Refinery Accident

Refinery Deaths

There are few things more devastating than getting a phone call and hearing the voice on the other end tell you that your loved one was killed in an accident on the job. When a horrific explosion rips apart the refinery where your loved one worked, the message you get on the phone is made that much worse when you imagine the destruction and panic that accompanied such a terrible event. After the initial shock of such tragedy settles, the looming question is “Why?”

One glaring example of such an accident is the 2005 Texas City British Petroleum (“BP”) explosion that killed 15 and injured 170. This tragic example of corporate negligence was a tough lesson for many involved. The company’s lack of proper safety protocols for the maintenance and use of dangerous equipment or hazardous materials produced dire and extremely expensive results.

British Petroleum is the third largest refinery in the nation with profits of $19 billion in 2005. Innocent people put their trust in this corporate giant to ensure their safety, but British Petroleum failed to protect the health and safety of its workers. This explosion was the worst workplace accident since 1989.

In a mass tort action, Chad Pinkerton represented over 150 employees injured in the 2005 explosion. During the lawsuit, his firm’s investigation revealed inconsistencies and untruths behind British Petroleum’s statements regarding the condition of on-site machinery at the time of the accident. British Petroleum ultimately settled for a confidential amount of money after Pinkerton presented the evidence at trial.

If you or a loved one was injured in a refinery accident, you must seek representation from an experienced lawyer like Chad Pinkerton to assist you in seeking financial redress for any damages. The money damages resulting from workplace accidents not only establish a more stable financial future for the injured but works to ensure that the company will more effectively comply with future safety practices and patterns.

The Law Concerning Refinery Accidents

The tort cause of action for refinery accidents is usually based in negligence. The statute of limitations for this lawsuit is two years from the date of incident or injury.

Money Damages from Refinery Accidents

Financial recovery can include past, present and future medical bills. Other potential areas of compensation, depending on the facts of the situation, are mental pain and suffering damages, lost past and future wages, permanent impairment/disfigurement, punitive damages, wrongful death damages and loss of enjoyment of life.

“Value has been defined as the ability to command the price.”
United States Supreme Court Justice Louis Dembitz Brandeis
St. Louis & Ohio RR v. US