EXPLOSION INJURY LAWYERS

Defective Product Explosion Cases

When a product explodes or catches fire because of a design flaw, a manufacturing defect, or inadequate safety warnings, the manufacturer may be held strictly liable for the injuries that result. Victims do not necessarily need to prove the company acted carelessly. They simply need to demonstrate that the product was unreasonably dangerous and that the defect caused the injury.

Product liability explosion cases can involve gas grills, lithium-ion batteries, power tools, heating equipment, motor vehicles, pressure vessels, aerosol canisters, and industrial machinery. Companies that design, manufacture, or distribute these products have a duty to ensure they are safe when used as intended. When that duty is violated and a consumer is burned or injured in an explosion, the legal system exists to provide accountability.

The Lyon Firm investigates these cases thoroughly. We work with technical experts and engineers to reconstruct what happened, identify the defect, and trace it back to the responsible party in the chain of distribution.

Workplace Explosion and Burn Injuries

Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan are home to a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, energy production, construction, and chemical processing. Workers in these fields face real daily risks, including the possibility of being seriously injured in a workplace explosion or fire.

When a workplace explosion occurs, the injured worker may have a workers’ compensation claim, but that is often not the only avenue for recovery. If the explosion was caused by a defective piece of equipment, the negligence of a third-party contractor, or a failure by a property owner to maintain safe conditions, a separate personal injury claim may be available.

These third-party claims are critical because workers’ compensation benefits are limited by law. They typically do not cover the full extent of a worker’s pain and suffering, lost earning capacity, or long-term care needs. A personal injury claim against a negligent third party can help bridge that gap and provide a more complete recovery.

Common workplace explosion scenarios include chemical plant accidents, oil and gas facility incidents, refinery fires, boiler explosions, welding accidents, confined space incidents involving flammable gases, and construction site accidents involving natural gas lines or explosives.

The Lasting Impact of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries are among the most painful and life-altering injuries a person can suffer. Unlike broken bones or soft tissue injuries, severe burns can lead to permanent disfigurement, nerve damage, loss of function in affected limbs, chronic pain, respiratory damage from smoke inhalation, and significant psychological trauma including post-traumatic stress disorder.

The medical care required for serious burn injuries is extraordinarily expensive. Victims often require emergency surgery, skin grafting, long-term wound care, physical and occupational therapy, psychological counseling, and in some cases, multiple reconstructive surgeries over many years.

The Lyon Firm understands the true scope of what burn injury victims face. When we pursue compensation on behalf of our clients, we account for every current and future cost, including lost wages, reduced earning capacity, long-term medical care, pain and suffering, disfigurement, and loss of quality of life.

Preventing Workplace Explosions

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) notes that an average of more than 5,000 employees are injured each year in industrial accidents.

Important safety precautions are critical in preventing explosions. Precautions in risky positions include wearing safety gear such as hard hats, goggles, gloves, and boots. It is also important to train employees on safe practices in workplaces that have gasses present.

Handling hazardous materials correctly is crucial in preventing industrial explosions. Holding regular inspections, maintaining safety data sheets, and installing gas leak detectors can be the difference between life and death.

Many gas explosion accidents are caused by faulty equipment, a failure to follow safety procedures, and the negligence of management and contractors.

Burn injuries are the most likely sustained injuries when an explosion occurs. Extreme pressure from an explosion can cause damage to a victim’s ears and lungs. Also flying debris can lead to serious lacerations, and head injuries. Explosive blast injuries include the following:

• Primary blast injuries are caused by the initial pressure created by an explosion. The pressure affects tissues throughout the body. Pressure and shock waves rupture ear drums, cause concussions and abdominal hemorrhaging.
• Secondary blast injuries are caused when explosions send debris through the air, leading to secondary injuries. Eyes and other areas are subject to penetrative injury.
• Tertiary blast injuries are caused by high-energy explosions that toss victims to the ground or into another object. Bone fractures, internal injuries and head and neck injuries are common.
• Quaternary blast injuries include all other injuries caused by an explosion, including respiratory injuries, burns and crush injuries.
  
  

Workplaces at Higher Risk for Gas Explosions may include:

• Oil & Gas Refineries
• Fracking Sites
• Transport Depots
• Chemical Plants
• Lumber Plants
• Construction Sites
• Manufacturing plants
• Mining operations
• Power Plant
• Fertilizer Plants

Natural Gas Explosions

Homeowners may also be at risk of gas explosions and fire injuries. Natural gas is a widely used, though it can also be highly unstable and cause catastrophic home explosions.

Natural gas explosions in the home can occur from gas leaks in the pipes, gas that doesn’t contain the required smell as a safety precaution, or from a defective household product, such as a stove that has a faulty shutoff valve. There are potentially numerous parties that could be held responsible.

One problem in natural gas explosion claims is identifying and proving the source of the explosion. This can be a difficult task. After a natural gas explosion, contact an experienced explosion accident lawyer to investigate the cause.

Arc Flash Explosions

Arc flash accidents and electrical burn injuries have occurred when workers engage in routine electrical work, including repairing AC units, installing lighting fixtures, changing fuses, and other tasks that may not seem hazardous.

Shutting down, or switching, electrical panels is considered live work and presents an arc flash accident hazard. Testing electrical components is considered live work and presents a shock hazard and an arc flash hazard. Both high-voltage and low-voltage applications can cause an arc flash explosion and subsequent burn injury. Electrical injury and arc flash explosions can be caused by the following:

• Carelessness
• Aged, worn or broken panels and insulation
• Exposed live components
• Loose electrical connections
• Improperly maintained switches, fuses & circuit breakers
• Obstructed panels
• Water near electrical equipment
• High-voltage cables
• Static electricity
• Poorly maintained equipment

Lithium Battery Explosions

Lithium batteries are in numerous kinds of products we use every day. Almost all new technology uses some kind of lithium battery, and some have been recalled for safety defects.

Battery explosions may be rare, though are a concern for consumers. Batteries can overheat through overuse or can explode if they come into contact with extreme heat or flames.

Serving Explosion and Burn Injury Victims Across the Region

The Lyon Firm represents clients throughout the Midwest and Great Lakes region. Our geographic reach includes all major cities and communities across Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan.

In Ohio, we serve clients in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, Akron, and surrounding communities. In Indiana, we represent clients in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, and across the state. Our Kentucky clients come from Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, Covington, and the broader Bluegrass region. In Michigan, we handle cases from Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Flint, and throughout the Upper and Lower Peninsulas.

The Lyon Firm takes pride in representing plaintiffs in consumer safety and product liability cases. When a dangerous product on the market causes injury and damages, there are ways to seek compensation.

Burn injury lawsuits can be resolved out of court in large settlements, or can go to a jury trial where the courts have awarded verdicts in favor of inured plaintiffs. The Lyon Firm works diligently with industry experts to build the strongest case possible and to recover rightful compensation for victims nationwide.

Industrial companies that manage unsafe workplaces can be liable for injuries sustained after a fire or explosion. In some cases, engineers and equipment manufacturers may be responsible for compensating victims of gas accidents.

In many past incidents, industrial equipment that houses hazardous gasses has been found to be inherently flawed. If machinery is found to have a faulty design or missing safety components, victims can file suit against large industrial employers and manufacturers.

The legal options for accident victims depend on what caused an accident and injury. Any industrial accident should be addressed by a lawyer qualified in complex cases. Joe Lyon is an industrial accident lawyer who has successfully litigated cases and obtained settlements for workers in addition to workers comp.