Oil Refinery Accident Lawyer

Oil refinery accidents are rare, but such accidents often have catastrophic consequences.

Someone once remarked that an oil refinery was “… an explosion waiting on an excuse to happen, to happen at exactly the wrong time, and to happen at exactly the wrong time in the worst possible location.” Since it is very unlikely that the nation’s demand for fossil fuel products will decrease in the immediate future, we will also be faced with the likelihood of yet another catastrophic refinery accident in our lifetime.

In addition to the environmental and economic effects of oil refinery accidents there is the human toll in injury, disability, and death that such disasters are known to cause. In many cases, the long-term consequences of these accidents will far exceed a family’s resources.

Causes of oil refinery accidents

The fact that there are relatively few major oil refinery accidents (those that result in a refinery being taken “offline” for at least three months) is a testimony to the rigorous planning that goes into the construction of modern refineries and the safety policies and procedures that are practiced once a refinery is placed in operation.

Unfortunately, there are far more refinery accidents that result in injuries to a single worker or, at most, a handful of workers. Among the factors that are known to contribute to refinery accidents at the facility-wide levels are:

• Incomplete daily facility maintenance / housekeeping

Most of us live in fear of a fire in our garage or on our back decks that is caused by a fire started by dry newspapers. incomplete cleaning of vents, or storage of household cleaning chemicals near sources of heat. Now imagine how deadly the same fire could be if it broke out in an area where several hundred thousand gallons of gasoline are stored!

• Failure to follow existing plant / OSHA safety regulations

Most refinery workers have a love / hate relationship with safety inspections and / or fire drills, particularly those required by Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Since the purpose of inspections and drills is to anticipate future problems, failure to regularly conduct emergency drills has often been cited as a factor in refinery accidents.

• Contaminated raw materials and incorrect storage of raw materials

Closely related to the above are fire or explosion accidents caused by impurities in raw materials or the improper storage of “clean” materials that could lead to a buildup of potentially toxic fumes in a work space.

• Compensation that may be available following an oil refinery accident

Compensation awarded after a refinery accident is usually of the same types that can be awarded in any workers’ comp case or property damage / loss claims following heavy transportation accidents. Since there are a number of injury or property damage claims that are unique to refinery or similar accidents, specific claims are best discussed with a refinery accident lawyer.

Contacting the oil refinery accident lawyer at the Doan Law Firm

The Doan Law Firm has successfully represented refinery workers who have sustained a variety of injuries. When you contact our oil refinery accident lawyer by calling our 24-hour refinery accident help line at (800) 349-0000, you initial consultation is always free and places you under no obligation to retain our firm.

We also realize that oil refinery accidents, particularly those that result in personal injury to a refinery worker that makes it difficult to return to work, can create significant financial burdens that can lead to even more hardships. These financial burdens often lead many injured workers to accept a fast settlement of their injury claim for an amount that is far less than what they are entitled to receive.

Should you decide that you would like for the Doan Law Firm to manage your refinery accident injury lawsuit, we are always willing to assume full responsibility for all financial expenses that may be required to prepare your case for trial in exchange for an agreed-upon percentage of the settlement that we will earn for you.

The Doan Law Firm 1 Riverway Suite 2500 Houston, Texas 77056 (832) 835-0000