WEATHERFORD, Okla., Dec. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With no evacuation plan implemented, no fire alarm activated, lodging guests at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Weatherford, Oklahoma who were poisoned and intoxicated by ammonia were victims of “utter failure and gross negligence,” stated Attorney Clayton B. Bruner, who has met with or has had contact with nearly 100 victims of the leak who recounted their survival and near death experiences.
“The testimonials are horrific and heartbreaking to hear as not only did the Holiday Inn Express negligently allow an Airgas tanker park in their lot with 25,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia, but the staff at the hotel never implemented an evacuation plan or sounded the fire alarms,” declared Weatherford attorney Clayton B. Bruner.
Mr. Bruner has filed several new civil lawsuits in Custer County, Oklahoma on behalf of injured hotel guests and others against Airgas, the Holiday Inn Express, IHG, and affiliated entities.
Bruner stated, “While dozens of individuals were transported to area hospitals for evaluation and treatment of respiratory distress, burns, eye injuries, and other ammonia-related injuries, the stories of their survival are heartbreaking. As hotel guests choked, vomited, and cried, not a single hotel staff member directed them to safety. The stairwells and hallways were filled with toxic ammonia fumes. Many disoriented guests returned to their hotel rooms and were luckily saved by first responders. With the ammonia gas swarming around their knees, these victims eventually had to be, in some case, sent to hospitals with an ICU unit in Oklahoma City, not being released until a week later.”
On the evening of November 12, 2025, an Airgas tanker truck carrying approximately 25,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia was parked behind the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Weatherford, Oklahoma.
That night, a mechanical failure on the Airgas truck caused a substantial release of anhydrous ammonia into the air in and around the Holiday Inn. Some guests were forced to break windows in order to escape.
“The victims have told me about losing consciousness, skin pealing from the chemical burns, permanent eye damage, chemical pneumonia, and a persistent cough that has not dissipated. We will seek relief for those impacted and hold those responsible accountable,” Bruner added.
The toxic gas cloud spread beyond the Holiday Inn Express, prompting emergency responders to order widespread evacuations and shelter-in-place directives for hundreds of Weatherford residents and businesses.
Clayton B. Bruner may be reached at (580) 774-5363 or via email at clay@claybruner.com.
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