ALERT: We are no longer accepting new business-loss claims related to the Garden Grove GKN Aerospace chemical evacuation. This page remains available for informational purposes. Visit our Environmental practice page or our Class Action practice page to learn about other ways McCune Law Group may be able to help.
Were you displaced from your home? Visit our Garden Grove resident evacuation page.
GKN Aerospace MMA Tank Leak — Orange County Business Losses Attorneys
If the GKN Aerospace chemical leak in Garden Grove forced your business to close, McCune Law Group wants you to have accurate information. We are no longer accepting new business-loss claims related to this evacuation, but this page remains available as a resource. Our attorneys have represented business owners in Orange County before, including in the 2021 Amplify Energy oil spill class action.
This case review is closed. For related legal matters, visit our Environmental practice page or our Class Action practice page.
What Happened in Garden Grove
On May 21, 2026, a 34,000-gallon storage tank at the GKN Aerospace facility at 12122 Western Avenue began venting methyl methacrylate vapor. By May 22, roughly 40,000 Orange County residents and the businesses that serve them were under mandatory evacuation. On May 23, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency in Orange County. Orange County Fire Authority officials publicly said the tank was going to do one of two things: split open and spill 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of chemical, or go into thermal runaway and explode.
The evacuation zone runs north to Ball Road, south to Trask Avenue, east to Dale Street, and west to Valley View Street. That perimeter sweeps through commercial corridors in Garden Grove, Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park, and Westminster. Every day the order stays in place, businesses inside the perimeter are losing revenue they cannot get back.
Who Was Eligible for These Claims
While we were accepting new claims, we reviewed cases for business owners whose operations depended on customers, employees, suppliers, or deliveries that had to cross the evacuation zone, including:
- Restaurants, cafes, and food service with closed dining rooms, spoiled inventory, lost reservations, and canceled catering
- Retail and storefront businesses shut out of their location during peak hours and weekend traffic
- Personal services (salons, barbershops, gyms, medical, dental, veterinary) with canceled appointments and lost recurring revenue
- Professional services (accounting, legal, real estate, insurance, financial advisory) locked out of offices and client files
- Hotels, short-term rentals, and event venues with canceled bookings, refunds, and lost catering contracts
- Construction, trades, and service vehicles unable to reach job sites inside the perimeter
- Manufacturers, warehouses, and B2B operators with shipping delays, missed deliveries, and idle employees
- Independent contractors and gig workers whose income depended on the businesses or households now evacuated
- Homeowners, renters, and property owners displaced by the evacuation, including business owners who also live inside the zone. Visit our Garden Grove resident evacuation page for the dedicated resident-claim path.
Types of Losses Businesses Reported
Every business was different. Categories of losses included:
- Lost revenue from forced closure and reduced foot traffic
- Payroll and benefits paid to employees during the shutdown
- Spoiled or unusable inventory (perishable food, fresh flowers, cold-chain product)
- Rent, utilities, lease payments, and other fixed costs incurred while closed
- Canceled contracts, missed deliveries, and forfeited deposits
- Costs to relocate temporarily, secure the premises, or restock
- Diminished property value tied to proximity of the facility
- Business interruption losses beyond what your insurance will pay
- Residential losses if you also live in the evacuation zone: hotel costs, meals, pet boarding, lost wages, exposure-related medical concerns
Save your receipts, POS reports, payroll runs, deposit logs, vendor invoices, and any insurance correspondence. This kind of documentation will matter with any attorney you consult.
Why McCune Law Group Represents Businesses and Homeowners
Our attorneys have more than 35 years of experience protecting the interests of consumers and small business owners in Southern California. Large corporations often pay little mind to how their actions affect smaller businesses, and when they are called to court they assume they can out-resource the other side. Our team believes large companies should never shirk their responsibilities to the public or to the smaller businesses around them. The firm has recovered more than $1 billion for our clients.*
In 2021, when an Amplify Energy oil pipeline off Huntington Beach spilled tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil into Orange County waters, restaurants, fishers, property owners, performers, and event organizers from Huntington Beach down to Dana Point lost revenue, lost shifts, and lost the ability to operate. McCune Law Group filed a class action against Amplify on behalf of Orange County businesses, fishers, and property owners. The litigation resolved through a $50 million federal class settlement: $34 million to the Fisher Class, $9 million to the Property Class, and $7 million to the Waterfront Tourism Class.
Our commercial litigation practice does the same kind of work outside of environmental cases. We represent businesses and stakeholders in shareholder derivative cases, business-to-business disputes, and corporate misconduct claims. Attorneys Michele Vercoski, Yasmin Vahid, and Rich McCune lead that practice. We work on contingency. You pay nothing unless we recover money for you.**
Frequently Asked Questions
Is McCune Law Group still accepting new business-loss claims for this matter?
No. This case review is closed. This page remains available for informational purposes.
What are my options if I was affected by the Garden Grove evacuation?
Visit our Environmental practice page or our Class Action practice page to learn about other ways McCune Law Group may be able to help.
My business was just outside the evacuation line. Was it still eligible for a claim?
Businesses one or two blocks outside a hard perimeter often lost nearly as much revenue as those inside, because customers, employees, and deliveries could not get through. This page is no longer accepting new claims for this matter.
Insurance covers business interruption. Why do I need a lawyer?
Insurance is an option, but not the only one. Most business interruption policies have exclusions, sub-limits, and waiting periods. A claim against the party responsible for the leak is separate from your insurance recovery and can cover losses your policy does not.
What if my business is profitable on paper but my margins are thin?
Thin margins make these claims more important, not less. A two-week closure can destroy the cash position of a profitable business. We will help you document the real impact.
How long do I have to file?
There are legal deadlines that apply to claims like these, and they vary depending on the type of claim and who is involved.
What documentation is useful to keep for a claim like this?
Daily sales or POS reports for the affected period and the same period last year, payroll records, vendor invoices and delivery logs, lease and utility bills, insurance correspondence, photos of the inside of your business at closure, and any text or email confirming canceled bookings or contracts.
Will joining a class action limit my recovery?
Not necessarily. For many small businesses with similar losses, a class action is the most efficient way to recover. For larger or unique losses, an individual case may produce a better outcome.
Disclosures
* Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is evaluated on its own facts.
** Costs and expenses may be advanced and recovered from a settlement or judgment when one is obtained.
Related: Environmental practice | Class Action practice | Garden Grove resident evacuation page
Attorney Advertising
McCune Law Group, APC is responsible for this advertisement. The information provided on this website is for general information purposes only. The information you obtain is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. Use of this website or submission of the online form does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Counsel Richard McCune is licensed to practice only in the state of California. The law firm of McCune Law Group has attorneys licensed to practice law in AZ, CA, GA, MO, NY, and PA. McCune Law Group is a national firm that brings lawsuits in a majority of the states. In states where one of its attorneys is not barred, it does so by filing the complaint along with local counsel barred in that state.
The results discussed do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the results in future cases.
Final Note
This page is no longer accepting new business-loss claims for the Garden Grove GKN Aerospace matter. It remains active as an informational resource for affected businesses.
