The trial begins Monday with jury selection to find the party responsible for a deadly blast that killed three workers and 48 injured at the Falk Corp. in Milwaukee. The pipe, which carried propane for a back up heating system, exploded during a routine maintenance check Dec 6, 2006. The trial will determine who is at fault, the contractor J.M. Brennan who installed the pipe in 1988 or Falk for improper maintenance.
Both Brennan, as well as Falk's parent company have been fined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for violations uncovered in the wake of the explosion.
Meanwhile Brennan already settled with the victims families, except for one injured in the blast. Falk and its insurers are immune from lawsuits under worker's compensation laws.
Earlier this week a judge issued a gag order on attorneys involved in the case. The trial expected to last over six weeks.
