Lawsuit Settled In Tacoma Foundry Explosion Death

The family of a truck driver who was killed in a massive explosion at a Tacoma foundry in October 2007 reached a settlement in their wrongful death lawsuit against Atlas Castings & Technology.

Charles McDonald Sr. was critically burned in an explosion at the foundry. McDonald's family said he was not found by the responding firefighters until two hours afterward.

McDonald survived a week at Harborview Medical Center before he died from his injuries.

McDonald's family said Atlas Casting was negligent in their repair of the hose that McDonald used to deliver a load of liquid propane. The hose failed and released hundreds of gallons of liquid propane that enveloped McDonald in a cloud of gas and vapors and then ignited into a fire ball and severely burned McDonald over 75 percent of his body.

The amount of the settlement was not disclosed.