Johnnie Cochran is representing victims of the Oklahoma City
bombing. Along with Oklahoma City lawyer John Merritt, Cochran sued ICI Explosives, the manufacturers of the ammonium nitrate
fertilizer that was used in the bomb. Damages sought could have been as high as $1B. Their argument is that the
manufacturers failed to add materials to the fertilizer which would make
it fizzle rather than explode. Such materials are added to ammonium
nitrate in Great
Britain after a number of IRA bombings. UPDATE! Chemical and Engineering News of July
15, 1996 reports that Federal judge David L. Russell dismissed the lawsuit, saying that
the bombing victims had failed to show that they had claims against ICI for
"negligence...negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of
emotional distress, manufacturers' products liability, strict liability for
ultrahazardous of abnormally dangerous activity, fraud, and deceit." The plaintiff's
attorneys say they plan to appeal.