Undefeated Plant and Refinery Explosion Lawyers
Chemical plants and refineries play a pivotal role in the economic and industrial landscape of both Texas and Louisiana, making this region one of the most significant hubs for petrochemical and chemical manufacturing in the United States.
In fact, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Texas alone accounted for 42% of the nation’s refining capacity in 2022, while Louisiana accounted for nearly 1/6th of total capacity. Across the two states, it’s estimated that more than 130,000 people rely on refineries and chemical plants for their livelihoods, with most earning well above their state’s medium wage.
Unfortunately, these economic benefits also come with a downside.
Every year, hundreds of workers throughout Louisiana and Texas are severely injured, catastrophically burned, and even killed as a result of preventable accidents and explosions. Yet all too often, workers and their families are left to deal with the consequences of their injuries on their own, as plant owners and operators fight to avoid responsibility and pay as little as possible to those they’ve injured.
Contact our Undefeated Plant and Refinery Explosion Lawyers for a Free Consultation at 1-888-603-3636 or by Clicking Here
Our Undefeated Plant and Refinery Explosion Lawyers have won billions for thousands of workers and their families across Texas and Louisiana, consistently winning record-stetting verdicts and settlements against the biggest plant and refinery operators in the world.
- Williams Olefins Explosion in Geismar, Louisiana
- Williams Gibson Explosion
- BP Texas City Explosion
- BP Deepwater Horizon Explosion
- Imperial Sugar Refinery Explosion, and
- International Paper Refinery Explosion
If you or a loved one were injured or tragically killed in a plant, pipeline or refinery explosion, contact our Undefeated Plant Explosion Lawyers for a Free Consultation at 1-888-603-3636 or by Clicking Here.
All consultations are free and because we work on a contingency basis, you’ll pay nothing unless we win your case.
Injuries Commonly Caused by Plant and Refinery Explosion
Second and Third Degree Burns
Second and third degree burns often require long-term medical care and rehabilitation as a result of the extensive damage to the subnormal layers of the skin.
Traumatic Brain Injuries and Concussions
Brain injuries, which are often overlooked by physicians and most frequently caused by equipment and debris, can have widespread effects, impacting everything from memory and behavior to sight, taste and smell.
Fractures and Spinal Herniations in the Back and Neck
Although fractures and herniations in the back (lumbar spine) and neck (cervical spine) are some of the most common injuries in workers involved in industrial accidents, they are frequently overlooked by ER and family physicians who will often only perform X-rays, rather than MRIs.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is the most common and undiagnosed consequence of plant and refinery explosions, almost always gets worse if untreated, and typically causes nightmares, flashbacks, depression and severe anxiety, irritability, and substantial changes in mood, behavior and memory.
Our Clients are Treated by the Best Doctors and Medical Providers in the Country
Having successfully represented over 2,000 plant and refinery explosion victims across Texas, Louisiana and the United States, we understand that our client’s first and most important priority is to get better.
We also recognize that the company and their “workers compensation” doctors are more concerned with forcing our clients back to work than making sure they receive proper medical treatment.
That’s why our first step, in every case, is to make sure that our clients have access to the best doctors and medical providers in the country, including the top burn and reconstructive surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, and psychologists.
Why You Can’t Afford to Rely on Workers’ Compensation After a Plant or Refinery Explosion
After a plant or refinery explosion, many injured workers and their families assume that workers’ compensation insurance will take care of their medical bills and financial needs for as long as necessary.
Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.
In Texas, for example, those eligible for workers’ comp typically only receive between 40% to 60% of their average weekly wage. However, benefits are capped at a maximum of $971 per week, even when that’s less than 60% of the worker’s average weekly wage.
In Louisiana, injured workers receive only ⅔ of their average weekly wage up to a maximum weekly limit of $771 (as of 2023).
While there are some exceptions, workers’ compensation payments in Texas and Louisiana generally stop when:
- The company doctor determines that the injured worker has reached maximum medical improvement, which is the point when they will no longer benefit from additional medical treatment
- The injured worker returns to work
- The injured worker has received comp benefits for a total of 100 weeks in Louisiana or 104 weeks in Texas
In most cases, workers’ compensation doesn’t come close to covering the weekly wages an injured plant or refinery worker typically earns. There’s also a strong possibility that benefits will terminate before the worker is physically able to return to their job.
Most importantly, workers comp coverage DOESN’T compensate injured workers and their families for
- future medical expenses
- pain and suffering
- physical impairment
- mental anguish, or
- any of the other damages they can recover in a personal injury lawsuit.
What Injured Workers Should Do After a Plant or Refinery Explosion
Even if you are receiving workers’ compensation benefits following a refinery or plant explosion, you may still be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against your employer to recover the damages that are not covered by workers comp.
Louisiana, for example, allows workers to pursue additional compensation against an employer if they can prove their injuries were “substantially certain” to result from their employer’s negligent or gross negligence. This is typically established by demonstrating that your employer knew (or should have known) that their reckless conduct was extremely dangerous, but proceeded nonetheless.
A plant or refinery explosion often involves more than one at-fault party, such as an equipment manufacturer or a contractor. In these situations, injured workers or their families are entitled to file personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits, whether or not they receive workers’ compensation benefits. However, unless you take immediate steps to protect your rights after an explosion or accident, you could jeopardize your right to compensation in any of these scenarios.
- Seek Medical Attention: Injuries from explosions can be severe, and prompt treatment is essential. Even if you don’t think you were hurt, you may have sustained injuries that aren’t immediately apparent. Getting checked out at the nearest ER or Urgi-Care will ensure you have documentation of any injuries you might have suffered.
- Report the Incident: Report the explosion to your employer or supervisor immediately. This creates an official record of the incident and your injuries, which is important for workers’ compensation claims and any legal action you might later wish to pursue.
- Document the Scene and Preserve Evidence: If it is safe to do so, try to document the accident scene by taking photographs or videos. Save the clothes you wore and any other physical evidence in your possession. Don’t launder or alter anything, and store all evidence in a sealed plastic bag. If there were witnesses to the explosion or accident, write down their contact information.
- Record Your Account: As soon as possible, while your memory is fresh, write down or record your account of the accident or explosion. Include as many details as you can recall, even those that don’t seem particularly important.
- Follow Medical Advice: Comply with your healthcare provider’s instructions and recommendations for treatment and recovery. Failure to do so could hurt your credibility should you file a lawsuit. Be sure to maintain detailed records of all medical treatments, expenses, and interactions related to your injury, including co-pays for doctor visits and prescription medications.
- Don’t Discuss the Explosion or Accident: Anything you say or post on social media could be used against you in a lawsuit. Limit discussion of the incident and your injuries to your spouse and attorney.
Our Record-Setting Approach in Plant and Refinery Explosion Cases
We immediately assemble a team of the best engineers, safety experts and doctors in the country to determine why the explosion occurred, how it could (and should) have been prevented, and what it’s going to cost to make sure that you have the financial resources to take care for yourself and your family for the rest of your lives.
If the defendants refuse to offer a settlement that fully compensates you for all of your r injuries and losses, we’re ready to take the case to trial — where our lawyers remain undefeated.
This approach has been key to our success and has allowed our attorneys to repeatedly break records for our clients.
Most recently, for example, we obtained the #1 Largest Burn Injury Settlement in History for a client who suffered third-degree burns to 52% of his body during an oilfield blowout.
Less than one year earlier, our Plant Explosion Lawyers obtained a $100 Million settlement in connection with a major refinery explosion after defeating the plant owner’s attempt to limit our clients to less than $50,000 in workers’ compensation benefits. The settlement is one of the largest industrial accident settlements in history.
These victories have not only provided our refinery explosion attorneys with the experience, resources, and skills needed to take on the largest plant and refinery operators in the world but, more importantly, have ensured that our clients can provide for themselves and their families for the rest of their lives.
Contact Our Undefeated Plant and Refinery Explosion Lawyers for a Free Consultation at 1-888-603-3636 or by Clicking Here.
Our plant explosion lawyers will answer all your questions, explain your rights, and provide you with with the information you need to make the best decision for you and your family going forward.
There’s no commitment involved, and you won’t pay us anything unless we win your case.
Call 1-888-603-3636, use the Chat form on our website, or Click Here to send us a confidential email through our Contact Us form.