Denham Springs Plant Explosion Injury Attorney

Heavy industry is the beating heart of Louisiana’s state economy. Whether they’re refining petroleum, processing chemicals, or manufacturing other materials, industrial businesses and their employees provide millions of dollars of value to the state’s economy and power our lives. Industrial jobs are also stable, good-paying careers for Denham Springs-area workers and their families.

However, profits are often prioritized over people, and necessary maintenance and safety inspections are often skipped in favor of short-term gains. This negligence can increase the risk of catastrophic accidents such as plant explosions.

Plant explosions and other industrial accidents can cause catastrophic injuries, truly devastating wounds that can affect the victim for months, years, or even the rest of their lives. In the aftermath of an explosion injury, victims need to be fairly compensated if someone else’s negligence caused the explosion that caused their injuries.

At Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys, our experienced Denham Springs explosion accident lawyers are here to investigate your injuries and fight for your fair compensation from the responsible parties.

Causes of Denham Springs Plant Explosions

The sad truth of the matter is that the vast majority of Louisiana explosion incidents are preventable. Even though companies want the victims of an explosion accident to believe an accident was spontaneous or unpredictable, over 90% of plant explosions are caused by some form of negligence.

Companies are responsible for ensuring that their facilities are properly inspected and maintained so they are as safe as possible for their employees. When they neglect this duty of care, owners and managers can be held liable when an explosion injures their workers.

Industrial work is inherently more dangerous than other work, which is why safety is paramount in industrial settings. Safety violations such as the following can lead to a destructive explosion:

• Aging or improperly-maintained equipment
• Lack of safety tools or equipment
• Lack of employee training
• Overloaded electrical sockets
• Faulty wiring
• Human error

What Injuries Are Caused by Explosions?

Injuries resulting from plant explosions are often catastrophic, causing the victims to spend thousands on hospital bills, rehabilitation services, and other services. An explosion injury is one of four types: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary.

Primary Injuries

Primary injuries are caused by the pressure wave from the explosion hitting the body, which affects gas-filled structures. These injuries can include

• Ruptured eardrum or other ear damage
• Abdominal hemorrhage or perforation
• Concussions
• Eye rupture

Secondary Injuries

These injuries are caused by flying debris from the explosion. They can include

• Blunt-force trauma
• Cuts or bruises
• Impalement

Tertiary Injuries

Tertiary injuries are a result of the victim’s body being thrown by the blast wind from the explosion. They can include

• Traumatic amputation
• Open head wounds
• Broken bones
• Strains and sprains
• Bruises

Quaternary Injuries

Anything not covered in the first three categories is considered a quaternary injury. These include a number of ailments that are indirect results of the explosion, such as

• Burn injuries and smoke inhalation
• Crushing injuries
• COPD
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Toxic chemical exposure

Damages You Could Suffer in a Plant Explosion

If you’ve been hurt in a Denham Springs plant explosion, you could be facing mounting medical bills, nigh-unbearable injuries, and an uncertain future. Thankfully, Louisiana law provides for victims of industrial accidents to recover the damages they’ve suffered through its personal injury laws.

Your damages after a plant explosion fall into one of two categories: economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include the fairly easy-to-quantify damages for which there are receipts and financial statements, such as

• Hospital bills and surgery costs
• The cost of medication, physical therapy, ongoing medical care, and assistive devices
• Lost wages due to missed work
• A diminished earning capacity, if you’ve been disabled in the accident

Non-economic damages are those which are harder to quantify because they have to do with the quality of the victim’s life after the accident. These include

• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Post-traumatic stress
• A diminished quality of life
• In the event of wrongful death, lost consortium with the deceased

Proving your damages, and their extent, can be complex. That’s why you need an experienced Louisiana plant explosion attorney to advocate on your behalf after you’ve been victimized by an industrial accident.

A lawyer from Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys will dedicate their time and effort to making sure that you’re properly compensated for your injuries after a plant explosion accident. We’ll fight for your rights in claims, at the arbitration table, and in court.

What Should I Do If I’ve Been Hurt in a Denham Springs Industrial Accident?

While you should call Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys as soon as possible following your injuries, you should also do the following to maximize your claim:

• Immediately seek medical attention, even if you don’t think you’re injured. Some injuries take hours, days, or even weeks to present symptoms.
• Attend every doctor’s appointment and physical therapy session. Failing to attend these can be used as evidence that you’re not as hurt as you say you are.
• Keep a daily journal chronicling your pain, mental state, and other details. This will help prove that you were in anguish while recovering from your injuries.

When you call Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys at 225.888.8888, you’ll talk to a dedicated Denham Springs personal injury lawyer who will listen to your story and provide advice on your next steps. We’ll get started right away on researching your case, digging up evidence, and building a claim to recover your compensation. Call us today.