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It's the case that already has worn down the judge and the lawyers.
And the trial hasn't even started.
It is PEPCON, the mother of all civil cases winding its way through local courts for damages over the 1988 explosions in Henderson at the Pacific Engineering and Production Co. of Nevada, known in court documents as PEPCON.
The May 4, 1988, explosions destroyed PEPCON-made ammonium perchlorate rocket fuel, killed two people, injured 300 more and caused about $73 million in damages.
The case over the 1988 disaster involves some seven key defendants plus the consolidated group of major plaintiffs representing the injured, killed and those with property damage.
Last week the four-year discovery phase of the PEPCON case ended, four years that have produced hundreds of witnesses and millions of pages in testimony. Now attorneys are preparing for the Oct. 5 trial,in which District Judge Donald Mosley will preside over one huge case that encompasses virtually all the litigation.
PEPCON officials have blamed a Southwest Gas pipeline for the explosions. The company also has contended that ammonium perchlorate cannot detonate. Others say the blasts were caused by a welder's torch that accidentally set off the rocket fuel.
While a smaller, separate set of federal litigation marches on, the state trial will last about 10 months and require a massive courtroom for as many as 100 attorneys. Many lawyers will be there just to observe the proceedings for their clients.
The PEPCON discovery committee lists 52 law firms...