When a person is injured in an explosion, it’s often the result of someone else’s negligence. Different types of accidents happen regularly in the United States, in a variety of industries. If you’ve been injured in this type of incident, it can be confusing to know where to turn. Fortunately, an explosion accident lawyer from Thomas Law Offices is prepared to evaluate your situation and determine if legal action is available to you.
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Types of Explosions
Explosions happen on land and at sea. To pursue the strongest claim possible for you, our attorneys need to have a comprehensive understanding of the accident you were involved in, in order to determine who should be held responsible and what you are owed. Some of the most common types of explosions include the following:
- Chemical plant explosions. The most famous chemical plant explosion was the Chernobyl meltdown. While not every chemical plant explosion has nuclear consequences, accidents still pose severe risks to workers.
- Fertilizer plant explosions. The ingredients used to create fertilizer are incredibly flammable, especially ammonium nitrate—which has been used as an oxidizing agent in many explosives. While there are strict safety regulations regarding fertilizer plants to reduce the risk of explosions and fires, those rules aren’t always enough.
- Land rig explosions. The oil and gas industry comes with a number of risks, including the possibility of explosions. Oil drilling involves highly-volatile materials, which increases the chances of a fire.
- Oil rig explosions. Proving liability for an oil rig explosion can be challenging because the company is often quick to point fingers and deny fault. Oil rigging involves dangerous substances and heavy machinery. When something goes wrong, an explosion is a real and dangerous possibility.
- Pipeline explosions. Pipelines are used to transport substances like oil and natural gas. Oil pipelines move crude or refined oil between oilfields and refineries, while natural gas pipelines carry natural gas to distributors so it can be sent to consumers. Pipeline failure is the primary cause of explosions.
- Plant and refinery explosions. Plant and refinery workers are at risk for an explosion accident on a daily basis. This is due to the inherent danger of working with certain chemicals and compounds.
No matter what type of accident you’ve been involved in, an explosion accident attorney is ready to stand up and fight for you.
Determining the Cause of an Explosion
Whether you were at work, home, or out and about when you were involved in an explosion accident, you’ll likely hear the at-fault company claim the event was a freak accident. They may imply that the explosion was spontaneous and unpreventable. However, it’s more than likely that the company responsible for making sure everything is operated as safely as possible failed. When that’s the case, that entity needs to be held accountable. Other potential at-fault parties include a property owner, the manufacturer of a defective piece of equipment, or a worker.
Common causes of explosions in all environments include aging equipment, poor safety practices, lack of employee training, and lack of safety equipment or tools. When equipment is old and poorly maintained, employees are already at a disadvantage. If those same employees are not appropriately trained because a company has poor safety practices and fails to provide safety equipment, the likelihood of something going wrong increases significantly.
In order to determine the cause of an explosion, your lawyer will conduct a thorough investigation. Depending on the blast’s location and who was involved, other entities, like local, state, and federal government organizations, could be involved as well.
Explosion Accidents and Injuries
Explosion injuries vary greatly and often depend on your distance from the accident at the time it happened. If you’re at the blast site, you could suffer injuries from over-pressurization, flying debris, being moved physically by the blast, or the worsening of a previously existing medical condition.
Some of the most common injuries victims of explosion accidents get include concussions, middle ear damage, lacerations, penetrating injuries, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, contusions, smoke inhalation, and burn injuries.
Even if you weren’t directly in front of the explosion when it happened, it’s essential to seek medical attention for a formal evaluation. If you have sustained injuries, you’ll want them documented to ensure you can recover financially from them if you choose to file a personal injury claim.
Filing a Claim After an Explosion Accident
If you’ve been in an explosion accident, seek medical attention immediately. After you’ve been seen and the chaos has settled, it’s time to get in touch with an attorney. We can help you understand your rights and options so you can make the best decision for your future. If you decide to pursue a claim, we’ll be by your side the entire way.
Depending on the nature of the situation, you may be able to settle outside of court. This means that you’d have access to the compensation you need after a series of negotiations with the negligent party. If that does not work, you have the option to proceed with an explosion accident lawsuit. Doing so can seem intimidating, but with the right lawyer by your side, you’ll understand and be able to trust the process.
In the event you’ve lost a loved one in an explosion, you also have the right to pursue a claim on their behalf. The compensation recovered can be used to manage end-of-life expenses and secure your family’s financial future.
Get Help From Thomas Law Offices
When an accident upends your life, you deserve the chance to recover as fully as possible. To do so, it’s likely you’ll need to file an injury claim. You’ll improve your chances of maximizing your compensation when you work with an explosion accident lawyer from Thomas Law Offices.
Our attorneys understand the challenges that come with recovering from serious injuries—especially if those injuries have resulted in a permanent disability. When you work with us, we’ll fight for your rights and take the steps needed to ensure you receive what you need to recover as fully as possible and re-establish some normalcy in your everyday life. To learn more about the claim process, schedule a case evaluation with our law firm today.
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