More than 40 lawsuits filed against GKN Aerospace after chemical threat in Garden Grove
Attorney Shawn Steel stands with some of the plaintiffs from a lawsuit filed against GKN Aerospace during a press
in Seal Beach, CA, on Friday, May 29, 2026. Steel & Eisner LLP, on behalf of dozens of plaintiffs, filed a lawsuit against GKN
Aerospace for the hazardous gas leak that forced the evacuation of 50,000 people near the Garden Grove facility.
(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
More than 40 lawsuits have been filed against GKN Aerospace after a chemical emergency at its Garden Grove facility forced tens of thousands of residents from their homes through Memorial Day weekend.
The filings came after a malfunctioning storage tank containing volatile, flammable methyl methacrylate prompted evacuation orders across parts of Garden Grove and nearby cities amid fears of a catastrophic explosion.
At the height of the emergency, evacuation orders impacted roughly 50,000 residents across portions of Garden Grove, Anaheim, Stanton, Buena Park, Cypress and Westminster. Authorities eventually lifted the final evacuation orders Tuesday evening, May 26 after officials determined pressure inside the tank had stabilized and the worst-case scenario of a massive blast had been eliminated.
Most of the suits were filed in Orange County Superior Court, but some were filed in U.S. District Court in Orange County. At least 44 lawsuits were filed as of Thursday, May 28. The number of suits has grown quickly.
At least seven were filed against GKN in state court by Tuesday afternoon, after normal courthouse operations resumed following the Memorial Day break. One federal lawsuit already had been filed over the weekend.
One suit seeking class-action status filed in Superior Court includes plaintiffs Diana Guadarrama, Jip Kang, Eduardo Pateyro and Linda Rodriguez, who live about 1.5 miles from the facility.
Guadarrama left her home following evacuation orders Friday, May 22 and initially got a hotel room but later went to stay at a relative’s home. Kang did the same and later stayed with family in Anaheim. He said it was difficult to find shelter because his child has asthma and cannot reside in close quarters with so many other people, the suit states.
Rodriguez finally found a room in a Fullerton hotel, which was difficult “due to high demand and inflated prices,” according to the suit.
Officials first responded to the GKN Aerospace facility on May 21 after a storage tank containing methyl methacrylate — a toxic chemical used in acrylic-plastics manufacturing — began venting vapors. Authorities later warned the tank could either rupture and spill chemicals or potentially explode, triggering widespread evacuations, a state of emergency declaration from Gov. Gavin Newsom and a request for federal aid. President Donald Trump approved the aid on Monday.
Unified Incident Commander Craig Covey told Garden Grove City Council members Tuesday night, May 26 that crews had shifted into a more “offensive” phase of the operation after temperatures inside the tank stabilized.
A crack in the tank had relieved pressure, reducing the threat of an expansive explosion, officials said.
In a statement released Wednesday, GKN Aerospace apologized for the disruption caused by the emergency and thanked the emergency responders and the public agencies involved in trying to mitigate the threat.
“We understand that the past several days have been difficult for residents, businesses, and the broader Garden Grove, Stanton, and surrounding Orange County communities,” the company said in the statement. “We are relieved that the incident has been resolved and residents have been able to return home. …
“On behalf of the team at GKN Aerospace, I want to say how sorry we are for the uncertainty and disruption this situation has caused,” said Steve Carlin, the GKN senior vice president overseeing the Garden Grove site’s programs. “I recognize how challenging this has been, particularly over the Memorial Day holiday. We are committed to understanding what occurred and identifying ways we can support those affected. …
“We recognize there is more work ahead,” Carlin wrote. “Our focus remains on supporting the community, working closely with authorities, and continuing to ensure a safe and responsible path forward. I am personally committed to working with the Garden Grove, Stanton, and broader Orange County communities on these efforts.”
The company said officials reported no chemical leak, contamination or injuries tied to the incident.
Hundreds of Garden Grove residents packed the City’s Council Chambers on Tuesday night, May 26 making their mounting outrage clear and demanding answers from elected officials and the company. Residents wanted to know why industrial use with stored hazardous chemicals was allowed so close to homes and schools.
Tensions mounted as the meeting went on, with council members calling multiple recesses and eventually clearing the chambers after shouting matches broke out.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has launched an investigation into the incident and established an anonymous tip line seeking information related to the facility’s operations, maintenance practices and the circumstances leading up to the emergency.
Cal/OSHA has separately confirmed it is opening an inspection investigation into the facility.
On Friday, May 29, attorney Shawn Steel — whose firm has filed a lawsuit with dozens of evacuees and residents as plaintiffs — told reporters during a news conference at his Seal Beach office that they are still in the early stages of learning what happened and how it impacted the community.
“We are just beginning to learn all the facts about what the company was doing and how many people’s lives were disrupted,” Steel said. “This is a quiet manufacturing plant that people in Garden Grove really didn’t know much about, and (they) were quite surprised when this chemical crisis took place.”
Evacuees suffered a variety of damages, Steel said. All of them were forced to pay for lodging, food expenses and travel, the attorney noted.
Some also had health-related issues. One client suffered a panic attack and had to go to an emergency room, Steel said. Others have reported respiratory issues or headaches, and will go to a doctor for an evaluation.
Roxanna Noria, a Stanton resident, described her sister, her sister’s husband and their three children — including a newborn — having to walk from their residence near the plant to the apartment where Noria and her family live. Then, the apartment where she lives was evacuated as well.
Some family members had to sleep in their cars, because there was no room at the shelters, Noria said.
Asked about the range of monetary damages, Steel said he generally believed his clients should each receive “six figures.”
City News Service contributed to this report.
