Plant and Refinery Explosion Lawyer Houston, Texas

Plant and Refinery Explosion Lawyer Houston, Texas

Texas is a global leader for chemical plants and refineries. As workers handle volatile chemicals, converting hazardous raw materials into products of value like crude oil into gasoline, the engineering process relies heavily on safety protocols and up-to-date equipment and machinery. If a single system fails, like a rusted pressure valve or employees placing chemicals in the wrong container, the results can be disastrous. 

Plant and refinery explosions can take out the plant itself and anything nearby. Sometimes toxic fume clouds are released over a city, causing repercussions that could be felt for decades. At Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, our plant and refinery explosion lawyers in Houston, Texas, have extensive experience protecting victims’ rights. 

Explosions in refineries and plants usually cause catastrophic damage and death. If you or someone you know has been injured due to the neglectful actions of another, contact our plant and refinery explosion attorneys today. You can contact us by clicking here or calling 713-244-5477.

What Can Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner Do for You?

At Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, our Houston plant and refinery explosion attorneys have extensive experience. With over 70 years of practice, Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner is the oldest trial law firm in Texas. 

Plants and refineries are all over our great state. In fact, Texas leads the nation in petroleum refining and chemical products manufacturing. Other plant and refineries include;

• Basic chemical manufacturing
• Petrochemical manufacturing
• Resin, rubber, and synthetic fibers
• Agricultural chemical manufacturing
• Paint, coating, and adhesive manufacturing
• Cleaning compound and toiletry manufacturing
• Chemical preparation manufacturing
• Plastics product manufacturing  

Plants and refineries have the difficult job of dealing with hazardous and volatile components. While safety should be a top priority, sometimes the negligence of a person, company, or third party can cost lives. If you have been injured in a plant and refinery explosion, the highly sought lawyers at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner are here for you. Our vast experience includes representing:

• Watson Grinding and Manufacturing Company:  

The January 24, 2020 petrochemical equipment manufacturing plant explosion in Houston, Texas

• CITGO Petroleum Corporation: 

The December 5, 2019 refinery explosion in Corpus Christi, Texas

• TPC Group (Formerly known as Texas Petrochemicals): 

The November 27, 2019 chemical plant fire and explosion in Port Neches, Texas

• ExxonMobil Corporation and ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company:

The July 31, 2019, chemical plant fire and explosion in Baytown, Texas

• KMCO, LLC :

The April 2, 2019 chemical plant fire and explosion in Crosby, Texas

• ITC (Intercontinental Terminals Company):

The March 17, 2019 tank farm fire in Deer Park, Texas

• Kuraray America, Inc.:

The May 19, 2018 refinery plant fire and explosion in Pasadena, Texas

• Valero Energy Corporation:

The April 19, 2018 refinery plant explosion in Texas City, Texas

• Linde Gas North America LLC, Houston Controls Incorporated and Therman Incorporated:

The February 14, 2018 chemical plant fire and explosion in La Porte, Texas

• Arkema, Inc.:

The August 31, 2017 and September 3, 2017 chemical plant explosions in Crosby, Texas

• Sunoco Pipeline, L.P. Carber Holdings, Inc. and Cleveland Integrity Services, Inc.:

The August 12, 2016 pipeline fire and explosion in Beaumont, Texas

Our services also extend to those who have lost loved ones to related disasters. While no amount of compensation can make up for the loss, it can help ease financial and personal burdens related to the incident. Our dedicated attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner are here for you and your family in your time of need. 

Who is Liable in a Plant and Refinery Explosion in Houston?

Often, plant and refinery explosions do not have a single clear-cut liable party. Instead, after an investigation, it becomes apparent multiple parties may share responsibility for the tragedy. At Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, we believe plant and refinery victims deserve justice. Our resourceful Houston plant and refinery explosion lawyers will uncover all those who should be held accountable. Some parties that may be liable for your injuries are:

• The owner of the plant and refinery company
• The operator of the plant and refinery company

Sometimes, plant and refinery explosions in Texas are the result of a third-party’s carelessness. Some third-parties could include:

• Contractors from other companies on site
• Maintenance crews who tend to the plant’s equipment
• Inspectors who ensure the safety of the premises or equipment
• The manufacturers of plant and refinery equipment, including safety gear worn by workers

If you or someone you know has been injured due to the neglectful or careless actions of another, our Houston plant and refinery explosion attorneys can secure the compensation you deserve. 

Will I Be Able to Afford a Houston Plant and Refinery Explosion Attorney?

Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner will fight for your rights. 

We do not charge any legal fees unless we are successful in recovering compensation on your behalf.

Plant and refinery explosion victims suffer great hardships. After the blast, most victims face a lengthy recovery. Explosions cause significant damage with catastrophic injuries. Medical expenses begin to pile, including:

• The ambulance ride to the hospital
• Diagnostic testing
• Surgery or multiple surgeries
• Anesthesia 
• Time in the intensive care unit
• Hospital stay
• Skin grafting for severe burns
• Physical therapy
• Plastic surgery for burns or scarring 
• Occupational therapy
• Prosthetics if a limb or limbs were lost
• Pain management

Plant and refinery explosions can cause serious, life-long injuries, creating a prolonged financial burden on the victim and their family. It is important that damages are recovered as soon as possible. At Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, our goal is to ensure plant and refinery explosion accident victims gain control of their lives by securing the compensation they deserve. Call us toll-free at 888-229-5094 for a free consultation. 

What Will a Texas Plant and Refinery Explosion Attorney Do?

Our Texas plant and refinery explosion lawyers are among the most successful legal teams in plaintiffs’ trial law in Houston. We believe that our continued achievements are due to our attorneys’ skills, experience, and resources. At Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, we will guide you through the process of recovering damages. 

Investigation:

First, we will investigate every aspect of your case. Our skilled attorneys will find the responsible party or parties so that they can be held accountable for your injuries. Obtaining critical evidence can be challenging. At Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, we have the resources you need to acquire essential pieces of evidence to maximize the settlement you deserve.

A Guiding Hand:

From start to finish, plant and refinery explosion cases can be a lengthy process. It is common for claims to take several months or even years to resolve. Our Houston explosion accident attorneys are dedicated to helping clients and their families. We will navigate you and your family through the process while preparing your case.  

The Answers You Deserve:

Often, plant and refinery explosion victims are left with many questions. How did this happen? Was the manufacturing equipment faulty? Did the company carelessly cut corners? Was the equipment inspected? At Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, we believe our clients deserve answers. Our plant and refinery explosion injury attorneys in Houston, Texas, have the skills and resources to give you the closure you need to move on with your life. 

What Kind of Settlement Can I Expect for My Injuries? 

Every plant and refinery explosion case is unique. Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner have been protecting explosion victims for decades. Since 1951, we have handled some of the most prominent plant and refinery explosion cases in Texas, including:

• Taking the lead role in a steering committee on behalf of 270 injured victims. After a plant explosion, Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner settled the case at nearly $80 million.
• When 45 people were affected by a plant fire and explosion, our firm successfully represented them in a steering committee that saw $50 million in damages recovered.  

Plant and refinery explosions affect employees and the surrounding neighborhoods. Nearby families have lost their homes, usually suffering traumatic injuries in the process. If you or someone you love has been injured due to a plant and refinery explosion in Texas, let Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner recover the damages you are owed.

How Do Plant and Refinery Explosions Occur in Houston?

Texas is a global leader, boasting some of the most well-known plants and refineries in the industry. When working with hazardous and combustible materials, employees rely on the safety of their equipment, gear, and company policies to ensure they make it home at the end of the day. There is no room for careless or negligent mistakes. 

Many different factors can play a part in a plant and refinery explosion. At Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, our staff is dedicated to exposing all parties responsible. Some of the most reasons for a plant and refinery explosion are:

• Improper maintenance of equipment and heavy machinery can cause catastrophic damage. Ensuring pressure valves, boilers, alarms, and storage tanks are well maintained and replaced when needed is essential. Plants and refineries are full of corrosive material. It is inevitable that equipment and machinery will wear down after daily use. Oxidation will weaken and corrode important features.
• Chemicals are volatile and require attention to detail, especially when combined. Despite the strict safety guideline for chemicals, sometimes they are improperly mixed. The results can be deadly. Also, impure or dirty chemicals can cause explosions. Modern plants and refineries use pure chemicals and achieve them through a chemical or physical process. If a careless act allows impurities to remain, the subsequent contamination can lead to a defective product or set off an explosive chain reaction.
• Volatile materials must be stored properly and according to code to prevent disaster. Chemicals can become unstable if they are not kept at the correct temperature, exposed to too much moisture in the air, or if put in the wrong container. Even exposure to the fumes of other substances can set off an explosion. 

For example, when crude oil is refined into gasoline, the end process is very flammable, giving off strong vapors.

• One of the most significant contributors to plant and refinery disasters is human error. In an age where technology is replacing many hands-on labor tasks, workers must carefully watch and monitor multiple systems. Suppose an employee is not trained properly or training is so specific that other vital sections of the plant are ignored. In that case, they may miss the warning signs of an impending disaster. 

When you are injured in a plant and refinery explosion due to the negligence or carelessness of another, Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner will be by your side. Call today. 

What Injuries Can a Plant and Refinery Explosion Cause? 

Plant and refinery explosions cause some of the most catastrophic and life-altering injuries the human body can withstand. A common misconception is that the primary blast is responsible for the majority of the damage. However, the medical community notes that there are four main ways a person can sustain injuries during an explosion.

Primary Blast Injuries

The initial stage of an explosion causes a blast wave to move through the body, resulting in the internal organs filling with too much air. 

• Blast brain can occur even without any direct injury to the head. Victims experience fatigue, confusion, amnesia, loss of consciousness, and headaches.
• When a blast wave hits the eyes, it can cause bleeding, decreased vision, blindness, painful swelling, and contusions.
• Lungs can suffer massive trauma when they rapidly fill with hot air, causing a severe cough and chest pains. Victims may need oxygen or a ventilator for an extended period of time.
• Ears are sensitive and have a tiny bone that can be broken, fractured, dislocated, or shattered. Bleeding from the ear is a sign of blast ear and can lead to permanent hearing loss. 
• The abdomen holds the most vulnerable organs. When a forceful blast of air strikes the body, organs can be perforated, causing a victim to bleed out internally. 
• The heart is a susceptible organ to explosion damage. Blast injuries cause chest pains, hypotension, cardiac arrest, and decreased pulse pressure. Damage to the heart is the leading cause of death among blast victims. 

Secondary Injuries:

Plants and refineries are full of equipment and other objects that become projectiles during an explosion. Secondary blast injuries result from the debris striking, impaling, or piercing victims. Debris can be propelled even faster than a bullet. Fragments of machinery and equipment can break bones, cause dislocations, fractures, and soft tissue damage. When rubble collides with an explosion victim, the head and neck are the most vulnerable to fatal injuries.

Tertiary Injuries

While secondary blast injuries refer to debris being thrown, tertiary blast injuries describe a person being propelled through the air. Victims can crash into walls, machinery, equipment, and the ground. While some explosion accident victims experience bruising and lacerations, others experience life-threatening crush injuries.

• Tertiary injuries can fracture skulls, leading to traumatic brain injuries. These can result in temporary to permanent brain damage.
• Bones can be broken and dislocated. The pelvis, chest, abdomen, and spine can be crushed against walls or the ground.
• Even if the head is not directly struck, the experience of being thrown can cause the membranes and tissues attaching the brain to the skull to be shaken loose. The resulting brain damage can cause personality changes, memory loss, and the inability to perform day-to-day activities, like dressing or feeding oneself. 

Quaternary Injuries

Plant and refinery explosions are usually caused by hazardous chemicals. Quaternary blast injuries are the result of fire, fumes, radiation, smoke, dust, toxins, biological agents, and environmental exposure. Usually, a victim’s psychological damages are attributed to quaternary injuries. Open wounds from debris can become contaminated and lead to horrific consequences.

• An explosion victim can become severely ill, even later in life, due to the contaminants in the air or radiation poisoning.
• Extreme heat or cold can also cause severe environmental injuries during or in the aftermath of an explosion.
• Inhaling smoke, dust, and dangerous fumes can do irreparable damage to the lungs and respiratory system. This can result in death or leave a victim with life-long breathing problems.
• The most common quaternary injuries in a plant and refinery explosion are burns. Chemical burns can cause third- and fourth-degree burns, resulting in permanent nerve damage and disfiguring scarring. 

At Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, our experienced Houston plant and refinery explosion injury attorneys understand the devastating effects blast injuries can have on a person and their family. It is also important to note not all injuries are present directly after an explosion. Some injuries can have delayed symptoms. Often, delayed injuries have deadlier consequences if a victim is not able to receive immediate medical care. Some delayed injuries from a plant and refinery explosion are;

• Pulmonary contusions, or a bruised lung, from the primary blast can take up to 48 hours to show symptoms, including coughing, chest pains, and difficulty breathing. 
• Intestinal perforation, or tears in the big and small intestines, happen when the body is hit by a blast wave. Internal bleeding and bruising may take a few days before symptoms show. An explosion victim may start vomiting blood, have rectal pain, or stomach rigidity. 
• Heart damage is deceptive after an explosion. Most victims do not present with any symptoms for several hours to days. However, heart damage is one of the most deadly outcomes. If you or someone you love has recently survived an explosion in a plant or refinery, pay special attention to any pain or discomfort in the chest or changes in blood pressure.
•  Sometimes debris from a blast wave moves too fast, making the external damage to the body seem small and minuscule. However, like a bullet, the internal damage of puncture wounds to organs can prove fatal. 

When you or someone you love has suffered injuries due to the careless actions of a person or company, our Houston plant and refinery explosion injury attorneys will fight to secure the compensation you deserve. 

Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner IS Here for You

Our plant and refinery explosion injury lawyers in Houston, Texas, are standing by to fight for your rights. If you have been affected by a refinery or plant explosion, Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner has the skills, experience, and resources you need to recover damages. Compensation can include;

• Complete coverage of medical expenses
• Loss of future earning potential
• Lost income if you cannot work
• Pain and suffering damages
• Loss of quality-of-life damages
• Loss of companionship or consortium damages
• Possible punitive damages if the responsible party was grossly negligent.

Plant and refinery explosions cause extensive damage, often altering victims’ lives forever. When you need answers, closure, and the financial means to move on with your life, the dedicated attorneys of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner are here for you. 

Contact our esteemed attorneys today for a free consultation by clicking here or calling 713-244-5477.