Beaumont Plant Explosion Attorney

Beaumont is the historical home of the petrochemical industry in the United States, and today, it remains one of the most pivotal locations in the American oil and gas industry. Thousands of people in the Beaumont area work in local plants, and it is vital to understand the risks that accompany this type of work. If you were recently harmed in a workplace explosion, it is vital to consult a Beaumont plant explosion attorney as soon as you can.

Experienced Legal Counsel for Plant Explosion Claims in Beaumont, TX

Renick Law Firm, PLLC, can provide the client-focused and responsive legal representation you need during your recovery efforts following a plant explosion in Texas. Throughout the years of our firm’s operation, we have helped many past clients secure compensation for all types of work-related injuries. This recovery process sometimes entails workers’ compensation claims, while other cases require filing personal injury or wrongful death suits.

Whatever your situation demands, you can rely on our team to provide comprehensive legal support through all stages of your case. We know how damaging and traumatic any type of plant or refinery explosion can be and that you are likely to have many important legal questions about your recovery options. Whatever your case entails, trust Renick Law Firm, PLLC, to provide ongoing support through all the stages of your recovery efforts.

Benefits of Working With a Beaumont Plant Explosion Attorney

It is technically possible for an injured worker to pursue recovery on their own, as there is no legal requirement in Texas for anyone in this position to hire legal representation. You have the right to file a workers’ compensation claim and/or personal injury suit on your own, but you must understand the risks that will come with this decision. You could encounter problems you will not know how to resolve alone or even accidentally jeopardize your case.

Hiring an attorney means you can rest and recover from your injury with peace of mind while your attorney handles your legal affairs for you. You will not need to manage your case and your medical issues all at once unassisted. You will be more likely to meet all the procedural requirements of your case on time, and your attorney is likely to uncover avenues of compensation you may not have realized you could claim.

Ultimately, it is always worth hiring legal counsel for a plant explosion injury claim in Texas. During your initial consultation with Renick Law Firm, PLLC, we can answer any questions you may have about your case, the legal services we provide, and what you can expect as your case unfolds. We will do everything we can to help you feel more at ease about facing the difficult proceedings ahead.

How Do Plant Explosions Happen?

An explosion at an oil or gas plant or petrochemical facility can happen in various ways. These facilities are generally required to have the most reliable safety systems installed, and every employee who handles dangerous systems must possess the appropriate level of training to perform their job safely. All employees must also adhere to applicable safety regulations at all times, and employers must enforce these regulations in good faith.

Plant explosions can happen due to unexpected equipment failures, faulty mechanisms, or various forms of negligence on the job. Employers and employees could face fault for an explosion if such an event occurs because they were careless on the job. After such incidents, those at fault are commonly penalized by regulatory agencies, and it is also possible for them to face civil liability for the resulting damages or even criminal charges.

Potential Injuries and Illnesses From Plant Explosions in Texas

Working in the oil and gas industry is inherently dangerous, as is working in any type of chemical refinery. Explosions are very dangerous, even if they are relatively small. However, any explosion has the chance to cause severe burns, broken bones, and various other traumatic injuries from flying debris. Additionally, these incidents present very serious health hazards from smoke and chemical inhalation.

It is possible for a plant explosion claim to involve acute traumatic injuries suffered within the blast radius of the explosion or from exposure to smoke and chemical fumes. These incidents often affect multiple victims, each of whom will have unique medical issues resulting from the incident. There have been several high-profile plant explosion cases throughout Texas over the years, resulting in multimillion-dollar settlements for the affected employees.

Depending on the nature of your work, your relationship with your employer, and whether they carry workers’ compensation insurance, your recovery may go many ways. You may be able to recover some compensation for your injuries through your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance and/or a personal injury claim. If your loved one died in a fatal plant explosion, you would likely need to file a wrongful death claim against whoever is responsible for the incident.

Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim in Texas

Texas law does not strictly require every employer to have workers’ compensation insurance, but all employers are required to follow Texas law when it comes to reporting workplace accidents and injuries. Workers’ compensation insurance can provide important benefits to an injured worker while shielding the employer from civil liability for their injury. If an employer does not have this insurance, the injured worker may have grounds for a personal injury claim.

If your employer does have workers’ compensation insurance, it is vital that you start the claim filing process as soon as you are able to do so. Your Beaumont plant explosion attorney can help gather all the documentation you may need to submit to the insurance carrier, and your attorney can be ready to address any unexpected disputes that arise against your claim. Once the insurer receives your claim, they will review it and then issue a determination of benefits.

Workers’ Comp Covers Medical Expenses and Disability Benefits

Workers’ compensation insurance will typically cover all of an injured worker’s medical expenses resulting from their workplace injury, including the cost of any future medical care they need to reach maximum medical recovery. Additionally, the injured worker can receive disability benefits each week until they are able to return to work. For most claimants, each payment will be roughly two-thirds of their average weekly wage.

Death benefits are typically available to a fatally injured worker’s family through the employer’s insurance carrier. Whether you are seeking compensation on your own behalf or on behalf of an injured loved one, it is vital that you have trustworthy legal counsel on your side. This will ensure that you are prepared to face the insurance company and properly address any unexpected issues that arise with your claim.

Filing a Personal Injury Claim for a Plant Explosion in Beaumont

If a specific party directly caused the plant explosion that injured you, or if your employer does not subscribe to workers’ compensation insurance, you will need to file a personal injury suit to recover your damages. Success with any personal injury claim in Texas requires accurate identification of the party who injured you, proof of the full extent of the damages they caused, and establishing the causation between their actions and your claimed damages.

The plaintiff can only file a personal injury suit if they suffered actual harm, meaning the incident caused tangible damages that could not have occurred from any other cause. Under Texas’ personal injury statutes, a plaintiff in a personal injury claim may be able to recover compensation for:

• Medical treatment costs, including the cost of all future medical care that they need to reach maximum medical improvement from their injury. The defendant could be liable for hospital bills, medication costs, and even the cost of ongoing in-home care the plaintiff requires as they recover.
• Lost income. If the plaintiff cannot work while they recover from their injury, the defendant who caused the injury is liable for the income the plaintiff cannot earn during this period. If you are able to claim workers’ compensation benefits, a personal injury suit may enable you to recover lost income that workers’ compensation insurance does not provide.
• Lost earning power. When a plaintiff has been permanently disabled by a defendant’s actions, the defendant could be liable for the future income the plaintiff is no longer able to earn. An experienced personal injury attorney can help their client accurately calculate these projected losses. This will require consideration of the claimant’s age, how long they would have expected to continue working, and many other factors.
• Pain and suffering. Texas law does not place a limit on how much a plaintiff can claim for their pain and suffering. While you may find it hard to assign a financial value to intangible damages such as physical pain, emotional distress, and psychological trauma, an attorney will know how to maximize this part of your case award. Most claimants seek several times the total of claimed economic damages in pain and suffering compensation.

You could recover a substantial case award if you can prove the defendant directly caused the explosion. It is also possible to have grounds for a personal injury claim as well as a workers’ compensation claim under certain conditions, and the personal injury claim can allow you to recover compensation for damages that your employer’s insurance carrier does not cover, such as your pain and suffering.

Most personal injuries result from negligence, but it is also possible for a personal injury to happen because of an intentional and illegal act. If this applies to your situation, the at-fault party will face criminal prosecution from the state as well as your civil suit. Your Beaumont plant explosion attorney can explain how such variables could influence your recovery.

Wrongful Death Claims Following Plant Explosions

Explosions can be deadly, and it is an unfortunate risk to the oil and gas industry that an explosion in the workplace could have fatal consequences. If you lost a loved one in a fatal plant explosion in Beaumont, you could have grounds to file a wrongful death suit. This is a type of personal injury claim filed in response to a fatal injury, and Texas enforces special laws pertaining to these claims.

Generally, the victim’s surviving spouse, children, and parents are first with the right to file a wrongful death suit. Alternatively, the personal representative of the deceased’s estate could file the claim. While a personal injury suit seeks compensation for the victim’s losses, a wrongful death claim aims to compensate the family of the victim for their loss and involves different damages.

What to Expect From Your Beaumont Plant Explosion Attorney

Whether you expect to file a workers’ compensation claim, a personal injury suit, a wrongful death claim, or a combination of legal claims in response to the plant explosion you recently experienced, the right attorney can be an invaluable asset for all the proceedings ahead. Your Beaumont plant explosion attorney can help gather the evidence you will need to prove liability for your damages and help you prove the full extent of those damages.

Renick Law Firm, PLLC, approaches every civil claim we accept with the goal of helping our clients uncover all available channels of compensation, enhancing their case award as much as Texas law allows. If your plant explosion occurred because your employer failed to address known safety issues or failed to abide by applicable industry regulations, we can ensure they are held appropriately accountable and recover your damages.

Whether you are seeking legal recourse on your own behalf or on behalf of a family member, we provide compassionate and detail-oriented legal counsel in every case we accept. We’ll answer your questions, help you meet important court filing deadlines, and do everything we can to guide you toward the results you hope to see.

Contact Renick Law Firm, PLLC, today to schedule your free consultation with a trusted Beaumont plant explosion attorney with your case. We can review the details of your recent accident and let you know how we can assist with your recovery.