Earlier this year, two people were killed and at least 20 others were injured after an early morning explosion at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing rocked a northwest Houston neighborhood. Officials say an electrical spark caused a leak in a 2,000-gallon tank containing highly flammable propylene gas. The blast damaged more than 450 surrounding residential and commercial structures.
Since then, hundreds of claims have been filed against the company, alleging that their failure to properly store dangerous chemicals and maintain equipment at the facility was the cause of the blast. Victims are demanding answers for their injuries and the resulting damage to their homes and businesses.With the highest concentration of chemical plants and refineries in the nation, industrial explosions are a common threat to public safety in southeast Texas. Unfortunately, victims of these explosions are often left behind by Big Oil to face mounting medical bills, loss of income, emotional and physical trauma, and property damage repairs with nowhere to turn. If you’ve been injured or your property sustained damaged in an industrial explosion it’s imperative that you contact a Texas personal injury lawyer as soon as possible in order to secure the compensation you deserve.
Why Do I Need an Attorney So Quickly After an Explosion?
Taking legal action against Big Oil and other companies can be extremely difficult. Most of them are protected by insurance companies and legal defense teams whose main goal is to avoid liability at all costs. At the very least, the insurance providers will do whatever it takes to convince you to settle for as little money as possible — and do so as quickly as possible. Even more disheartening, they’ll do their best to make it look as though you caused the accident.
If you’ve been injured by an explosion, it’s likely you’ve suffered serious injuries and are facing costly medical bills on top of your inability to work. It’s important that you take swift action against those who responsible to ensure you receive just compensation and prevent these corporations from harming others in the future. Remember, here in Texas you have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim. Because it takes time to collect evidence and gather expert witness testimony, the sooner you contact a personal injury attorney — the better.
How Will My Lawyer Help Me?
For many reasons, cases involving explosions and fires can be especially challenging. If, though, you’ve been injured because of someone else’s negligence, taking legal action in a personal injury claim is the best way to get the justice and compensation you deserve.
Here are the steps your personal injury attorney will most likely take.
- Launch a complete investigation of the explosion. Even if much of the evidence has been destroyed by the blast, an attorney with experience in handling explosion cases will know what to look for.
- Determining your compensation. While no amount of money can properly compensate you for the trauma and horror you’ve faced from being injured by an explosion, it’s the only way the courts can place a value on your injuries. Your attorney will base the amount on your injuries, medical bills you’ve already received, and the costs for further treatment. It may also include the time you’ve missed from work and any decrease in your ability to earn a living.
- Gather testimony from expert witnesses. Beyond the testimony of actual witnesses of the explosion, your attorney will also collect opinions from industry expert witnesses, doctors, and others.
- Begin settlement negotiations. While your attorney continues to build your case, talks of a settlement will begin. Although it’s true that most personal injury cases do not go to trial, you need an attorney who is not scared of taking your case to court if a settlement cannot be reached. You should let your attorney handle the settlement negotiations on your behalf. The insurance provider of the person or company who caused the explosion is a professional negotiator. It only makes sense that your attorney negotiates for you.
An explosion is a physically and emotionally traumatizing experience. Don’t let Big Oil get away with negligence. With our explosion injury attorneys on your side, you can focus entirely on your recovery while we work tirelessly on your case get you the compensation and justice you deserve. Contact us today for a 100% FREE case evaluation.
