How Do You Define Success?
Litigation attorney Daniel Small authored a Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly article detailing the Farmers Export grain elevator explosion case, elucidating how the trial, despite ending in a hung jury, significantly influenced industry safety practices. Mr. Small emphasized the challenge of defining success, noting that though the prosecution did not secure a conviction, the trial sent a powerful message to the grain industry that prompting widespread changes in safety standards. This outcome resulted in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reporting that, for at least a decade afterward, no multiple-death explosions occurred, marking a profound shift in industry attitudes toward safety and regulation compliance. Mr. Small explains that this result shows how the case, even if on paper it was a "failure," remains one of his proudest victories.
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