Workers At Risk Of Physical, Mental Injury In Pipeline Explosions
Pipelines criss-cross North America, bringing critical liquids and gases from distant producers to manufacturers, shippers, and consumers across the continent. With pipelines' prevalence, though, comes the ever-present hazard of dangerous equipment failures and pipeline ruptures, which can expose nearby workers and the public to explosive blasts and toxic chemicals. Unfortunately, recent history has shown that pipeline accidents are all too common.
This week, two catastrophic pipeline ruptures resulted in back-to-back explosions in Texas. Both produced fatalities and injuries among workers at the blast sites.
On June 7, one person was killed and several others injured when a work.jpg)
crew assigned to dig holes for the installation of utility poles struck a 36-inch natural gas pipeline in a rural area some 50 miles southwest of Dallas. The explosion rocked the countryside, while the subsequent intense heat of the raging fire prevented emergency responders from approaching the site for some two hours.
The following day, another explosion erupted in the Texas panhandle near Darrouzett, just south of the state's border with Oklahoma. According to media reports, in that accident a bulldozer operator struck a natural gas pipeline as a work crew was removing clay from a pit for a dirt-contracting company. In the ensuing explosion, two men died and at least three others were injured.
The injuries to these workers, unfortunately, can be expected to be the same as those experienced by all types of industrial workers who are subjected to explosive blasts. They can include physical harm due to blast injuries (primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary), burns (first degree, second degree, or third degree), smoke inhalation (injury from potentially scorching air and toxic combustion byproducts), and broken bones and soft tissue injuries of all types and severities.
Accident victims also may suffer intense emotional injuries after being involved in or witnessing a horrific accident such as a catastrophic explosion. Many will suffer the anxiety condition known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which can require professional diagnosis and care to alleviate the potentially debilitating symptoms.
It's important that every victim of a pipeline explosion consult with a skilled and experienced industrial accident attorney. A lawyer familiar with industrial accident cases can promptly evaluate a victim's potential claims and advise about an accident victim's rights to seek fair compensation for harms suffered.
If you or a family member has suffered a serious injury due to a catastrophic event, call Arnold & Itkin LLP toll free at (866) 222-2606 or contact us online using the form on this page. We can provide a free evaluation of your case.
