Our Refinery Explosion Lawyers were recently hired by a number of contractors who were injured during the fire at the Shell Chemical Plant in Deer Park, Texas.
Ryan Zehl, founder and managing partner, confirmed that the firm will be filing suit on behalf of the injured contractors in Harris County District Court.
Shell Deer Park Fire Burned for Three Days
The Shell Deer Park fire began around 3:00 pm on Friday, May 5th, when a leak ignited in the plant’s olefins unit during routine maintenance operations.
Although first responders managed to bring the blaze under control within a few hours, nearby residents reported strange, ominous rumblings coming from the facility late Friday evening and early Saturday morning.
The fire subsequently reignited on Saturday afternoon and continued to burn until Sunday night.
15 Workers Received Medical Treatment After Shell Deer Park Fire
It was initially reported that nine workers had been taken to the hospital for possible chemical exposure, including one who suffered serious burns to his face and arms from hot oil.
However, after almost three days of silence, a Shell representative finally acknowledged on Sunday that 15 workers had actually sought some form of medical treatment after the blaze.
It’s not clear what injuries the additional workers might have sustained.
Shell Chemical Plant Fire Raises Air, Water Quality Concerns
Air monitoring is continuing in the area around the Shell Chemical plant.
So far, officials maintain that no harmful levels have been detected and that there is no danger to Deer Park residents, despite the continuing likelihood of back smoke, flaring, and increased noise from the facility
“We’re not saying there weren’t no detections,” Kelly Cook, deputy director of the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality, said during Sunday’s media briefing, according to ABC-13. “We were saying any detections were very low and certainly well below any levels of concern.”
Shell also reported that runoff from the weekend’s firefighting efforts had exceeded the plant’s wastewater storage capacity, forcing wastewater to be directed to the Houston Ship Channel in a “controlled discharge.” While that operation has since ended, at one point, 11,000 gallons were being discharged to the channel per minute.
“We’ve asked them to collect water samples and make sure they had their booms in place, which they’ve done,” Cook said. “We’re also sampling, collecting our own samples as well.”
Contact Our Undefeated Houston Refinery Explosion Lawyers for a Free Consultation at 1-888-603-3636 or by Clicking Here.
Zehl & Associates’ Refinery Explosion Lawyers are continuing to investigate the incident and will provide updates as new information becomes available.
Our firm has a proven track record of success in connection with some of the largest oilfield and industrial accidents in history, having won billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for their clients, including a $90 million dollar settlement for a worker who was seriously burned during a workover in West Texas and a $75 million settlement for four workers who were injured during a previous olefins refinery explosion.
For more information, visit our results page or click here to see what our clients have said about their experience with the firm.
If you or a loved one were injured in the Shell Chemical Plant fire on May 5, 2023, call 1-888-603-3636, use the “chat” button on our homepage, or click here to send us a confidential email through our “Contact Us” form.