Louisiana Plant Explosion Lawyer

Plant Explosion Lawyers Gordon and Gordon Serving Shreveport, Bossier City, and Mansfield

Helping those who have been injured in a plant explosion and are seeking compensation.

As chemicals have become a very integrated part of modern society and our day-to-day lives, the risk of accidents associated with them, such as chemical plant explosions, increases. Chemicals are not the sole reason for plant explosions, but they are responsible for most of the accidents in plants and refineries across the United States. Negligent or improper use or handling of chemicals in these workplaces (oil refineries, chemical plants, industrial complexes)  can lead to devastating consequences. 

Unfortunately, sometimes these accidents are simply unavoidable, but there are ways to limit and prevent them with effective safety policies, standards, and guidelines. It is imperative that companies working with dangerous chemicals and gases take every necessary precaution to protect their workers from injury or death. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a plant explosion due to the negligence of an employer or company, you can and should hold them accountable for their actions and the damages that resulted. A Louisiana plant explosions lawyer at Gordon & Gordon can help you do just that. To speak with one of our experienced personal injury attorneys about your case, give us a call at 318-716-HELP today.

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What Causes a Plant Explosion?

Heat, gas, and dangerous reactions are the three main elements that come together to create a plant explosion. First, chemicals generate a spike of gas quickly. This already has the potential to cause an explosion simply due to the short time frame of creation versus the large amount of gas, even if it is not typically explosive in nature, but many chemicals become explosive once they encounter the oxygen in the air. 

Gas leaks are typically the foundation for explosions. Once that happens, add in heat and a dangerous reaction and plant explosions will almost definitely occur. Plant explosions may also occur due to impure chemicals. Other common causes of plant explosions include:

  • Boilers that are not properly cared for
  • Cigarette smoking around flammable chemicals or materials
  • Lack of proper equipment and machinery maintenance
  • Electric hazards
  • Malfunctioning and dangerous equipment
  • Unseen corrosion
  • Failing to properly train employees
  • Well blowouts
  • Poor labeling
  • Unsafe procedures
  • Violations of OSHA safety regulations

Many of these causes of plant explosions are preventable, but it typically takes time to determine the sole cause of catastrophic accidents. Overall, these chemical plant explosions trace back to human error, not following OSHA regulations, poor maintenance, a faulty valve, and failure to adhere to safety guidelines.

Common Injuries of Explosions

There are many ways people and workers can get injured and even killed from a plant explosion. Whether it was chemical explosion or a plant or refinery explosion, a workers’ compensation or personal injury claim should be sought for any on-the-job injuries or death that may have occured. 

Types of Explosion Injuries 

  • Burns and chemical burns
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Lung damage
  • Damage to hearing
  • Toxic gas poisoning
  • Organ damage
  • Fractures
  • Cuts and abrasions
  • Puncture wounds
  • Crush injuries
  • Loss of blood 

To further elaborate, blasts to the body or blunt force trauma could come from objects hitting you or you being thrown into them via tertiary blast. Penetrating trauma can also break beneath the skin and in some circumstances, past muscles or even organs. Internal injuries and illnesses can also arise from inhalation of toxic chemicals, fumes, and smoke. These injuries typically have the greatest impact on sensitive areas such as the lungs, ears, and gastrointestinal regions that fill with air.

In addition to these, other internal or psychological injuries, such as PTSD, can arise from a chemical plant explosion and can be very difficult to diagnose or even discover. Regardless, anyone in the vicinity of such an explosion should seek immediate medical care and emotional treatment to address any injuries that may or may not be evident. 

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Oilfield & Refinery Explosion Settlement

Before you can understand what the settlement will be, you have to consider the extent of your plant explosion or oil rig injuries and damages as well as the degree of negligence from the defendant. Lawsuits for any type of plant and refinery accident or chemical plant explosion can potentially reach into the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars depending on the severity of the injuries sustained. 

Your plant explosion lawyers will work to obtain both economic and noneconomic damages for your personal injury case and/or Louisiana workers’ compensation benefits for your workers’ comp case. Generally speaking, the following are damages commonly requested for claims of plant and refinery explosions:

  • Medical bills, treatment, and care for current and future in the event of long term injuries or prospective medical attention, treatment, therapy or rehabilitation
  • Financial compensation for lost wages or lost earning capacity for during recuperation and in the future if you are unable to work again
  • Pain and suffering from the accident/explosion; this inlcudes PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and other emotional suffering
  • Disfurgement from burns, dismemberment, and other injuries
  • In cases of gross negligence, punitive damages from the explosion accident can be claimed

Chemical Plant Wrongful Death Claims

In the event of having lost a loved one due to a refinery, plant, or chemical accident, you can file what is called a wrongful death claim. These claims can help the loved ones of deceased workers obtain compensation for:

  • Medical costs
  • Funeral and burial costs
  • Lost future wages
  • Lost inheritance
  • Lost love and support
  • Lost advice and counsel
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental and emotional anguish

What Our Plant Explosion Lawyers Can Do For You

The Shreveport work accident lawyers at Gordon & Gordon law firm are well versed in the legal process of both personal injury claims and workers’ compensation claims. We will treat each new client with great care and attention, as we understand that things can be extremely difficult in the wake of any recent plant explosions. You need an accomplished plant explosion attorney who understands the workings and minds of the insurance company of your place of employment and what it takes to obtain maximum compensation for your losses and damages.

Plants and refineries are busy places with many moving components such as machinery, equipment, vehicles, and people. As such, it can be very difficult to determine what or who is liable for the accident, be it the oil refinery or chemical plant company, another worker or colleague, defective equipment, a third-party contractor, or even multiple parties and companies. 

Once you establish an attorney-client relationship with an experienced refinery explosion lawyer at Gordon & Gordon, we will thoroughly examine all of the details and circumstances to best discover how and why the explosion happened. After figuring out who is liable for the cause of the accident, our plant explosion lawyers and refinery accident lawyers will work to prove that this negligence was the direct cause of your injuries and losses, holding the liable party accountable for the damages you are entitled to. 

Note that in many of these cases, we are able to reach a negotiated settlement outside of the courtroom with the insurance companies of the liable party. However, in the event that a settlement cannot be reached, we are more than willing to help you bring the lawsuit to the courts and fight for your right to fair compensation there.

Contact Shreveport Injury Attorneys Gordon & Gordon Right Away

Louisiana plant explosions can be devastating, often leaving several people injured or deceased in the aftermath. Employers of chemical plants are well aware of the dangers that accompany this line of work, and they must implement all necessary precautions and safety procedures to prevent an accident like this from occuring. If an explosion does occur, there is often someone who can and should be held liable. That’s where our Shreveport workers’ comp lawyers come in.  

The plant explosion lawyers at Gordon & Gordon Law Firm can help you determine the cause of the incident and who is liable for the damages that ensue. With a full legal team who can help you understand your legal rights and the legal personal injury or workers’ compensation process in Louisiana, Gordon & Gordon has the experience and skills you need and will make sure you receive the maximum amount of benefits and compensation. Give us a call at 318-716-HELP today to get started on pursuing your claim.

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Have you been involved in a chemical plant explosion?

If you or a loved one have been injured in a chemical plant accident and would like to find out your options concerning compensation, call the personal injury attorneys at Gordon and Gordon at 318-716-HELP right away to get them working for you.