March 24, 2021
There was a gas line explosion on your construction site. You sustained severe injuries. What steps should you take to help yourself?
- Seek immediate medical attention.
- Report your injuries to your supervisor.
- Take pictures of your injuries and the accident scene.
- Write down witness names and their contact information.
- Immediately call the attorneys at the Waldman Legal Group.
Our attorneys have more than 40 years of experience helping injured workers obtain the compensation they deserve for their injuries. Don’t face this hardship alone. Let us help you! Call us at 713-688-4878 for a free and confidential consultation. Our attorneys will answer your questions.
Common causes of gas line explosions at construction sites.
Gas lines often run under through or under construction sites. Workers may damage a gas line without even knowing it’s there. Companies are supposed to find out where the gas lines are before they dig. Any damage to a gas line can cause a leak, and any leak can cause an explosion!
Aging gas lines can fail with no warning, increasing the risk of leaks and explosions. Gas line owners and operators are responsible for adequately maintaining gas lines, and replacing them when needed. However, replacing gas lines is expensive. Some gas companies wait for gas lines to fail, rather than having a proper program of maintenance and repair.
Sometimes there is a report of a gas leak, but the gas company fails to respond quickly. As a result, many explosion tragedies are preventable. If you smell rotten eggs, that could be a gas leak!
Who are the innocent parties that may suffer injuries from gas line accidents?
- Construction workers.
- Gas line workers.
- Bystanders.
- Residents near the construction site.
What are common injuries from gas line explosions?
- Burn injuries.
- Bunt force trauma.
- Toxic inhalation exposure.
- Wrongful death.
Can gas line explosions be prevented?
Yes! If gas lines are not ruptured by mechanical digging equipment, and if they are maintained and replaced when needed, they can be safe. Whenever there is a gas explosion, someone has made a mistake. If someone has been injured in a gas explosion, that person should call a lawyer. Call the Waldman Legal Group.
Who can be held responsible for a gas line explosion?
- The gas company that installed the gas line.
- The company is responsible for maintaining the gas line.
- The contractor that started the excavation before checking for underground gas lines.
- The manufacturer of a defective gas meter, valve, or gas line.
Seek immediate medical care!
If you’re involved in a gas line accident and are hurt, you need to stop working immediately. You need to seek immediate medical attention. If you’ve sustained life-threatening injuries, you won’t have a choice of choosing whether or not to obtain medical care. You will likely be rushed to the Emergency Room by ambulance or life flight.
If you were not caught in the middle of the explosion but suffered minor injuries, you should see a doctor anyway. If your injuries become worse, you want to be checked by a doctor early on to help you treat your injuries. Also, you want your injuries to be documented by a medical professional from the outset because this documentation will help prove your medical damages.
Document the accident scene and your injuries!
If you have a cell phone on you, take pictures of the accident scene and your injuries. Take photographs of the area where you got hurt and any conditions or equipment you believe caused your accident. If you don’t have a cell phone, ask one of your co-workers to snap some photos. This evidence will help prove your case.
Any witnesses to your injuries?
Jot down a list of any witnesses to your accident or the accident scene. If you have a cell phone, write down a note on your phone with witnesses names and their contact information. If you only know a coworker by his or her nickname, take down the nickname. We’ll identify them later by first and last name. If you don’t have a cell phone, do your best to make a mental note of this information.
Report your injury to your supervisor.
Since gas accident explosions are among the most dangerous accidents on a construction site, an accident report will likely be created from the get-go. However, you should follow up with your supervisor and management to ensure that the accident report was created. The accident report will help document the injuries you sustained from the collapse.
Don’t wait months after the incident to report your injury! Report the accident and your injuries to your supervisor as soon as possible.
The company handed me forms to sign. Should I sign?
Don’t sign anything until you let an attorney review the forms. Let the attorneys at the Waldman Legal Group review the forms free of charge. Call us at 713-688-4878.
For more information on how a construction accident attorney can help you get the compensation you deserve for the injuries you sustained on the job, please call us as soon as possible.
If I file a lawsuit against the responsible parties, what type of compensation can I obtain?
Your damages may include:
- Medical charges/expenses.
- Lost wages.
- Pain and suffering.
- Mental anguish.
- Disfigurement.
- Punitive damages.
Don’t wait for the gas company or gas line operator to respond. Immediately contact our Attorneys to fight for your rights!
If you’re a construction worker who’s been injured on the job site during a gas line explosion, immediately contact the Waldman Legal Group at 713-688-4878. Let us help you obtain the compensation you deserve for the injuries you sustained!
