Explosions can occur in refineries, plants and anywhere natural gas or hydrocarbons are stored, processed, transported or used. Every year, explosions kill and injure thousands of men and women both in and out of the workplace.
Explosions, fires, and chemical release accidents are preventable. The injuries or deaths from these accidents are usually due to negligent acts and omissions of the premises owner and contractors as well as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations. Many times, the guilty party has a history of OSHA violations or a reputation of being a dangerous place to work.
Some of these most common plant explosion injuries include:
- Death
- Burns
- Catastrophic injuries
- Post-traumatic stress/anguish
Often plant explosion injuries lead to many challenges for workers before they can ever even think of getting back to work. These roadblocks can include future medical expenses, disability, permanent or temporary, disfigurement, and rehabilitation.
The expertly skilled explosion attorneys at The Ammons Law Firm have the experience and resources to hold companies that cause explosions fully accountable.
Explosion accidents and your legal rights
Determining who is at fault in a claim of negligence against someone who has caused an explosion is a complicated issue requiring years of experience by lawyers with the resources to deconstruct the steps leading to an accident. Our plant explosion lawyers start this process by first establishing duty of care- in other words, determining what person or entity is ultimately responsible for making sure no one is harmed while work is being done.
Once a plaintiff has established the existence of a duty of care, they must show the defendant did not fulfill that duty. Generally, a duty is considered breached if the defendant failed to act or acted in a way that caused the accident. Then the attorney must show causation, this means the plaintiff must not only prove the existence of a duty and breach of that duty, but also that the breach of this duty caused the injury to be suffered. This means establishing a “link” between the defendant’s actions and the resulting injury. Finally, if duty and causation have been proven, the plaintiff must also prove that he or she suffered damages as a result of the defendant’s negligence. Damages can include lost wages and medical costs, but also pain and suffering and loss of companionship. Without damages, there can be no claim.
Plant explosion verdicts
“Recently we secured a record setting verdict for the family of a client killed in Hood County, Texas,” says Rob Ammons of The Ammons Law Firm. “An operator was working at a natural gas plant. The plant had what is called a hot oil heater. The hot oil heater had been improperly installed, and had not been properly engineered. While the operator was using this heater, actually trying to light it, there was an explosion, resulting in his death.”
Ammons is committed to holding rule breakers responsible when they hurt or kill members of the community and setting the safety standards to prevent such accidents from occurring in the future.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a plant explosion, contact the plant explosion accident attorneys at The Ammons Law Firm today by calling (866) 777-4504 for a free consultation.
