Texas is home to the largest number of refineries in the United States, including the Motiva refinery in Port Arthur, which is the largest refinery in North America, and other large refineries located on the Texas Gulf Coast, including those in Baytown, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Houston and Pasadena. These refineries process a number of different chemicals and require regular maintenance by outside contractors. In the past few years more and more workers have been injured or killed in explosions or  various other refinery incidents.

For example, major explosions in Texas have occurred at the following refineries, among others:

• The Valero plant explosion in Texas City in April 2018
• The 2017 fire at the ExxonMobil refinery located near downtown Beaumont
• The Arkema 2017 explosion of tanks in Crosby, near Houston
• The explosion in 2017 at the Valero Port Arthur refinery
• The BP explosion in its Texas City refinery in 2005, which killed 15 workers and injured 180 others
• The May 2018 explosion at the Kuraray America plant in Pasadena, reportedly injuring over 20 workers
• The explosion at the Phillips 66 refinery in its Houston Chemical Complex in 1989 killing 23 and injuring 314
• The West Chemical explosion in 2013, leaving 15 dead

In many of these types of cases, innocent workers are killed or seriously injured and must deal with the consequences of their traumatic injuries for the rest of their lives. Injured workers in these cases may assume they are entitled to limited medical and compensation benefits through their employer’s insurer, but many times they actually may have a claim for additional compensation if their injuries are caused by the negligence of others or failure of equipment manufactured or maintained by other parties.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an accident in a chemical plant, you will want to contact an experienced Houston chemical refinery injury lawyer for assistance with handling your legal claim. The Law Office of Richard Schechter, P.C. can review your case and answer all of your legal questions when you call (800) 734-5612 or fill out an online contact form to set up a free consultation.

Are these accidents common?

According to the Office of the Texas Governor, thousands of employees are employed in various refineries besides those dedicated to petroleum. Other industries include:

• Basic Chemical Manufacturing
• Petrochemical Manufacturing
• Resin, Rubber & Synthetic Fibers
• Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing
• Paint, Coating & Adhesive Manufacturing
• Cleaning Compound & Toiletry Manufacturing
• Other chemical Manufacturing
• Plastics Product Manufacturing

The Texas Tribune reported in 2015 that Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) data relating to refinery deaths had long been misleading because of the number of contractors killed who were not included in federal totals. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) began tracking contractors’ deaths at refineries in 2011, but the Tribune said the agency still misses incidents.

Dealing with refinery accidents

There are a variety of ways someone can be injured or even killed while working at a chemical plant.  Often workers suffer serious injuries like exposure to toxic chemical or fumes, burns or damage to the spinal cord or discs providing stability in our backs and necks. Even when the injuries may not seem serious at first it is important to be evaluated by qualified medical personnel because even the smallest burns or injuries can progress and become major health problems if not properly treated. Thus, the first thing a someone injured in a chemical plant should do is seek medical attention.

Prompt medical care is important, first and foremost, to make sure all injuries are properly diagnosed and treated, as well as to ensure a medical record is created shortly after an accident to protect an injured person in the event the negligent party’s insurer attempts to claim the injuries were not really serious or never even occurred.

it is important to understand that the insurance companies handling these types of injury claims all share the same goal: Pay as little as possible to resolve the claim. In order to do this, many insurers will have agents feign concern and express a willingness to work with victims when the actual intent is to try and get a victim to say things that ultimately damage his or her claim.

The Law Office of Richard Schechter, P.C. handles chemical refinery accidents, and most other personal injury cases, on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay us absolutely nothing unless we get you a monetary award.

Richard Schechter is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and as a Board Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He has been representing injury victims in the Houston area and across the STate of Texas for more than three decades.

Contact a Houston Chemical Refinery Injury Lawyer

While every case is different, most of the time proving a negligence claim will involve the following elements:

• The defendant owed a duty of care to the victim;
• The defendant breached that duty of care;
• That breach of care caused the victim’s injuries; and
• Those injuries caused damages to the victim.

Chemical refinery incidents are complicated because more than one party may be at fault. Even if a particular company is negligent, a victim’s injuries may have been worsened by the actions of another company on the jobsite, such as a subcontractor. Or, if a defective product or device is involved, that may mean the manufacturer of that product or device is liable.

Unfortunately, dealing with a chemical refinery accident comes with its fair share of challenges. It’s always a good idea to have a plan, and the Law Office of Richard Schechter, P.C. can give you the assistance and help you need. Our firm will be committed to helping you achieve the most favorable possible outcome to your case. We will fight to get you every last dollar of compensation to which you are entitled.

You only have a limited amount of time to take legal action, so do not delay in contacting the Law Office of Richard Schechter, P.C. Call (800) 734-5612 or contact us online contact to have our attorney provide a complete evaluation of your case during a free consultation.