Few injuries are as devastating as those suffered in an explosion. Explosions have the potential to inflict life-threatening injuries on multiple people in an instant. These disastrous events can lead to many serious injuries, including brain, burn, and spinal cord injuries. The Centers for Disease Control reports that blast victims most frequently suffer penetrating and blunt trauma. Furthermore, explosions frequently lead to widespread destruction of property and, tragically, loss of human life.
If you have been hurt by a blast or if you have lost a loved one in an explosion, you could be eligible for needed compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost property, and lost wages, among other damages. It is crucial to speak with a personal injury lawyer quickly to protect your rights.
Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys is a national personal injury firm with decades of experience litigating complex fire and explosion lawsuits. We are ready to help families secure the financial recovery they need after a catastrophic event.
Why Choose Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys for Your Explosion Case?
At Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys, we utilize our substantial resources to achieve favorable outcomes for every client facing this devastating loss.
- Decades of Experience: With over 30 years in practice, Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys has a proven track record of recovering billions for our injured clients nationwide, demonstrating our capability in high-stakes cases.
- National Resources: We have the resources and network necessary to investigate and litigate complex explosion claims across jurisdictions.
- No Fee Unless We Win: We accept cases on a contingency fee arrangement, meaning we only receive payment if we achieve a financial recovery for you.
- Client Guarantees: We stand behind our ability to deliver results with our Client Satisfaction Guarantee and Exclusive Bigger Settlement Guarantee.
Causes of Explosion Injuries
Any number of factors can lead to an explosion, such as a defective product, faulty product installation, inadequate maintenance, negligence, or safety oversight. Explosions can occur almost anywhere, at home, at work, or even after a motor vehicle accident. Explosions in confined spaces are often severe and associated with greater mortality rates.
Any gas leak in an enclosed space can cause an explosion, including propane, natural gas, methane, and butane. As the gas seeps out, it mixes with the air, causing pressure to build up. When the pressure reaches a high enough level, almost anything can trigger an explosion. A single flame or static electricity spark can ignite a devastating blast.
Common causes of explosions in a home or office building include:
- Tanks that hold fuel placed near flammable material.
- Hoses or tanks that are leaking.
- Gas appliance leaks.
- Gas lines or propane lines that were improperly installed.
- Defective control valves, meters, pipes, or regulators.
- Old and aging pipes and or gas lines.
- Rupturing a gas line while digging.
- Equipment improperly reconnected by workers.
- Equipment left on, resulting in an explosion.
Explosions are often complicated, and it can be difficult to pinpoint a single factor that caused the incident. More often than not, multiple issues or defects lead to a much larger, sometimes fatal explosion.
Types of Injuries in Explosion Injury Cases
Explosion injuries are typically classified by one of four types, based on the mechanism of injury:
| Injury Type | Mechanism of Injury | Common Injuries |
| Primary | Result of shock waves and overpressure. | Affects gas-containing organs (ears, lungs, gastrointestinal tract), internal bleeding, blast lung (severe pulmonary contusion). |
| Secondary | Caused by flying debris or fragments from the blast. | Penetrating trauma, bleeding, eye injuries (shrapnel, glass). |
| Tertiary | Caused by the explosion’s sudden displacement of air, tossing victims. | Blunt and penetrating wounds, fractures, and traumatic amputation. |
| Quaternary | Encompasses all other injuries. | Flash burns, crushing injuries, and respiratory injuries (inhalation of toxic fumes or dust). |
Most Common Locations for Explosions
Construction sites are inherently dangerous, with many hazardous components that can cause explosions, and much of the material used is volatile and highly flammable.
Although explosions can occur at any location at nearly any time, certain areas seem more prone to these disasters. Some of the most common locations include:
- Chemical Plant Explosions: Often occur due to improper storage practices, inadequate maintenance, improper handling of flammable materials, noncompliance with federal and state laws, defective equipment, and insufficient training.
- Plant and Refinery Explosions: Many occur due to unseen corrosion, improper maintenance, improperly cared-for boilers, well blowouts, unsafe practices and procedures, and inadequate training.
- Land Rig Explosions: Occur due to gas truck accidents, pipeline transport errors, or inadequate maintenance of equipment and property.
- Fertilizer Plant Explosions: Synthetic fertilizers are made from materials that can cause explosions when combined with other substances. Inadequate training and improper storage methods can contribute to these incidents.
- Oil Rig Explosions: Risks associated with using heavy machinery while working with volatile substances. Companies often try to shift blame onto the victim in such cases.
- Pipeline Explosions: Gas and oil pipeline explosions can result in mass casualties and extensive property damage. These incidents can lead to toxic exposure, severe burn injuries, blunt force trauma, and death.
Types of Damage Claims for Explosion Injury Cases
Depending on the circumstances of the explosion and the damages incurred, you may be able to receive compensation for funeral expenses, current medical bills, future medical care, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional trauma, lost wages, lost future income, loss of consortium, and more.
| Type of Loss | Description of Damages |
| Economic Losses | Objectively quantifiable monetary damages, including past and future medical bills, rehabilitation expenses, lost income, lost earning potential, and out-of-pocket costs. |
| Non-Economic Losses | Subjective, non-monetary losses, including claims for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, mental and emotional distress, and inconvenience. |
| Permanent Loss | Compensation for permanent impairment, disfigurement, and scarring. |
| Relational Losses | Loss of consortium (loss of companionship and services of a spouse). |
When Explosion Cases Result in the Wrongful Death of a Loved One
Explosions are one of the most devastating types of accidents, and they often result in loss of life. Even when victims survive the initial blast, they are at an increased risk of passing away from their severe injuries. When victims lose their lives in explosions, their surviving relatives may have legal options available to help them obtain compensation to alleviate various costs they face moving forward.
Depending on the state where the incident occurred, the following parties may be able to file wrongful death lawsuits after a tragic loss:
- The surviving spouse of the decedent.
- The surviving children of the decedent.
- The decedent’s parents.
- The adopted children of the decedent.
- The designated beneficiary.
In certain circumstances, more distant family members may have the legal right to pursue wrongful death claims following the abrupt and unexpected death of a loved one caused by an explosion. Working with an attorney can help to determine if you meet the required criteria to bring forth a wrongful death lawsuit.
Determining Liability for Explosion Injuries
If you have been injured in an explosion, your priority is to seek medical attention. Any investigation of an explosion after that, however, is often left to authorities and trained investigators who analyze the scene. Between local emergency services and insurance companies, several parties will be involved in investigating any explosion incident.
However, it is still in your best interest to retain legal counsel. Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys has more than four decades of experience fighting for victims of accidental explosions. We work with our own investigative resources to recreate the situation and explore the actual causes of the explosion, allowing us to best establish liability to recover deserved damages.
If you have lost a family member or loved one in a catastrophic explosion, no matter what the cause, or if you have survived a blast yourself, contact Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys immediately to protect your legal rights.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Who is generally responsible for an industrial explosion?
A: Liability in an industrial explosion can be complex and may rest with multiple parties, including the property owner, the equipment manufacturer (for defective products), maintenance companies, safety inspectors, and employers who failed to follow safety regulations. Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys investigates all potential parties to hold them accountable.
Q: What is the deadline for filing an explosion injury lawsuit?
A: The Statute of Limitations for most personal injury and wrongful death claims varies by state. It is vital to contact Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys immediately to ensure the explosion scene is investigated before evidence is destroyed or cleaned up and to meet all legal time limits.
Q: What kind of evidence is important in an explosion case?
A: Critical evidence includes chemical logs, maintenance records, OSHA investigation reports, employee training records, property blueprints, black box data from equipment, photographs of the scene, and witness statements. Preserving the physical scene is often essential, which is why early legal intervention is key.
Q: If my loved one died in an explosion, who can file a wrongful death claim?
A: Only the court-appointed Personal Representative of the deceased person’s estate has the legal authority to file the wrongful death lawsuit. This representative acts on behalf of the surviving beneficiaries, typically the spouse, children, and parents. Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys assists families with the legal process of appointing this representative.
Contact Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys Today
After an explosion, you need a law firm with the experience and resources to challenge large corporations and secure fair compensation.
Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys offers a free, confidential case evaluation to discuss your options.
Call Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys today to begin the fight for justice and compensation.