Being involved in an explosion at a plant or refinery is a frightening and overwhelming experience. You may suffer a serious injury, permanent disability and expensive medical bills. If you suffered an injury or a loved one died in this type of disaster in Austin, Texas or the surrounding areas, Hill Law Firm can help. Our attorneys are passionate about helping injured workers piece their lives back together. We will guide you through each step of the recovery process.
Austin Plant & Refinery Explosion Resources
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Why Hire Our Attorney?
How Our Lawyer Can Help
Why Do Plant & Refinery Explosions Occur?
Potential Injuries Caused by Industrial Explosions
Possible Compensation Available in Your Case
What is the Statute of Limitations?
Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Call an Attorney
Why Hire Our Austin Plant & Refinery Explosion Lawyer?
- We have years of legal experience in personal injury and workplace accident law.
- Our law firm has a long track record of success, with millions won on behalf of our clients.
- Our attorneys are capable of taking plant and refinery explosion cases to trial, if necessary.
- We offer personalized legal services and provide one-on-one client care.
- We operate on a contingency fee basis, with $0 in fees charged upfront.
How an Austin Plant & Refinery Explosion Attorney Helps
It is not always easy to recover fair financial compensation for a plant or refinery explosion. Even if you did nothing wrong, your employer or the company’s insurance provider may try to avoid paying you. The oil and gas company may deny liability for the explosion to try to protect its own reputation, for example, or the insurance carrier may undervalue your losses to save money on a payout.
You may need to hire an Austin workplace injury attorney to help you with the legal process. A law firm can send investigators to the scene of the disaster to identify the cause of the explosion. From there, your attorney can identify the at-fault party or parties and pursue a claim to damages on your behalf. Your lawyer will not let an insurance company take advantage of you. He or she will search for all available legal remedies while you focus on recuperating.
Why Do Plant & Refinery Explosions Occur?
Identifying the cause of the plant or refinery explosion that injured you is one of the first steps for a personal injury lawsuit. You will need to understand who or what is responsible for this disaster to determine the correct defendant(s). This is the party from which you will be seeking financial compensation during a claim. Several issues are often behind plant and refinery explosions in Texas, including:
- An unsafe workplace
- A lack of proper safety protocols
- A buildup of flammable or combustible materials
- Violated federal safety standards
- Improper equipment maintenance
- Defective tools or equipment
- Metal or pipe corrosion
- Oil tank corrosion
- Insufficient employee training
- Hiring unqualified workers
- Failing to provide proper protective gear
- Human error
- Improper storage or labeling of dangerous chemicals
- Dirty or impure chemicals
- Natural disasters
Oil plant and refinery explosions can occur for numerous reasons. If employer negligence or human error is behind this type of catastrophe, victims and surviving family members may be eligible for financial compensation through workers’ compensation or Austin personal injury claims.
Potential Injuries Caused by Industrial Explosions
Unfortunately, when an explosion occurs at an oil refinery or plant, it is typically not minor. These are often catastrophic disasters that cause severe injuries and deaths. Some injuries are caused directly by the explosion, while others are secondary injuries or aftereffects. Common examples include:
- Bone fractures and crush injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Third-degree burns
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Face and eye injuries
- Hearing damage or loss
- Lung injuries from smoke or toxic fume inhalation
- Internal injuries and organ damage
- Losses of limb
- Cuts, scrapes and lacerations
- Disfiguring scars
- Emotional injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder
- Wrongful death
The attorneys at Hill Law Firm have years of experience representing clients with various bodily injuries and related losses from preventable accidents. No matter what type of injury you suffered in a plant or refinery explosion, we can help.
Possible Compensation Available in Your Case
If you qualify to file a workers’ compensation claim after an oil and gas industry explosion in Austin, you may receive financial benefits for your medical bills, partial lost wages, disability or the death of a loved one. You can recover these damages without providing proof of negligence, according to the rules of the workers’ compensation system. You may be eligible for greater financial compensation, however, through a personal injury claim. This could pay you for:
- Past and future medical care
- 100 percent of your lost wages
- Lost capacity to earn
- Disability
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Punitive damages, in some cases
Securing compensation through a workplace accident lawsuit in Texas requires compelling evidence of negligence. You may be able to hold your employer, the oil or gas company, a product manufacturer, a contractor, or another party liable for your injuries. An investigation conducted by Hill Law Firm can identify the appropriate defendant(s). Then, our attorneys can help you seek maximum financial compensation through all available legal remedies.
What’s the Statute of Limitations for Texas Plant & Refinery Accidents?
In Texas, state law gives you no more than two years to file a claim after a plant and refinery accident. This is the statute of limitations, or legal deadline, on most personal injury claims in Texas. There are exceptions, however, in unique circumstances. If you do not discover your injuries immediately, you will have two years from the date of reasonable discovery. If you wish to file a workers’ compensation claim, you must file the paperwork within one year. You also have just 30 days to report the accident to your employer.
Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit for a Fatal Explosion Injury
If you tragically lost a loved one in a deadly plant or refinery explosion in Austin, you can file a wrongful death claim on the individual’s behalf. You can hold one or more parties responsible for the fatal injury. An Austin wrongful death attorney will work to recover financial damages caused by your loved one’s death, such as funeral and burial costs, losses of income and inheritance, loss of consortium, final medical expenses, and grief or mental anguish.
Speak to an Austin Plant & Refinery Explosion Attorney Today
If you were recently injured or a loved one died in a plant and refinery accident in Austin or anywhere in Texas, find out how Hill Law Firm can help you during a free case consultation. We will listen to your story and let you know if you have the right to file one or multiple types of claims in pursuit of justice and financial compensation. Call (210) 960-3939 today.