Hid Carus Explosion Injuries, Lawsuit Filed Hours Before Statute of Limitations Expired
By Jamie Hicks - HICKS NEWS INVESTIGATES
LaSalle, Ill. — For two years, the City of LaSalle repeatedly told residents that “no one was hurt” in the January 2023 Carus Chemical explosion. This narrative, however, publicly collapsed with the revelation that the City's own attorney quietly represented an injured Carus employee in a private lawsuit, which was filed just hours before the statute of limitations expired for the entire community.
Documents obtained by HICKS NEWS confirm that LaSalle City Attorney James A. McPhedran took on a Carus employee, Rodolfo "Rudy" Escatel, as a private client eight weeks after the explosion. In a March 6, 2023, letter to the Illinois State Fire Marshal, McPhedran explicitly stated, “Our office represents Rodolfo ‘Rudy’ Escatel, who was injured in the Carus fire.”
The Conflict of Interest: A Coordinated Effort
The lawsuit, documenting the employee's respiratory injuries, was filed on January 10, 2025, at 3:21 p.m., just one day before the two-year deadline for victims to file injury claims.
Investigative findings suggest this dual representation—a City Attorney representing the sole documented victim privately—was a coordinated strategy to protect Carus Chemical and the City itself from broader liability.
“If you were Carus Chemical, this is exactly what you would want,” the Hicks News investigation states. “The ‘no injuries’ narrative remains intact, and the statute quietly runs out for the entire community.”
By allegedly keeping the injury out of the public eye:
No other victims realized that documented injuries had occurred.
News coverage was suppressed, preventing a surge in community lawsuits.
The legal window for hundreds of residents with identical symptoms was allowed to expire.
Symptoms Dismissed While Evidence Was Collected
Throughout 2023 and 2024, residents reported a wide range of symptoms—including burning throats, metallic tastes, coughing fits, and shortness of breath—which City officials publicly dismissed.
However, the OSHA and medical documentation collected for the private Carus employee lawsuit, which was handled by the City Attorney, listed the same exact symptoms.
Critics contend that while City officials sat in public meetings dismissing residents' pleas for help, they had medical records in their possession proving the symptoms were real and linked to the explosion.
Home Testing Promised, Then Buried
Further evidence of a cover-up is found in the city’s handling of contamination testing.
On February 21, 2023, the City Council voted 8-0 to conduct home tests for contamination. Yet, according to meeting transcripts and internal communication, not a single home was tested.
City officials offered various excuses for the delay—citing "contractor injury," "no response," and "waiting for guidance"—effectively slow-walking the process until the issue died.
Statute Expires, Liability Evaded
The timeline highlights the alleged motive:
Jan 11, 2023: Explosion.
Jan–Mar 2023: City repeats "no injuries," discouraging lawsuits.
Mar 6, 2023: City Attorney McPhedran privately acknowledges injury.
2023–2024: Testing stalled, symptoms dismissed.
Jan 10, 2025: Lawsuit filed for the one employee.
Jan 11, 2025: Statute of limitations expires for everyone else.
The Hicks investigation concludes this was not negligence or miscommunication, but a “deliberate, coordinated cover-up” where the City of LaSalle acted as a shield for Carus Chemical, allowing the corporation to escape massive liability.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7DBQtRRbg0
ESCATEL V CARUS CHEMICAL CITY ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF case # 2025LA000011 click here