Refinery Accidents – Personal Injury Lawyers
In March 2005, an explosion and fire at a sprawling BP oil refinery in Texas City — located about 35 miles south of Houston — killed 15 workers and injured more than 100 others in the worst industrial accident the U.S. has seen in decades. Texas City is also the site of the worst industrial accident in U.S. history: In 1947, a fire on a ship at the city’s docks led to an explosion that killed 576 people.
Houston is considered the energy capital of the world, with hundreds of thousands of workers employed in the region’s oil and gas refinery operations in and around the Texas Gulf Coast. The Texas Gulf Coast has a crude operable capacity of 4.035 million barrels of refined petroleum products per calendar day – 87.0 percent of the Texas total and 24.5 percent of the U.S. total.
The petrochemical industry is an inherently dangerous environment, where serious personal injury, property damage or wrongful death can occur in the event of a catastrophic accident or explosion. If you or a loved one has been involved in such an accident.
The most common causes of catastrophic explosions at oil refinery, gas extraction, gas processing and chemical plant facilities include:
Improper maintenance
Improper repair
Defective products
Improper safety systems
Violations of industry codes, standards and practices
Improper training
Operator error
These accidents can result in severe injuries that in some cases could have been prevented: burns (fire, steam and chemical); electrocution; chemical and toxic gas exposure; explosive trauma; respiratory disorders; falls and safety restraint failure; as well as wrongful death.
In the state of Texas, the owner of the petrochemical facility and each of its subcontractors and other service providers are potential defendants in a catastrophic or explosion case. Their roles and conduct in maintenance, repair, shutdown or startup must be investigated and examined to determine if there were violations to safety and environmental guidelines and regulations.
If you or a loved one has been injured while working in the oil and gas industry in TX region, our attorneys can help. You may be eligible for compensation for medical bills, physical and mental anguish, disability and loss of income to heirs (in the case of a wrongful death). Our firm individually reviews your unique situation to promptly inform you as to whether or not you have a case.
If you or a loved one has experienced a serious personal injury or wrongful death at a refinery or petrochemical plant, please contact our office today.