Injuries from an Explosion Accident at Work

explosion injury at workExplosions are one of the most lethal types of work injuries that can occur at a workplace due to the amount of damage and the severity of injuries that an explosion can cause. Being injured by an explosion can be a difficult time for the victim and the loved ones of the injured victim. Furthermore, not knowing who how to get medical treatment or figuring out how to pay for treatment can be a confusing subject, especially when the insurance company is being difficult. Here we discuss what causes explosions at a workplace, injuries that can result because of the explosion, and how we can help. With a fighting legal team on your side, you can rest assure knowing we handle the entire legal process for you and we won’t stop until you get the settlement offer you deserve.

At the Anderson Law Firm, we take personal injury cases involving being injured at the job by explosions. Our award-winning attorneys have a strong record of winning their clients the compensation they deserve. If you or a loved one has been injured at the job because of an explosion, please feel free to contact the Anderson Law Firm today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation so you can be on the path of recovery without debt today.

What Causes Explosions at Work?

There are a variety of reasons why an explosion can occur at a workplace. Some of these causes include:

  • Improper or insufficient gas tank maintenance
  • Poor equipment maintenance
  • Control valves, lines, or meters that are defective
  • Digging through or puncturing gas pipelines
  • Incomplete assessments of gas line locations

All of these things have something in common: there was a failure to complete or properly complete a task that would have otherwise avoided the accident from occurring in the first place. This is referred to as “negligence”, something that we will discuss later in this article.

Explosions can be very dangerous because of the speed that they occur in. When an explosion occurs there is typically very little time to evacuate or brace for an impact, especially when it is something as quick as puncturing a gas line. As mentioned earlier, explosions can be very dangerous because of the material that is launched from the scene. For example, a propane tank that explodes can send the tank’s material into the air, which can then hit a worker. It is important to note that chemical materials, such as gases and liquids, can affect a worker through inhalation or skin contact, or it can cause a chain reaction of other explosions to occur, which in turn can cause injuries to those affected.

Injuries Caused by Explosions at Work

Workers that have sustained injuries caused by an explosion can be left with immense pain. These injuries should be cared for with the medical attention they deserve. Injuries caused by work explosions include:

  • Loss of limbs
  • Broken bones
  • Bodily and facial disfigurements
  • Loss of sight
  • Loss of hearing
  • Death

As mentioned in the previous section, explosions can send materials launching in the air that can impact and hurt a worker. Returning to the example of the exploding propane tank, if the explosion sends sharp pieces of metal to a worker, they can easily be severely cut or have part of their body torn off. If the explosion involved chemicals and gases and liquids come in contact with a worker’s eyes, then there is a risk of eye damage or even blindness.

As you can probably already tell, these injuries are not and should not be taken without immediate medical attention. While bodily damage might have already been done, there are still possibilities that further damage can be avoided.

Long-Term Disability from an Explosion

If a worker has suffered injuries that will affect their ability to work in the future, our attorneys would ensure that they get the right help and compensation for just that. For example, if a worker loses their ability to see or walk, either permanently or long-term, this would also affect their earning capacity. For this reason, our attorneys would make sure that any settlement amount takes into account medical care for the future, such as:

  • Assisted living expenses
  • Pharmaceutical expenses
  • Caregiver expenses
  • Physical therapy
  • Rehabilitative services

In personal injury cases involving explosions, it is very important for the injured to receive immediate medical attention. Not only will this give the victim the care they need, it will also establish a paper trail that will be useful when proving negligence.

Proving Negligence

In the beginning of this article we mentioned that negligence is a term used to refer to an action that a party could or could not have done that resulted in another party being injured. Hold on…what does this mean? Let’s look at an example. Let’s say a worker was tasked with drilling a hole on the ground to install a machine. The task starts off fine but all of a sudden there is a gas leak followed by an explosion. The worker becomes injured as a result. Upon investigation, it is found that his company was supposed to survey the land below first to ensure that there were no gas lines running under the operation site. Had they done this and discovered there were gas lines present, the worker would not have been ordered to drill. In this case, negligence, or the “fault” of the accident”, would fall on the worker’s company.

In a personal injury claim, the worker’s company (more specifically, their insurance company), would represent the company, while we represent the worker. Our attorneys would have the task of proving that the worker’s company was negligent and that the accident could have been avoided. This is done through the use of evidence and records. We would use any evidence and records that we find in relation to the accident, such as the worker’s medical diagnosis, records, and bills, as well as any record pertaining to previous accidents in the worker’s company, video footage, and so on.

Settlement Amount in a Work Explosion

The settlement amount depends on several factors, such as how badly the worker was treated, the insurance company’s policy limits, and whether or not the at-fault party is willing to cooperate. Settlement amounts related to explosions can vary from $10,000 to over $500,000. This is a broad range because each case is different and each case has its own value.

At the Anderson Law Firm, we treat every case with the care it deserves. Our legal team walks through every step of the personal injury claim, and we handle all of the paperwork for you so all you have to do is focus on one thing: recovering. If you want a legal team with a proven track of fighting for their client’s rights, then it might be time to call the Anderson Law Firm today.

Mark A. Anderson
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Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer in Fort Worth, Texas