Chemical Plant Explosions Claim: 7 Mistakes to Avoid

Jobs in chemical plants and refineries pay well, but they are also dangerous. Workers handle highly flammable materials, harsh byproducts, and high-pressure systems, meaning an ever-present risk of fires, explosions, or toxic leaks and spills.

In Texas, the booming oil business has also meant frequent industrial explosions, which often result in serious injuries, disabilities, or even death.

Workers caught in plant explosions often face high medical bills and lost wages.

Common causes of plant blasts include faulty equipment, improper chemical storage, and poor safety practices. Most industrial explosions can be prevented when companies abide by safety regulations. It’s when companies put profit above safety that they leave their workers exposed to great danger, including the risk of plant fires and explosions.

Workers injured in industrial explosions deserve proper compensation. However, obtaining compensation after a plant explosion can be challenging.

Your company will often try to avoid responsibility and deny you the financial compensation you deserve. If you don’t take the right steps, you may never get any payment for your injuries and losses. To avoid the pitfall of playing into your company’s hands, never sign paperwork without your lawyer present.

In this article, we explore the things you should avoid doing if you want to increase your chances of winning adequate compensation in a plant explosion case.

7 Mistakes to Avoid in a Plant Explosion Claim

1. Waiting Long Before Seeking Medical Attention

You must see a doctor immediately if you have been in a plant explosion. Do this even if you sustained only minor injuries or believe you were not hurt.

Being caught up in an industrial explosion can cause an adrenaline surge in your system. This can mask the pain from your injuries and make you feel fine even though you are seriously hurt. In many cases, it can take days before you feel the full extent of your injuries.

Your company can cite your failure to seek immediate medical attention as grounds to dispute your injury and deny your claim.

Don’t fall into this trap. After the explosion, request a thorough medical evaluation. This will help confirm and document your injury to support your claim.

2. Destroying Important Evidence

Whether you get compensated after a plant explosion and the amount you receive depends on the strength of your case. In order to build a strong case, you require strong evidence.

In the case of a chemical plant or refinery explosion, the clothes you wore when the blast occurred can serve as strong evidence. Ensure you preserve those clothes and any other physical evidence.

3. Forgetting the Details of the Incident

Your account of the events may be needed in a plant explosion injury case. Providing conflicted accounts can undermine the strength of your case and deny you adequate compensation.

You can help your case by documenting what you saw or experienced before, during, and after the blast. Write down these details as soon as possible while they are still fresh in your mind.

If possible, document the scene with photographs and videos, capturing details relevant to your case. These include the condition of the plant and potential safety hazards.

Moreover, obtain the names and contact information of those who witnessed the blast. Witnesses can provide a firsthand account of the events and corroborate your version of events.

4. Sign Papers Before Consulting a Lawyer

After a chemical plant disaster, your company can pretend to be nice and make great promises about taking care of you. Don’t be fooled. The company has no incentive to act in your best interest at times like this.

All it is interested in is protecting its money and reputation, so it will seek opportunities to blame you for the blast or pay as little as possible. The company can get you to sign documents that will weaken your claim. Never sign any papers without consulting your lawyer first.

Also, don’t give a recorded statement or accept any special payment from the company before speaking to your lawyer.

5. Skipping the Doctor’s Appointment

Make sure to keep all your medical appointments and follow your doctor’s recommendations. Your company and its workers’ compensation provider can cite your failure to get medical treatment as reason to dismiss your claims or downplay the seriousness of your injuries.

6. Discussing Your Injury and Case On Social Media

Anything you, your family, or your friends post on social media regarding your condition may weaken your case and reduce your compensation. For example, your company and its workers’ compensation provider can look at social media photos, comments, and location check-ins to downplay the severity of your injuries.

You must also avoid discussing your case with friends or those uninvolved in it. Don’t share the names or contact information of your friends or family members. Your company and its insurer can seek out these people and get them to say things that may hurt your claim.

7. Delaying Action and Missing the Statute of Limitations Deadline

When it comes to seeking compensation after a plant explosion, time is of the essence. You should start the legal process of pursuing compensation from the responsible parties as soon as possible. Otherwise, you might never see any payment for your injuries and losses if you let the statute of limitations expire before you act.

In Texas, you have only two years from the date of the plant blast to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you miss this deadline, you may lose your legal rights to demand compensation in an industrial explosion case.

Don’t Face the Problem Alone

Although your company may have workers’ compensation insurance to take care of you following a plant explosion, getting paid is never easy. The company will almost always deny responsibility for the blast to avoid having its insurance rates go up. Moreover, paying you is the last thing insurance companies want to do after an industrial explosion.

After an industrial blast, you may face serious health and financial challenges. In this case, it pays to have a good lawyer on your side. An experienced refinery explosion lawyer can help maximize your compensation by identifying and going after all the at-fault parties, not just your company.

If you were injured in a refinery blast, you may be compensated for medical expenses, missed paychecks, and disabilities. Where the explosion caused the death of a worker, the surviving family members can seek compensation for funeral expenses and lost financial support.