Plant / Refinery Accidents
Corpus Christi Plant and Refinery Accident Lawyers
Most industrial workplaces expose employees to an inherent risk of illness or injury, due to the materials they use or create and the machinery that is often necessary for their daily duties. Chemical plants and refineries are no different, and workers often face more threats than the average employee. While a multitude of regulations, safety inspections, and training programs aim to improve the industry’s safety standards, accidents still occur and may cause workers serious harm. A work-related illness or injury may cost you thousands of dollars in hospital bills and rehabilitation, and it may also prevent you from returning to work temporarily or permanently. This can have a significant impact on you and your loved one’s financial stability.
Work With the Injury Lawyers You Can Trust
Sometimes you may not be able to prevent these dangerous accidents. However, when accidents occur as the result of another person’s negligence or carelessness, or failure on the part of supervisors or the company as a whole, you should not have to pay for the consequences. The Corpus Christi plant and refinery accident lawyers at Brunkenhoefer, P.C. Injury Attorney understand the devastation a work-related accident can cause, and we are prepared to help you seek justice.
Plant and Refinery Accidents in Corpus Christi
For individuals living in Corpus Christi, the oil and gas industry is a major employer that has seen a significant increase over the past few years due to its location on the Gulf Coast and its proximity to the Eagle Ford Shale. In fact, officials in Corpus Christi, including the President and CEO of the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce Project, Foster Edwards, believe that the increase in oil and gas jobs in the area has had a huge impact on the entire local economy. Retail sales, hotels, and vehicle sales have all increased due to the projects near our city.
But with the economic boom that oil and gas jobs bring to the region comes an increase in the likelihood of serious accidents and workplace deaths. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks numbers for fatal and non-fatal injuries, and for the oil and gas industry, they found that 120 people died in 2008 alone from accidents in this sector. 4,200 people were hurt in non-fatal accidents the year before. Texas ranked the highest with 41 fatal injuries, in front of the 21 reported fatalities in Oklahoma and the 13 fatal work injuries reported in Louisiana.
Nearly all of the fatal work injuries in this sector (according to the study) were male, and the age range of most of them were ages 25 to 34. Seventy-five percent of these workers were white, while 17 percent were Hispanic, and another 10 percent were born in another country.
The causes of fatal workplace accidents in refineries and plants were most often transportation injuries (49 of the 120 fatalities), collisions with objects or equipment (30 of the 120 fatalities), fires and explosions (23 of the 120 fatalities), and 18 from other un-categorized causes.
In 2010, an updated Bureau of Labor Statistics report showed that workers were forced to miss work most often due to being struck by an object (32%), being caught in an object or material (21.2%), overexertion (11.3%), fall on the same level (9.3%), fall onto lower level (5.3%), struck against object (3.3%), exposure to harmful substances (3.3%), transportation accidents (2.0%), and other reasons.
Common Plant and Refinery Accidents
Although refining is a vital process for the production of many products, it also holds a variety of dangers, given the exposure to toxic, flammable, or otherwise hazardous materials. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 500 fatalities occurred in 2015 as the result of fires, explosions, and exposure to harmful substances. Additionally, nearly 16,000 workers were seriously injured on the job at chemical plants or refineries across the country. Some of the most common causes of these accidents include:
- Chemical spills
- Explosions
- Fires
- Falling objects
- Defective machinery
- Slip and falls
- Improper worker training or supervision
In the event of any of these accidents, you may suffer injuries ranging from lacerations and broken bones to head trauma, paralysis, or in the worst cases, death. Unfortunately, the majority of the accidents that occur at plants or refineries are preventable, and they occur as a result of employer negligence.
Why Choose Brunkenhoefer, P.C. Injury Attorney?
When you or a loved one has been hurt on the job in a plant or refinery, you may be faced with many difficult decisions. Your supervisors or your company’s insurance company may be pressuring you to make a statement on the record about the incident, or they may be pushing you to visit a company doctor over a doctor of your choosing. You may be unaware of your rights following an accident and may feel unnecessary pressure to follow their instructions.
It is important to remember that you have rights following an accident at work, and you can take action to protect yourself and your livelihood. The attorney of Brunkenhoefer, P.C. Injury Attorney has helped out other people who have been hurt in a refinery or plant here in Corpus Christi, and we’re ready to put our experience to work for you.
Don’t let your company’s insurance provider take advantage of you following a serious accident at work. Instead, turn to the legal team that knows the tricks the insurance company will try to pull to reduce the amount of money that they have to pay for your injury. Let us help investigate the accident and put together the strongest case possible to help you recover the proper amount that you are owed.
Keep in mind, the insurance company’s number one goal is to lower their own liability and pay as little as possible for your injury and recovery. We know their tactics, and we have vowed not to let people in Corpus Christi be taken advantage of, especially when they are trying to recover from a serious injury accident. Contact us to discuss how we can help you today.
Frequently Asked Refinery Accident Questions
For many people, an unexpected workplace accident can turn their world upside down. You may be unfamiliar with the legal process and may have never had to talk to an attorney before this incident. At Brunkenhoefer, P.C. Injury Attorney, we pride ourselves in putting our clients first, and we believe in educating each of our clients on the process they are going through so that they are better prepared for the battle that lies ahead. We have provided the answers to these very common questions to help get you started on the road to complete recovery.
I was in an accident on the job. Do I need to see a doctor?
If you were hurt in a plant or refinery, you should first seek immediate medical treatment. While some injuries are so serious, they require immediate evacuation and hospitalization, other injuries (like slip and fall, or being struck by objects) may not immediately seem serious and become more serious over time. Adrenaline following an incident at work can often mask the true pain you are feeling, and only after the excitement has worn off will the person feel the effects of the accident. That’s why it is important to seek medical assistance as soon as possible to make sure you get the proper diagnosis and treatment, as well as to ensure that your injuries are officially documented as soon as possible.
Should I give my company an official statement following an accident?
While it is important to immediately report an accident at work to your supervisor, it is not necessary to give an official on-the-record statement about what happened without an attorney present. Keep in mind that you always have the right to consult with an attorney before giving an official statement to your employer or the insurance company, and it is wise to think about and plan for any statements you are going to put on the record. Your employer and the insurance company are in business for one sole reason: to make money. They often do not want to pay you as much as you may be entitled to, so it is important to not allow them to trap you into admitting fault for the accident or letting them off the hook for your claim.
What are some common causes of refinery and plant injuries?
Injuries may be caused by a number of factors, but the most commonly reported causes are poor or lacking safety procedures, negligence on the part of subcontractors, and faulty equipment. As anyone who has worked in a refinery will tell you, these factors are a looming presence in their daily lives, and an accident can have devastating results, including loss of limbs, severe burns, paralysis, back and spine injuries, traumatic brain injuries, serious fractures, and even death.
Contact a Corpus Christi Plant and Refinery Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a plant or refinery accident, you may be wondering what next steps you should take. An experienced lawyer at Brunkenhoefer, P.C. Injury Attorney is prepared to help you understand your rights and take action against the person or company that caused your injury. We may also be able to help you receive the compensation you need to cover the financial burden caused by the accident. To discuss the specifics of your case, contact us at 361-888-8808 today.