hazards, which puts together
the NFPA 306 guide, and Montanti suggested that Fewell’s standards as a member of
that group would have dictated that Kirby flush the heating coils on the DBL 134 prior to
selling the vessel for scrap.
Montanti testified that Kirby did not advise him about the problems with the heating
coils, and he “believe[d] Kirby withheld information that would have been useful,” though
“hindsight is always 20/20.” Montanti testified that he saw no evidence that the coils were
leaking when he inspected the barge. “No puddles, no dripping, nothing of that sort.” If he
had known that the coils were leaking, he would have directed Clean Water to flush the
coils. Montanti further explained that if there had been gas present in the cargo tanks
when he inspected them, his meter would have picked it up: “You can’t have gasoline in
a tank and not have the meter pick it up.”
(6) Southern’s Purchase
Southern, acting through its vice-president Higginbotham, submitted the winning
bid for the DBL 134 and Viking. The purchase and sale letter agreement was executed
27
by Higginbotham on April 15, 2019, and a representative for Kirby on April 17, 2019.
Higginbotham testified that the agreement followed the same format that Kirby and
Southern had used for years in other transactions. Fewell, on the other hand, testified
that the agreement was dissimilar to other agreements for sale that Kirby uses, so he
assumed that the agreement was originally developed with input from Southern.
Higginbotham testified that Southern had previously acquired “dozens” of assets from
Kirby. Higginbotham testified that Southern had performed pre-bid inspections prior to
purchasing other vessels but did not do so with regard to Southern’s purchase of the DBL
134.
Southern’s chief operating officer Sheppard testified that he expects parties to
enter contracts in honesty and in good faith, and it is “vital” to “consider what the other
side [of] the contract would want to know.” Sheppard testified that: Kirby did not deliver a
clean barge to Southern; this failure surprised him; Kirby did not act in good faith; and he
believed that Kirby breached the purchase agreement for the barge. Sheppard testified
that the barge’s historical problems with the coils would have been “critical” for Southern
to know, and Southern “probably wouldn’t have bought” the barge if it had known of these
issues. Sheppard explained that purchasing a dirty vessel is “a serious hazard” and that
it would not be commercially viable. Given the problems with the coils, Sheppard
speculated that the cost to clean the heating coils would probably have exceeded the
purchase price for the barge.
Similarly, Higginbotham testified that purchasing clean assets was “very important”
for Southern because commodity pricing changes rapidly, and Southern could start
28
processing a clean vessel “in a fairly quick manner.” Higginbotham testified that in March
2019, Southern was not purchasing dirty assets because “we had other things to do.”
Higginbotham stated that Kirby knew that Southern “didn’t want to even look at assets
that were not cleaned,” testified that Southern would not have bid on the barge if it knew
it was dirty and would “[a]bsolutely not” have purchased the barge if it knew it had gasoline
in it.
Sheppard was not aware of Clean Water’s qualifications to clean the barge, but he
expected Kirby to send the barge to a facility that would clean it for shipbreaking. He
acknowledged that Southern has never provided instructions to vendors regarding how
Southern wants the vessels to be cleaned prior to purchase. Higginbotham testified that
Southern worked with customers “to educate them on . . . what needs to be done in order”
for Southern to accept a vessel for recycling, but also testified that Southern did not
contact Clean Water, or otherwise investigate its cleaning procedures, because Southern
“assumed that Kirby was the expert and [was] hiring experts.” Higginbotham
acknowledged that Southern did not investigate the cleaning methods utilized by the other
vendors from which it purchased vessels and did not provide instructions to other vendors
regarding how to clean these assets.
Pursuant to the parties’ agreement, after Clean Water completed its work on the
barge, and Montanti issued his final certificate, Kirby’s employee Captain Christopher
Nash transported the barge via the Viking from New York to ISL’s facility in Brownsville,
Texas. According to Nash, this was the first time that he had delivered vessels for
shipbreaking. He provided ISL with a liquid load list which included information regarding
29
various forms and amounts of fuel on the DBL134 and Viking, including some found in a
bucket, but did not include any data regarding the thermal heating fluid in the heating
coils.
Sheppard testified that ISL, a separate but related entity, was “specifically created
for this type of contracting.” Sheppard explained that Southern, which did some
shipbreaking, did not lend its experience in shipbreaking to ISL, and it did not monitor ISL
to determine whether it complies with its safety protocols because “[t]hat’s what the
government entities are for.” Sheppard clarified that Southern did not exercise oversight
or control over ISL’s operations. He explained, though, that Southern’s board of managers
had examined ISL’s safety record, and it was “absolutely exemplary.” Higginbotham
confirmed that Southern was not involved in the “day-to-day” operations of ISL.
Higginbotham nevertheless testified that ISL was an “expert” and “sophisticated”
shipbreaking company, and he assumed that ISL would follow its own internal
procedures, guidance from marine chemists, and industry practices during shipbreaking.
(7) Bell’s Inspection and Certificate
ISL retained Bell to provide a marine chemist certificate for the DBL 134. Green,
who had served as ISL’s president since 2016, testified that he had been using Bell as a
marine chemist for more than ten years and had never had any issues with his work. Bell
inspected the DBL 134 with an ISL representative. Bell testified that he verbally indicated
during that inspection that the pipelines were to be broken by cold work. Bell then met
with Green and ISL’s shipbreaking depot manager Troy Berry to discuss the barge. At
this meeting, Berry recounted that he had previously encountered vessels which had
30
carried flammable products where there were “issues” and “catastrophic events.”
Bell testified that he did not inspect or certify the heating coils on the DBL 134 as
safe for hot work because he was hired to inspect the barge for shipbreaking and ISL was
going to handle “all the pipelines via cold work.” He inspected the vessel and the heating
coils “to ensure the integrity of the heating coils,” and “did not see any leaks of products
or cargo—or staining inside the cargo tanks at the time of [his] inspection, which is an
indication that the integrity of the thermal oil systems [was] sound.” Bell performed his
inspection with flashlights and with natural light from a main access hatch and multiple
Butterworth hatches. He acknowledged that he did not examine every inch of the three
miles of coils and conceded he “may not have put [his] feet on the bottom of each of the
tanks.” Bell testified that he touched the walls of the cargo tanks to check for residue and
placed his air monitor against the tank walls, and neither test indicated any hazards.
Bell’s April 19, 2019 marine chemist certificate contained all of the printed,
standard qualifications as previously discussed, and stated that the DBL 134 was safe for
shipbreaking. In terms of “[i]nstructions,” Bell specifically directed that:
Fire watch with fire protection equipment is placed at the hot work site
during hot work. Fire watch has the power to stop all hot work operation
[and] all hot work fire watch shall follow 29 CFR 1915 sub part “P” Fire
Protection in Shipyard Employment[.] Maintain all Class “A” combustible
material clear of the hot work during hot work operation[.] No hot work
permitted against insulated deck/bulkheads[.] [Pipelines] to be broken by
cold work[.]
Bell testified that he assumed that the heating coils contained thermal oil, which
precipitated his direction to use cold work to break them. According to Bell, tools suitable
for cold work include shears, a hacksaw with a wetting agent, and hydraulic cutters. At
31
trial, Green acknowledged that heating coils fall within the category of “[pipelines]” with
regard to Bell’s instructions that they were “to be broken by cold work.”
Bell conceded that it would have been important for him to know that the heating
coils were leaking: “[i]nformation is important to ensure safety of all individuals.” However,
according to Bell, ISL had been working on the DBL 134 for two weeks preceding the
accident, and air monitoring tests performed during this period would have shown LEL
(lower explosive limit) gases if the heating coils had been permeable and full of gasoline,
or if gasoline vapors had been impregnated in the tank walls. Ultimately, Bell concurred
with Montanti’s assessment that there is no way to clean a vessel so that it has no volatile
gases. Finally, Bell acknowledged that his license as a marine chemist had been revoked
based on his issuance of the marine chemist certificate for the DBL134.
(8) ISL’s Inspection of the DBL 134
Although the purchase agreement provides that Southern “shall inspect” the barge
upon delivery, Southern did not inspect the ship and delegated the inspection to ISL.
Sheppard confirmed that Southern had an obligation to “inspect and confirm the
cleanliness” of the barge when it arrived at ISL’s premises; however, Sheppard did not
do so because it considered ISL to be an expert shipbreaker.
Green testified that he personally participated in the inspection of the barge,
including its cargo tanks, when it arrived at the shipyard, the inspection took place over
two days, and they found “nothing out of the ordinary.” ISL employee Selvera, who served
as the SCP or safety officer for the DBL 134, confirmed that a group inspection of the
barge identified only one safety hazard—a broken step on one of the barge’s ladders.
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ISL’s safety manager Mata testified that the initial inspection of the barge, Bell’s
certificate, and daily inspections, including daily air monitoring, did not provide any
indication that the barge was not safe for shipbreaking. Mata conceded, though, that the
thermal oil in the heating coils should have been indicated on the liquid load list provided
by Nash but was not.
(9) ISL and Its Standard Practices
ISL’s president, Green, who began working for ISL in 2013 as its environmental
safety manager, testified that he possessed twenty years of experience in shipbreaking.
According to Green, ISL specializes in ship recycling and was “basically” created to
provide the United States Navy and Maritime Administration with a safe way to dispose
of their vessels. In 2019, when the accident occurred, ISL had approximately 210
employees.
ISL’s safety manager Mata testified that he had worked with ISL since 2009. He
explained that he supervises its safety officers and technicians and ensures that: (1) ISL
is performing required training for employees, (2) its worksite is safe, (3) its machinery,
equipment, and employees are working safely and efficiently, and (4) ISL’s work is
performed in compliance with OSHA regulations. In terms of safety management for
shipbreaking, Mata testified that when ISL obtains a vessel for scrapping: (1) it obtains
the liquid load list; (2) ISL’s management performs a group inspection; and (3) ISL obtains
a marine chemist certificate for the vessel.
In terms of ISL’s view of the marine chemist certificate, Green testified that the
marine chemist certificate is “very important,” and ISL abides by the conditions and
33
restrictions in the certificate because it is “one of our checks.” Mata and Selvera confirmed
their understanding that ISL was required to comply with the marine chemist’s directions.
However, Green, Mata, and Selvera further testified that even if a marine chemist certifies
that a vessel is safe for shipbreaking, ISL independently verifies that conclusion.
According to Green, ISL “never assume[s] a vessel is 100 percent safe,” and while ISL
relies on the marine chemist, it does not “trust people that are not on [ISL’s] team.”
Mata provided ample testimony regarding the safety management tools that ISL
routinely employs during the shipbreaking process which include: daily cutting plans,
hazard identification cards, job site safety reviews, job safety analyses, and daily safety
meetings. ISL also provides its employees with PPE, such as coveralls, hard hats, gloves,
masks, and respirators, and assigns a personal gas meter to one employee in each team
working in the same space which sounds an alarm, vibrates, and flashes to signal any
change in atmospheric conditions. Mata further testified that ISL, acting through the safety
team, supervisors, and other employees, is “continuous[ly] monitoring” its employees
throughout the workday for safety purposes.
In accordance with the requirements of marine chemist certificates, ISL also
deploys SCPs to check the atmosphere in its vessels. According to ISL, its SCPs perform
testing as required by the certificates, and they also test every two hours during active
work as an “extra check” in addition to minimum requirements. The SCPs maintain
competent person logs reflecting the data obtained during their testing. Mata explained
that the gas meters used by the SCPs are extremely sensitive, but nevertheless, it was
not unusual for a competent person log to reflect identical, normal readings on a daily
34
basis. Mata stated that if ISL saw that the numbers had fluctuated, it would be a “trigger”
for ISL to “immediately” stop work and investigate.
SCP Selvera explained how he performed gas testing on the vessels’ atmosphere.
Selvera testified that he arrives at work before other ISL employees, checks out a
personal gas meter and a larger gas meter, and using both meters, walks his assigned
vessels to examine them for atmospheric safety. He drops the air monitoring hose for the
larger meter “down any hole that there is” on the vessel, and checks the atmosphere at
the bottom, middle, and top of the space. If Selvera obtains normal results, he proceeds
to the next testing location on the vessel and repeats his testing. After completing these
tests, he climbs down into the tanks of the vessels and checks each tank individually by
testing the atmosphere while standing in the middle of the tank. Selvera explained that
he did not carry his competent person log with him during his inspections, but instead
carried a notepad with him to record the atmospheric readings, then transferred the test
results to the log.
(10) The ATC 25
At trial, the parties testified regarding events surrounding a separate vessel that
Southern had previously purchased from Kirby, the ATC 25. Higginbotham acknowledged
that the ATC 25 had “some issues.” On March 21, 2019, less than two months before the
accident at issue in this case, Green advised Sheppard, Higginbotham, Berry, Mata, and
others that ISL “had to stop work on the [ATC 25] today due to a large deck pipe still
charged with [c]umene.” Green explained, “This material is highly flammable and
35
dangerous. We need to drain and flush this pipe before we can recommence hot work.”10
Green subsequently advised, “I credit ISL Safety and Ship Cutting team for following
company procedures. Never trust a Marine Chemist Certificate or anyone else who says
a tank/pipe is safe. ALWAYS double check with our Safety team before entry or hot work.”
Green testified that when ISL found the cumene, its employees inspected the
scene, determined the identity of the substance, and they sent photos to Higginbotham
so that he could, in turn, notify Kirby. Green testified that ISL does not “put all [its] trust in
anyone that says something is safe,” and it does “[its] own checks to verify that it is safe,
so [as] to prevent accidents and situations like this.”
The parties disagreed regarding the events that occurred in the aftermath of this
discovery. Higginbotham testified that he was “pretty upset” and immediately called
Fewell, informing him that such an occurrence could not happen again and that Kirby “has
got to do a better job with this.” According to Higginbotham, Fewell assured him that there
would not be any further incidents of this type. Fewell disagreed with this recitation of
events. According to Fewell, Higginbotham merely advised Kirby that Southern was
investigating an unidentified substance found on the ATC 25. Fewell testified that he did
not tell Higginbotham that such an incident would not happen again, or that it should not
have happened, because the parties would have instead employed the “discovery of any
toxic or hazardous substances” provision in the parties’ standard purchase agreement.
10 Cumene, used in a variety of petroleum products, is a clear colorless liquid that is insoluble in
water, has a flash point of 115 °F, and may be moderately toxic by inhalation, ingestion, and skin absorption.
See National Center for Biotechnology Information, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Cumene
(last visited May 4, 2023).
36
This provision required Kirby to either remove a toxic or hazardous substance at its cost
or allowed Southern to remove the substance at Kirby’s cost. Fewell testified, and
Higginbotham acknowledged, that Kirby and Southern had used this provision with regard
to other vessels.
Ultimately, Southern did not request Kirby to clean the ATC 25 or to pay any costs
for cleaning it, and ISL successfully finished scrapping the ATC 25. Southern’s witnesses
contended that the incident with the ATC 25 was completely dissimilar to the situation
presented in this case. According to Sheppard, Kirby did not know about the cumene
when it sold the ATC 25 to Southern, but Kirby knew that the heating coils on the DBL
134 contained gasoline prior to sale.
(11) ISL Begins Work on the DBL 134
After its inspection and receiving Bell’s marine chemist certificate, ISL began
scrapping the barge. In addition to other shipbreaking activities, ISL made precuts in the
decking on the barge, then, using the precut sections, pulled the panels off the deck
before working on the underlying cargo tanks. This process provided additional ventilation
for work on the cargo tanks. ISL employed this process with regard to tank 1-P, and ISL
successfully dismantled and removed the heating coils in tank 1-P without incident. SCP
Selvera acknowledged that ISL did not drill the pipes in 1-P to perform gas testing
because he performed the gas testing in that tank from the deck through a flange.
After completing work on tank 1-P, ISL cut openings or doorways between tank 1
and tank 2. ISL then began working on tank 2. The decking over tank 2 was precut, but
unlike tank 1, the panels had not been removed when Aguilar and Loredo began
37
dismantling the heating coils in that tank. ISL had the ability to mechanically ventilate the
tanks but was not doing so at the time of the accident.
Green acknowledged that due to the problems with the ATC 25 and knowing that
the DBL 134 had previous cargos of gasoline and ethanol, ISL was “progressing . . . as if
there may be cargo left in the cargo system.” He further acknowledged that ISL was
“aware of the possibility that the tank cleaning was not conducted completely” by Kirby
before ISL began shipbreaking. Thus, ISL took “extra measures” on the barge “to mainly
dismantle all of the cargo lines,” to ensure it did not happen again.
(12) ISL Discovers Oil and Liquid on the Barge
On May 13, 2019, the day before the accident, ISL discovered an unknown
substance in the heating coils. Supervisor Beltran testified that he found the unknown
substance in tank 1 and stopped his cutting crew from further work that day. A statement
provided by Berry addressed the discovery:
On 05-13-2019, [pumping foreman] Alan Medina came to my office and
stated that he discovered water with some other dark substance while
opening and draining heating coils inside DBL134 Cargo Tank #1 Port.
[Medina] stated that . . . the substance was mostly water with a small
amount of thick oil and that it had a distinct smell like burned oil. We then
met with [Green] and again discussed what the substance could be. At the
end of this meeting[,] we agreed that this was a water and heavy oil mixture.
I called my ship cutting supervisor [Beltran] to discuss what it could be inside
the pipe. [Beltran, Medina], and I made the decision for no torching
operations to be held in the area and the approximate time was 10:30 [a.m.].
I then instructed [Medina] to conduct more inspections of the pipes, drain
the material and document the material that came out. I also informed
[safety supervisor] Juan Banda of the situation. I wanted to involve everyone
so we could all be on the same page. In the later afternoon ship cutting
supervisor [Beltran] commenced cutting operations on the deck of the [DBL
134,] cutting pipes that had previously been drained and washed and also
been inspected by safety department with gas meter and cleared for hot
work. Before the end of the day[,] I instructed [Banda] that we needed to
38
have a toolbox meeting with employees working on the barge about the
contents in pipe and the possibility of gasoline (flammable vapor) hazards
on this project due to DBL 134 previous cargo. Safety Supervisor [Banda]
was instructed to conduct this meeting at 7:10 [a.m.] on 05-14-2019 before
work on the barge commenced.
Green explained that he examined a sample of the material, smelled it, and determined
it was “benign,” consisting of heavy oil and water. According to Mata, the “oily water”
substance did not smell, set off a gas meter, or catch fire when they tested it with a torch.
In his deposition, SCP Selvera testified that a fellow employee told him that the liquid
smelled like gasoline; however, he did not recall that fact at trial. As a result of this
discovery, Selvera met with safety supervisor Banda and pumping foreman Medina and
was told that ISL would proceed by drilling the heating coils, testing for gases or vapors,
and then cutting the heating coils.
Green testified that ISL did not inform Southern of this finding because the material
was determined to be non-hazardous. The substance was not actually tested until after
the accident, as part of the investigation, and that testing showed that the material’s flash
point was greater than 200 degrees Fahrenheit, consistent with a heating-oil-type
substance. That substance, or thermal oil itself, would not ignite in conjunction with the
use of an electric Sawzall. On May 17, after the accident at issue, ISL employees
collected additional samples of a similar substance that was also determined to be non-
hazardous.
Green testified that when ISL found substances in the heating coils of the DBL
134, it simply signified that the pipes had been “flushed and cleaned” leaving “remnants”
of the materials they had contained. According to Green, “every project . . . is going to
39
have residue with water, or oily water.” Green acknowledged that finding residue in a pipe
is not uncommon, and that ISL sees it “every[ ]day.” Supervisor Beltran testified that when
he and other ISL employees dismantled heating coils, they “always” had oil in them.
(13) Safety Meeting Regarding Flammable Material on the DBL 134
ISL held a safety meeting the morning on May 14, 2019, the day of the accident.
The meeting was commemorated by a “Safety Training Attendance” sheet which states
that the “Training Topic” was “Flam[m]able Material on Board Barge DBL 134 (Gasoline,
Oil, etc.).” Mata nevertheless denied that ISL was aware that there might be gasoline on
the barge and disagreed that the Safety Training Attendance sheet for the date of the
accident indicated otherwise. At trial, SCP Selvera testified that he was not aware that
there was a potential for gasoline to be on the vessel because he had been told the barge
had been cleaned. However, he admitted that he testified to the contrary in his deposition,
when he stated under oath that he knew that there was a potential for gasoline to be on
the vessel, and ultimately testified that there is a potential to find gasoline in every ship.
The Safety Training Attendance sheet is signed by those employees who attended
the meeting. Loredo attended the meeting, but Aguilar did not, nor did Selvera. Mata
conceded that it defeated the purpose of holding safety meetings if all employees did not
attend because it only takes one person to potentially endanger an entire work crew.
(14) May 14, 2019
On the day of the accident, after the other employees had been sent home, Aguilar
and Loredo entered tank 2 and began dismantling the heating coils with an electric
Sawzall. Selvera testified that he was in the tank when Aguilar and Loredo began work,
40
and that he stayed in the tank during the morning assisting Aguilar and Loredo in
dismantling the heating coils. Selvera’s statement, taken the day after the accident, does
not reflect that he was in the tank working at any time. Selvera testified at trial that the
bottom of the tank had rainwater in it; however, in his deposition, he stated that there was
no water in the tank before they started cutting the coils and that “[t]he water liquid started
coming out when they started doing the cuts.” The ISL employees did not stop work or
perform testing to determine the nature of the “water liquid.”
Selvera explained that his air monitor displayed normal readings throughout their
work. Selvera stated that he used his air monitor to perform the testing, and that Aguilar
had been issued a personal air monitor to use during the work. As will be explored more
fully infra, Aguilar provided a statement after the accident denying that any air monitoring
had taken place on the DBL 134 or that he was using a personal air monitor at the time
of the accident.
Selvera testified that they dismantled the heating coils by repeatedly drilling holes
in the coils with a non-sparking drill, inserting an air monitoring hose into the resulting
holes to perform air monitoring, then cutting the coils with the Sawzall. Mata and Beltran
testified that drilling, testing, then cutting was ISL’s standard procedure; however, Green
testified otherwise. According to Green: (1) ISL only drills pipes when the end of the pipe
cannot be opened; (2) drilling the heating coils would have been inappropriate because
drilling constituted hot work; and (3) “[t]his was a draining operation not a non-sparking
draining operation.”
41
At some point, Selvera left the tank, and Aguilar and Loredo proceeded with their
work. Aguilar was sawing when the Sawzall became jammed in a heating coil. Aguilar
and Loredo then took a lunch break. Selvera conceded that contrary to instructions in the
marine chemist’s certificate, and ISL’s procedures, Selvera did not recheck the air in the
tank when Aguilar and Loredo returned to work in the tank after their lunch break. Green
testified that ISL was not required to check the air in the cargo tank because it would not
be a “reasonable procedure” to have to retest after breaks. After the break, Loredo took
over sawing on the heating coils. Loredo had just begun work when the fire erupted.
ISL issues entry permits which define the scope of work and require the presence
of a safety standby person when its employees enter confined spaces. Loredo and
Aguilar’s entry permit for the date of the accident states that the purpose of their entry
was to “clean tank/Pump out liquid Tank 2 & 3,” and does not identify the employee
serving as the safety standby person. At trial, Selvera testified that he served as the safety
standby person for Aguilar and Loredo; however, Selvera acknowledged that in his
deposition, he testified that “no one” was the safety standby person and also
acknowledged that he was not on board the barge at the time of the accident. Green and
Mata testified that Aguilar and Loredo did not need a safety standby person, as required
by the entry permit, because the cargo tank did not constitute a confined space given that
they had cut doorways between the tanks. Other ISL entry permits examined at trial
specifically identified occasions when ISL employees were cutting the heating coils.
Further testimony indicated that ISL required cutting permits to be issued for hot
work, and ISL did not issue one for May 14, 2019. The form for a cutting permit requires
42
hollow metal structures to be opened, drained, cleaned, and tested. Mata agreed that the
heating coils are hollow metal structures, and that any form of cutting requires a cutting
permit. Mata nevertheless testified that a cutting permit was not required for the work that
Aguilar and Loredo were doing at the time of the accident because a pumper “may or may
not do some cutting of pipes.”
Despite the fact that Bell’s marine chemist certificate required ISL to provide a fire
watch during hot work, Mata confirmed that Aguilar and Loredo did not have a fire watch
on the day of the accident. Green testified that it was not necessary to provide Aguilar
and Loredo with a fire watch because ISL only provided fire watches for torch cutting, and
“[f]ire watch is never used while sawing.” According to Selvera, ISL complied with Bell’s
requirement to provide a fire watch at the time of the accident because it “could have
been” Aguilar or Loredo. However, other trial testimony explained that, under OSHA
requirements, employees who are acting as a fire watch cannot be the same employees
who are performing the work necessitating the watch. Further, a fire watch must have a
water hose, or other fire-fighting equipment, and Selvera acknowledged that there were
no water hoses or other fire-fighting equipment in the cargo tank.
ISL’s air monitoring records for the DBL 134 were problematic both for the day of
the accident and historically. ISL’s records contained two different competent person logs
for the barge on the day of the accident; this is the only time two different logs for the
same date appear in the records. One of the two competent person logs for May 14
indicates that all air monitoring readings were normal, and the second includes a hand-
written line striking through the “FWD Fuel Tank” and the spaces for entering the testing
43
data for the FWD Fuel Tank. According to trial testimony, ISL had removed the FWD Fuel
Tank from the barge before May 14, 2019, and thus it could not have been tested on that
date. At trial, Selvera explained that he prepared the first, incorrect log on the day of the
accident, then realized his mistake and completed the correct log. He testified that if he
had wanted to destroy the inaccurate log, “nobody would have known that sheet was
even here.”
Historically, instead of completing competent person logs on a daily basis, Selvera
instead made copies of a competent person log annotated with normal air monitoring
results at all locations and times, and simply added new dates and signatures. At trial,
Mata stated that he did not think it was improper to take an old log and sign and date it
with a new date, so long as the air monitoring was performed, but in his deposition, he
testified it was improper. Mata conceded that ISL’s training required the logs to be
individually filled out on a daily basis. Selvera testified that he performed all required air
monitoring on the barge. He testified that he would not fail to perform the necessary
checks because he performed some of the cutting and he would not endanger his
coworkers, who were also his friends.
As stated previously, Bell’s certificate required the coils to be broken by cold work.
The testimony provided by ISL’s witnesses regarding the distinction between hot work
and cold work was conflicting. ISL’s internal policies and procedures regarding “hot work
safety” on hollow and enclosed structures defined hot work as including “spark-producing
operations” such as “cutting with abrasive or metal blades,” warned of “Explosion and Fire
Hazards” during hot work, referenced testing for “residual products,” inspecting and
44
testing for the presence of flammable vapors or liquids, flushing and ventilating the
structure if flammable products were found, and retesting prior to continuing work.
Higginbotham acknowledged that using a Sawzall on the heating coils constituted
hot work and thus violated the marine chemist certificate. Green acknowledged that
heating coils are pipelines and that Bell’s certificate directed them to be broken by cold
work. He further acknowledged that Aguilar and Loredo “were engaged in hot work on the
heating coils” at the time of the accident. However, Green testified that language on the
marine chemist certificate stating that heating coils were considered unsafe unless
specifically designated otherwise was merely “boiler plate language that [was] not [Bell’s]
instruction.” According to Green, when a marine chemist requires pipelines to be broken
by cold work, that simply means “you take off the ends of the pipeline,” and does not
“mean every single cut in that line has to be by some kind of cold cutting” because that
would be “ridiculous.” Green stated that ISL “opened both ends [of the pipes], did the
testing, [and] that’s why they were doing the hot work that they were doing at that time.”
Sheppard testified that Aguilar and Loredo “cold broke” the heating coils, and there was
“[n]o question about it.” Fewell testified that “You can’t hot-tap a pipe, period,” and “[c]oils
can never be cut by hot work.”
Selvera testified that pipelines, as referenced in Bell’s certificate, included heating
coils like the ones at issue in this case. He knew that Bell’s certificate meant that the
heating coils on the barge had not been designated safe for hot work of any kind. He
acknowledged that cold work means using tools that do not create a spark, and the reason
45
for performing cold work was to prevent a fire or explosion. Selvera testified that ISL
trained its employees to use Sawzalls and that the use of Sawzalls constituted hot work.
However, according to Selvera’s understanding, a Sawzall, which constituted hot work,
could be used to clean a tank, or pump out liquid. He believed that cold work was “just
un-flanging or un-bolting, taking screws away.” ISL’s witnesses acknowledged that ISL
had intrinsically safe, or non-sparking tools, such as non-sparking drill bits, hydraulic
pliers, and air tools. However, ISL did not have an intrinsically safe, or non-sparking
Sawzall, and Green was unaware that such a tool existed.
(15) ISL’s Investigation
The day after the accident, Mata went into tank 2 and saw the Sawzall lodged in
the heating coil. He did not see the drill that Aguilar and Loredo were using but explained
that the tank had water in it. He used an air meter to check the air in the tank and did not
obtain any dangerous readings. Green testified that immediately after the accident, ISL
assumed that the accident was caused by a problem with the DBL 134’s cargo system,
which moves the cargo between the ship and the shore, and that one of the cargo pipes
or flanges had a remaining product load in it. However, after hiring experts, ISL concluded
that the heating coils contained trapped gasoline vapors and the tank walls were
impregnated with remnants of gasoline.
After the accident, ISL obtained statements from various employees and reported
the accident to its parent company. Aguilar’s statement, provided on July 25, 2019,
asserted that ISL did not conduct air monitoring on the barge on the date of the accident
(misidentified in the statement as occurring on May 16, 2019), and he had not been issued
46
a personal air monitor that day. Aguilar stated that they followed the same procedures on
the day of the accident that they usually did, and that ISL did not normally check the air
quality. Aguilar and Loredo were taking turns cutting pipes, and “liquid was coming out of
the tub[e]s (vapor and liquid was gray).” Aguilar stated that they were not informed that a
black liquid had previously been found in the heating coils, and “[s]afety” had advised
them that the vessel was ready to cut and clear. According to Green, Aguilar’s statement
was not accurate because he “made the statement when he was under duress[,] and he
was still in pain from his injuries.”
Pumping foreman Medina provided the following statement about the accident:
On 05-14-2019, I got to work at approximately 7:15 and I instructed [Loredo]
and [Aguilar] to work on the DBL 134 barge to remove pipe flanges from the
main deck. Around 9AM it started to rain[,] and management sent the ship
cutters and fire watch home for the day. The reason I had the pumpers
working on the main deck is because the ship cutters were making pre-cuts
on tank 1-starboard and [I] did not want them to be in an area where they
would come into contact with hot slag. After the . . . ship cutters left due to
the rain, I instructed pumpers [Loredo] and [Aguilar] to go into tank 1-
starboard after safety tech [Selvera] cleared it with gas meter. I then
proceeded to do an inspection with gas meter on the heating coils in tank 1
starboard. Both the readings did not detect any hazards both in the tank
and the heating coils. Employees finished working in tank 1 starboard and
then moved to tank 2 starboard. During lunch I asked employees if they
were almost done in tank 1 starboard and their reply was that . . . they were
finished in tank 1 starboard and that they had already started in tank 2
starboard doing the same task of cutting the heating coils on the floor. I
asked if they had obtained a permit from safety prior to starting in tank 2
starboard. They informed me that safety tech [Selvera] had inspected the
tank with gas meter and cleared it of any hazards and had issued [them
with] a permit to enter. I had previously inspected the heating coil pipes in
tank 2 starboard with a gas meter and cleared it of any atmospheric hazards
before lunch. At approximately 12:30 one hour after lunch I heard a
commotion on the radio that there had been an accident on the DBL 134
barge. When I arrived at the barge[,] I noticed that the employees had
sustained severe burns to . . . numerous areas of the[ir] bod[ies].
47
Berry’s statement regarding the date of the accident provided:
On 5-14-2019 following completion of the morning [safety] meeting
conducted by [Banda], I informed ship cutting supervisor [Beltran] that no
torch cutting operations would be conducted on DBL134 until the pumping
crew had a chance to completely drain the heating coils inside cargo tank
#1 & #2. At 9:00AM I decided to send the ship cutters home due to the
raining conditions. The labor pumping department did not go home and
were to continue their operations on the vessels. At approximately
12:30PM, [Mata] informed me that there was a lot of commotion over the
radio and mentioned that there was smoke coming from DBL134. We then
proceeded to go to the barge and that’s when we noticed that two
employees had been in a serious accident.
Mata prepared ISL’s “trade entry” reporting the incident to European Metal
Recycling, a parent company. This report stated, in relevant part:
On 05/14/2019 at approximately 12:32PM, two EMR employees were
injured when they cut into a heating coil pipe located inside Kirby Barge
DBL 134 Cargo Tank #2 STBD. This heating system uses a product called
mobiltherm 603 during normal operation. The injured employees are
[Aguilar] & [Loredo]. A fire ignited after [Aguilar] cut through half of a heating
coil pipe using an electric saws-all, both employees then took a water break,
when they returned to the work location (Approximately 10 minutes) . . . .
[Loredo] started cutting with the saws-all and ignition occurred immediately.
The product inside the heating coil had been identified by pumping foreman
[Medina] on 05/13/2019 and [Medina] made the decision to cut these pipes
using a saws-all rather than completing facility procedure for
opening/drilling/inspecting fuel pipes using non-sparking tools. [Medina]
states that he made this decision based on the fact that these heating coil
pipes were not fuel pipes and what he discovered during initial inspection
was water with a small amount of the mobiltherm 603 product. Kirby DBL
134 barge previously carried gasoline and ethanol as cargo. Purchase and
sale agreement states that Seller agrees that the barge shall be delivered
to Buyer cleaned of all chemicals, petroleum products and sludge.” Marine
Chemist gas free certificate dated April 11, 2019 was provided by Seller
prior to purchase. Upon arrival all cargo tanks were opened/inspected by
our safety team, shipyard competent person and shipbreaking depot
manager [Berry], Yard Supervisor [Beltran] and SBK Supervisor Rolando
Ornelas. Certified Marine Chemist inspected and issued a certificate for
“Shipbreaking Operations” on April 29, 2019.
Following investigation and interviews we have determined the root cause
48
of this incident to be intrusion of gasoline into the heating coil piping system.
Intrusion occurred during gasoline cargo operations due to breaches in the
heating coil piping system. This gasoline intrusion was not discovered
during Cargo Tank #1 Port and STBD heating coil saws-all cutting
operations. The heating coils inside Cargo Tank #2 STBD were cut in six
places before the fire occurred. Cargo Tank #1 Port and STBD heating coil
piping did not contain gasoline; only a water and mobiltherm 603 mixture.
Mata testified that ISL reprimanded Medina because, at that time, it believed he did not
use non-sparking drill bits in the heating coils in tank 2-S.
(16) Subsequent Investigation
Craddock, a senior consultant with Engineering Systems, Inc., testified that he was
a fire, explosion, and hazardous material investigator, and that he assisted in performing
multiple inspections on the barge for Kirby after the accident. They tested approximately
twenty-five samples taken from various places on the barge, all of which were positive for
components of gasoline. Craddock testified; however, that the samples did not contain
sufficient percentages of gasoline to engender sparking activity when mixed with water.
Craddock nevertheless agreed that Kirby failed to comply with the agreement’s language
to deliver the barge free from all petroleum products.
In December 2019, the parties and various experts examined the barge and
investigated the cause of the accident. They performed testing to determine what type of
fissures or holes were involved in the piping, and injected water into the piping system,
which was supposed to be closed off with a blank flange. However, one of the flanges for
the system had been removed, and water traversed the system and shot out onto the
deck. This incident set off the gas meters, the individuals evacuated the area, and ISL
cleaned the area with a spill containment kit. According to Sheppard, this was a “very
49
dangerous incident” in which “pure gasoline” came out of the pipes and everyone on the
vessel had to be immediately evacuated. Southern’s marine safety expert Borison
testified that during the investigation, “all the meters went off,” they had a “hot situation,”
he “was scared to death,” and he refused to go back on the barge “because it was a time
bomb.” Southern ultimately reported the incident to authorities as a release of twenty
gallons of gasoline. Craddock, who was present during this incident, disagreed with the
foregoing testimony regarding the severity of the incident.
(17) Disposal of the Barge
Southern asked Kirby to rescind the sale of the barge and remove it from ISL’s
premises, but Kirby refused, and Southern filed a motion requesting the trial court to
compel Kirby to remove the DBL 134 from ISL’s premises. However, on October 2, 2020,
Southern ultimately sold the DBL 134 and Viking to Bay Bridge Texas, LLC, a
shipbreaking company near Brownsville, Texas, for $1.00. Sheppard testified that
Southern sold the Viking, even though nothing was wrong with it, because Southern
wanted to “wash our hands of anything to do with anything Kirby had given to us.”
Higginbotham testified that Southern did not employ the “discovery of any toxic or
hazardous substances” provision in the parties’ agreement with regard to this incident
because ISL did not notify Southern that gasoline, fluids, or vapors had been found on
the barge prior to the accident.
(18) Expert Opinions
(a) Montanti
According to marine chemist Montanti, ISL’s discovery of oil and water in the
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heating coils on the DBL 134 the day before the accident required ISL to remove its
employees from the tanks until the matter was resolved after consultation with a marine
chemist. Montanti testified that the DBL 134 had never carried water, so the presence of
a thin liquid in the coils implied that something was wrong. Based on Bell’s marine chemist
certificate, and ISL’s discovery of oil and water in the coils, Montanti testified that there
was no justification for ISL to have been cutting heating coils with a non-intrinsically safe
Sawzall. Montanti testified that, despite cleaning, whatever cargo the vessel had carried
would have permeated the vessel and trace amounts would remain. Montanti explained
that whether shipbreakers expect to find gasoline, or ethanol, “it’s just common, good
practice to proceed carefully, not with an electric Sawzall.” According to Montanti, if there
was a concern that the barge contained flammable material, as suggested by ISL’s safety
training meeting, it was not safe or reasonable to use a Sawzall or any spark-producing
work. Montanti stated that working with a Sawzall on a heating coil that has not been
cleared for hot work and not using a gas monitor would be “criminal negligence” and
“asking for trouble.”
Montanti testified that Kirby delivered the barge to Southern free from petroleum
products to the best of its ability, and that if the marine chemist’s directions had been
followed, the accident would not have happened, “[j]ust like all the other hundreds of
vessels that have been scrapped before with the same cleaning preparations.”
(b) Mazerat
Fire safety expert Mazerat testified that the parties’ investigation found gasoline in
the heating coils and impregnated in the residue on the walls of the tank. According to
51
Mazerat, an emulsion of oil and water was plugging or blocking sections of the heating
coils and trapping pockets of gasoline inside; however, Mazerat acknowledged that he
had not performed testing to confirm this hypothesis. In support of his theory, Mazerat
noted that: (1) prior to the accident there was no sign of flammable vapors on the barge,
through testing or otherwise; (2) workers had cut through multiple sections of heating coils
without incident, and (3) Aguilar and Loredo had cut the heating coils within two to three
feet of the location where the Sawzall ignited vapors. Mazerat testified that the ignition of
the flammable vapors caused an additional fire in the “scaling” or residue on the walls of
the tank.
(c) Borison
Borison provided testimony as a marine safety expert, although he acknowledged
he lacked a college degree and lacked any professional safety certifications. Borison
described himself as a “field safety man,” and “not a pencil-head safety man.” In cross
examination, he conceded that he lacks experience in shipbreaking and ship cleaning.
Borison testified that the events that precipitated the accident began with Kirby’s
maintenance of the barge.
According to Borison, in March 2017, after Kirby discovered leaking heating coils,
Kirby should have removed the heating coils by cold cutting, and the cargo tank walls
should have been hydro blasted or sandblasted to eradicate the old tank coatings.
According to Borison, Barreiro’s emailed comment to Fewell that the barge would have
to be cleaned again if Clean Water blew the coils indicated that Kirby knew that the
heating coils had perforated. Further, Borison opined that Kirby was, at the time of sale,
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reserving the right to sell the barge in a foreign market, and so only cleaned the barge for
lay-up, rather than shipbreaking, as an intentional cost-saving decision. According to
Borison, the marine chemist certificates provided by Montanti and Bell were “null and
void” because Kirby did not inform the chemists that the heating coils were leaking or that
they contained gasoline. Borison stated that the printed qualifications on the marine
chemists’ certificates were “boiler plate CYA” and “[y]ou don’t ignore it,” but characterized
the qualifications as “real estate small print.”
Borison testified that ISL complied with all the chemists’ requirements and its own
internal policies and procedures in working on the DBL 134. According to Borison, a
Sawzall does not always constitute hot work because it depends on the environment in
which it is used. If the coils had been impermeable and contained only thermal heating
fluid which is combustible at above 380 degrees, a Sawzall would have been safe to use.
“You don’t have anything to catch on fire, this is not hot work. If you have something to
catch on fire, it is hot work.” Borison thus testified that Aguilar and Loredo did not need to
be provided with a fire watch because they were not performing hot work at the time of
the accident. In short, Borison concurred with fire safety expert Mazerat’s conclusion that
gasoline was trapped in pockets inside the coils and between the flaking paint and steel
on the tank walls. Borison ultimately testified that the cause of the accident was “[t]he
presence of gasoline in [the] heating coil[s] in such an arrangement that it was incapable
of being discovered.”
(d) Scardino
Consultant Scardino, who has investigated approximately 2,000 fires, testified that
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he investigated the DBL 134 with a team on June 18 and 19, 2019. During his
investigation, he saw no evidence that Aguilar, Loredo, or Selvera had drilled any holes
in the heating coils in the tank. Scardino testified that performing air monitoring from the
deck or upper elevations, as Selvera did, would not be an effective method to test for
flammable vapors because gasoline vapors are heavier than air. Further, he noted that
ISL flushed the coils after the accident, which contaminated all the samples taken from
the barge, and thus the sample testing that had been performed did not provide data from
which a conclusion could be drawn that there was a sufficient quantity of gas to produce
volatile vapors.
Scardino testified that the cause of a fire is determined by the “circumstances,
conditions, and agencies that result in a fire or combustion.” This causation analysis
examines fuel, the ignition source, the oxidizer, and the circumstances bringing these
factors together. Scardino testified that in terms of fire origin, the only viable ignition
source inside the tank was the Sawzall. After examining the fire patterning, soot deposits,
loss of mass, and destruction of materials in the tank, Scardino concluded that once the
flash fire ensued at the heating coil where the Sawzall was stuck, the gaseous form of the
fuel burned off, then the fire flashed back to a pool of liquid adjacent to the bulkhead. In
contrast to others, Scardino saw no signs that the walls in cargo tank 2-S had caught fire,
and Scardino explained that a short-event flash fire “cannot heat up the side walls of the
tank . . . sufficiently to start volatilizing or liberating vapors off the walls that would be
ignited.” Scardino tested Mazerat’s theory that the heating coils contained emulsions
which trapped pockets of gasoline; Scardino concluded that any such occurrence could
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not have caused the fire.
In the investigations of June 18 and 19, the parties and experts recovered various
artifacts from the tank including melted safety glasses, remains of clothing, the heating
coil that had the Sawzall blade in it, the Sawzall, and an extension cord. They did not
recover a drill or personal air monitor. Scardino testified that Green ultimately provided
the personal air monitor allegedly used by Aguilar to the Forensic Investigation Group in
August of 2019. The chain of custody for the air monitor was otherwise unclear. Scardino
discovered the existence of the air monitor in January 2021 and attempted to download
the data from that meter; however, the data was corrupted. Scardino testified that the
meter was greasy and dirty but did not appear to have been exposed to high
temperatures, as it would have been if had it been involved in the accident.
Scardino testified that he had criticisms of Kirby insofar as gasoline had permeated
the heating coils on the DBL 134; however, the gasoline in the coils was “not the cause
for this event.” He conceded that without fuel, there would have been no fire. However,
according to Scardino, the accident would not have happened if ISL stopped work after
the discovery of gasoline and vapors, or if its workers were performing cold work.
(e) Dupre
Dupre, testifying as an expert witness on shipbreaking, explained that he served
as president of Southern from 2007 until he was terminated in 2015. He estimated that
he had handled the shipbreaking process for hundreds of barges and fifty to sixty ships.
Dupre testified that with regard to a vessel like the DBL 134, shipbreaking begins by
proceeding from top to bottom and front to back. Working from top to bottom prevents
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falling hazards and allows the vessel to be opened to the atmosphere, which is “primary”
in shipbreaking to “get [the vessel] aired out.” During the shipbreaking process, the vessel
tilts backwards as work begins on the bow, and any materials left in the pipes and tanks
shift. Because the marine chemist certificate lapses when the vessel moves or conditions
change, the SCP is required to constantly monitor the vessel’s air conditions during
shipbreaking for noxious fumes, flammable vapors, and sufficient oxygen. Further, if a
vessel previously carried a substance like gasoline, which is volatile, the shipbreakers
must have a heightened awareness to watch for smells and substances which might be
hazardous.
Dupre testified that ISL is an expert in shipbreaking and the best facility for
shipbreaking in North America. However, according to Dupre, there was a breakdown in
ISL’s understanding of hot work versus cold work. According to Dupre, the ISL manual is
clear and states that hand tools create sparks, and OSHA defines hot work as including
riveting, cutting, welding, or any activity producing sparks or flames. Dupre testified that
Bell’s instructions that pipelines were to be broken by cold work meant that the pipes
could not be cut or sawed but must have been sheared or taken apart by bolt. He
disagreed with Green that removing the flanges resulted in a broken pipe such that hot
work could ensue. Further, under ISL’s definitions and policies, the heating coils
constituted hollow structures lacking any sampling ports, so the correct procedure for
dismantling the coils was drilling with an intrinsically safe tool, thus allowing for air
sampling and testing, prior to further dismantlement. Dupre concurred with Scardino’s
assessment that air monitoring from the top of the tank would not have been effective
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because the coils consist of individual environments.
Dupre testified that Aguilar and Loredo should not have been working in cargo tank
2-S at all on the day of the accident:
[There are] several pieces of evidence in this case that showed they may
have been ahead of what they were authorized to be doing. The safety
coordinator, their supervisor didn’t know what they were doing. They
weren’t there. They were performing hot work without fire watch, which I
have never seen [anyone] do anything like that. And I couldn’t see any
evidence of any testing going on.
According to Dupre, ISL should have waited to cut the coils until the deck was removed
because it is safer and faster to do it that way, and he has never seen anyone cutting
coils in a tank with the overlying decking in place. Ultimately, Dupre stated that previous
cleanings, operations, and representations regarding a vessel’s status are immaterial to
a safe shipbreaking process, and ISL could not outsource its responsibilities to provide a
safe workplace. Dupre opined that the accident would not have happened if ISL had
followed its own practices and procedures at the time of the accident.
(19) Parties’ Positions
Sheppard, Higginbotham, and Green testified that Southern and ISL were not at
fault in the accident. According to Green, ISL’s procedures do not anticipate that a ship
owner would “intentionally hide a hazard” on a vessel that ISL is shipbreaking. Fewell
testified that Kirby had no knowledge or reason to believe that there were holes in the
heating coils when it sold the barge. Fewell expected the barge to be cleaned but stated
that “[n]othing is ever a hundred percent safe” and “[h]eating coils are not possible to be
cleaned.” According to Fewell, it was customary for Kirby to leave oil in the heating coils,
and that is how it had sold its barges in the past. During his testimony, Fewell
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acknowledged that part of his compensation includes an incentive plan and that he makes
bonuses based on profitability.
C. Analysis
We conclude that the evidence was both legally and factually sufficient to support
Southern’s zero damages award. In short, the jury had before it sufficient evidence to
determine that Kirby’s breach of warranty was not a substantial factor in bringing about
the explosion, fire, and resultant damages, or that Kirby’s breach of warranty merely
furnished the condition that made the accident possible.11 See Mack Trucks, Inc., 206
S.W.3d at 582; Union Pump Co., 898 S.W.2d at 775; Lear Siegler, Inc., 819 S.W.2d at
472. As stated previously, under the jury’s allocation of responsibility, Kirby was thirty-
one percent responsible, and all other defendants were sixty-nine percent responsible.
The record evidence supports the jury’s determination.
Kirby agreed that the DBL 134 would be delivered to Southern “cleaned of all
chemicals, petroleum products, and sludge.” It was not. While Southern took the position
that Kirby should have had the vessel cleaned for shipbreaking purposes rather than lay-
11 Given our conclusion, we need not address relator’s alternative argument that the jury had legally
and factually sufficient evidence to conclude that Southern failed to mitigate its damages. The jury was
instructed not to include any damages for “any amount” that Southern “could have avoided by the exercise
of reasonable care.” The doctrine of mitigation of damages, sometimes referred to as the doctrine of
avoidable consequences, prevents a party from recovering for damages that could have been avoided by
“reasonable efforts” on the part of that party. See Great Am. Ins. Co. v. N. Austin Mun. Util. Dist. No. 1, 908
S.W.2d 415, 426 (Tex. 1995); E.L. & Assocs., Inc. v. Pabon, 525 S.W.3d 764, 768 (Tex. App.—Houston
[14th Dist.] 2017, no pet.). Southern contends that mitigation can only happen after the actionable conduct
and cannot be part of the conduct that causes the injury. Thus, according to Southern, the mitigation of
damages doctrine could not apply to reduce its damages because the events Kirby complains of occurred
before the accident, not after. However, we note that the duty to mitigate damages is triggered by knowledge
of the breach that ultimately caused the damages, not the damages themselves. See Pabon, 525 S.W.3d
at 769–70 (collecting authorities).
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up, it did not require Kirby to do so by contract. Given trial testimony indicating that a
barge that had been cleaned for shipbreaking would be significantly more expensive, the
jury may have inferred that Southern chose not to require its vendors to clean vessels for
shipbreaking for economic reasons. Clean Water’s efforts to clean the DBL 134 were
extraordinarily lengthy and expensive; however, it did not blow or flush the heating coils.
After Clean Water cleaned the vessel, Montanti inspected the vessel and issued a
certificate stating that the vessel was safe for shipbreaking.
The parties’ agreement required Southern to inspect the barge upon delivery, and
provided that Kirby would “have no further obligation” to Southern with regard to the DBL
134 “except as provided” in the purchase agreement. Southern did not inspect the barge,
as required by the purchase agreement, and instead delegated that task to ISL. Under
the agreement, Southern specifically acknowledged that the barge was “sold ‘as is, where
is,’ without warranty of seaworthiness, condition, fitness for purpose or other intended
use, merchantability, or any other warranty whatsoever,” except as otherwise specified in
the agreement. “By agreeing to purchase something ‘as is’, a buyer agrees to make his
own appraisal of the bargain and to accept the risk that he [or she] may be wrong.”
Prudential Ins. Co. of Am. v. Jefferson Assocs., Ltd., 896 S.W.2d 156, 161 (Tex. 1995).
ISL’s team, led by Green, inspected the vessel, and found no deficiencies in the heating
coils or cargo system. ISL retained Bell to inspect DBL 134, and Bell similarly concluded
that it was safe for shipbreaking.
ISL’s work on the DBL 134 failed to comply with Bell’s instructions and its own
internal policies and practices. ISL continued shipbreaking after an unknown fluid was
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found in the heating coils and after it knew or suspected that gasoline was on the barge,
proceeded with work in tank 2 even though the deck was intact and even though its
employees saw thin fluids and vapors emanating from the coils, failed to provide Aguilar
and Loredo with a safety standby person or a fire watch, and used hot work to break the
coils. Based on ISL’s practice of cutting and pasting competent person logs, the presence
of two contradictory competent person logs on the date of the accident, and Aguilar’s
statement, the jury may also have reasonably inferred that ISL was not performing the
required air monitoring. While ISL testified that its employees were drilling holes in the
heating coils, inserting a tube to test for gases, and then cutting, the jury also heard that
ISL did not perform this procedure in tank 1 and there was no evidence of it having
occurred in tank 2.
Pursuant to the parties’ purchase agreement, if Southern discovered “toxic or
hazardous substances” on the barge, it was supposed to “immediately notify” Kirby, and
Kirby was required to remove the substance, and if not, Southern could do so at Kirby’s
cost. Nevertheless, upon discovering liquids inside the coils, either on May 13 or May 14,
ISL did not notify Southern, and thus Southern did not notify Kirby or request that Kirby
remediate the problem.
D. Summary
While the record contained some conflicting testimony, we bear in mind that the
jury was the sole judge of the witnesses’ credibility and the weight to be given to their
testimony. See Golden Eagle Archery, Inc., 116 S.W.3d at 761. Based on the foregoing,
the jury had legally and factually sufficient evidence from which it may have reasonably
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concluded that Kirby’s breach of warranty did not proximately cause Southern’s damages.
See Crosstex N. Tex. Pipeline, L.P., 505 S.W.3d at 613, 615. Accordingly, we sustain
that part of Kirby’s sole issue which alleges that the jury’s verdict is supported by legally
and factually sufficient evidence.
VI. CONCLUSION
The Court, having examined and fully considered the petition for writ of mandamus,
the response filed by Southern, and Kirby’s reply, is of the opinion that Kirby has met its
burden to obtain mandamus relief. In short, the trial court’s articulated reasons for
granting a new trial—that there is an irreconcilable conflict in the jury’s answers and the
verdict is not supported by legally and factually sufficient evidence—are not supported by
the law and the record. Thus, having rejected both of the trial court’s articulated reasons
for granting a new trial, mandamus relief is appropriate. See In re Toyota Motor Sales,
U.S.A., Inc., 407 S.W.3d at 761–62. Accordingly, we conditionally grant Kirby’s petition
for writ of mandamus and direct the trial court to vacate its new trial order and to conduct
further proceedings in accordance with this memorandum opinion. The writ will issue only
if the trial court fails to comply.
GINA M. BENAVIDES
Justice
Delivered and filed on the
19th day of May, 2023.
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