If you’ve been hurt in a Texas oil refinery blast, don’t hesitate to reach out to a skilled refinery explosion lawyer. A refinery explosion injury lawyer from Waldman Legal Group will advise you about steps to take toward getting compensation for your injuries. We have many years of experience helping people injured in workplace accidents. Our law firm can help you, too.
Oil industry workers are constantly exposed to dangers on the job. But it shouldn’t be that way. Nobody should have to go to work worrying about being injured, especially in a devastating explosion. Oil companies are in the business of making money. When the pursuit of profits takes priority over safety, hardworking employees are often the ones who pay the price.
Refinery explosions and fires have been noted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to be one of the leading causes of injuries and death in the oil industry. Injuries in explosions are often severe. Workers who are severely injured may lose their livelihoods. Medical bills can quickly stack up. And if you’ve suffered disfiguring burns, you may face both physical and emotional trauma because of your injuries.
When you’ve been injured in a refinery explosion, our oilfield accident lawyers will determine who is responsible for the accident and your injuries. Then we will hold them liable on your behalf. Call us today at (713) 688-4878 to schedule a free consultation about your case. One of our law firm’s focus areas is helping oil industry workers.
What a Refinery Explosion Injury Lawyer Will Do for You
Oil refineries are busy places. There are many moving machines, equipment, and vehicles that can make it difficult to determine who is liable when an accident occurs. It could be an oil company, another worker, or a third-party contractor. Or more than one company or other party could be to blame.
Our attorneys will examine all the circumstances to discover how the blast occurred and why. We will then work to prove that negligence caused your injuries and hold the liable party accountable.
In many cases, we are able to negotiate fair settlements outside of court with the insurance companies of liable parties. In other cases, this isn’t possible. If we can’t reach a settlement, we will help you bring a lawsuit in the courts.
What You Might Get in a Refinery Explosion Accident Lawsuit
Every refinery accident is different. What you might get in a lawsuit depends upon the extent of your injuries and the degree of negligence involved. It can also be influenced by the negotiation and litigation skills of the attorney you work with. So you want to be sure you have top-quality representation from a lawyer with a track record of success.
Because explosions can cause such serious injuries, the amount of money available in a lawsuit could potentially reach into the hundreds of thousands or even millions. Again, however, every case is unique. It depends on the degree of injuries and other factors.
Here are typical damages that may be asked for in a refinery explosion claim:
- Current and future medical bills. Victims of explosions could require medical treatment or nursing care throughout their lives.
- Lost wages and lost earning capacity. You can ask for compensation for the wages you have lost while recuperating and future wages you will not earn if you can’t work again.
- Pain and suffering. Injuries in these types of accidents can be painful. They can also cause post-traumatic stress disorder and other emotional suffering.
- Disfigurement from burns and other injuries.
- Punitive damages if the accident that injured you was due to gross negligence.
Filing a Wrongful Death Claim if Your Loved One Died in a Refinery Blast
If you have tragically lost a family member in an oil refinery explosion, we can advise you about your rights in filing a wrongful death lawsuit. In Texas, surviving spouses, children, and parents of the deceased worker can bring wrongful death claims.
In a claim, you may be able to get 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.
Reach Out to a Compassionate Attorney for Assistance
Whether you have suffered injuries yourself or lost a loved one, you can rely on getting sound guidance from a caring refinery explosion lawyer from our firm. Call us to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation at (713) 688-4878. You don’t pay us unless you win your case.
Negligence that Leads to Refinery Explosions
Here are some causes of explosions at refineries:
- Defective equipment
- Machinery that isn’t properly maintained
- Corroded pipes
- Poorly trained workers
- Miscommunication between employees
- Violations of safety steps
- Smoking on the job
- Electrical dangers
- Chemicals that are not stored or labeled correctly.
Refinery Explosion Injuries
Refinery explosions are often big. They can cause multiple people to be catastrophically injured or killed. These are some of the types of refinery explosion injuries that these sudden and shocking blasts can cause:
- Burns – Heat generated in chemical explosions is intense and can reach into the thousands of degrees.
- Traumatic brain injuries – Falls, flying objects, and other things can lead to head and brain injuries.
- Lung damage – Lung damage can result from breathing in smoke and chemicals.
- Damage to hearing – The noise from the explosion can cause hearing loss.
- Toxic gas poisoning – Gases in the air during and after a chemical blast can lead to toxic poisoning.
- Organ damage and fractures – These can occur from falls and other impacts, including being caught between equipment or objects.
- Cuts and puncture wounds – Flying debris or being slammed against sharp objects can lead to serious cuts and punctures.
Our Refinery Explosion Lawyer Understands What You are Going Through
Our compassionate lawyers from the Waldman Legal Group understand the trauma and confusion you are facing when you’ve been in a refinery accident. We have spent years providing support and legal guidance to workers in the oil industry who have been injured. Reach out to us to schedule a free consultation with one of our caring attorneys by calling (713) 688-4878. We will advise you about your options for filing an injury claim.
What to Do Following a Refinery Explosion Accident
Because explosions can cause life-threatening injuries, you may be taken to the emergency room. If your injuries were not considered an emergency, you should still seek immediate medical treatment. Serious injuries don’t always show up right away.
While undergoing treatment, follow all medical advice and don’t miss doctor’s appointments. Be sure to keep a file with your medical bills and records.
Write down everything you can remember about how the accident happened. If there were witnesses, write their names down and get contact information.
Also, consider keeping written or recorded track of how the accident has affected you on a daily basis. This record can include things such as your level of pain throughout the day and tasks you can no longer perform because of your injuries.
Call our Houston-based refinery explosion legal team. We will advise you about steps to take toward getting compensation for your injuries. Depending upon your employer and the facts involved, you may be entitled to both workers’ compensation benefits and compensation in a legal claim.
Refinery Explosions and Workers’ Compensation Insurance
If you are covered under workers’ compensation insurance, file a claim through your employer. It can be valuable to have legal guidance during the claim process. Your employer’s workers’ comp insurance company may try to deny you coverage if the claim isn’t filled out correctly or in a timely way.
Depending on the details of the accident, you may be able to get both workers’ comp for medical expenses and a portion of lost wages, as well as money through a third party lawsuit. Generally, you can’t sue your employer who provides workers’ comp. However, if your spouse, parent, or child is killed as the result of the employer’s gross negligence, you can pursue a legal claim outside of the workers’ comp system. If a third party’s negligence led to the explosion, they can be held liable. A third party could be a contractor, an equipment manufacturer, a materials manufacturer, or even a product designer.
And even if you work for an employer who does not provide workers’ comp, you can hold these other responsible third parties accountable.
Every case is different. An experienced refinery explosion injury lawyer can help you understand your potential legal claims.
Call a Top Refinery Explosion Lawyer from Waldman Legal Group
When you or your loved one left for work on the day of the accident, you had no idea of the trauma that was to come. But due to another party’s negligence, your life has been changed forever. We work hard to help restore your life as much as possible by getting you maximum compensation for your injuries.
At Waldman Legal Group, our seasoned oilfield accident lawyers understand how to successfully hold big oil and other parties accountable when workers are negligently injured or killed. Call us to schedule a free consultation about your case at (713) 688-4878. We work on contingency, so we don’t get paid unless you do.
