Natural gas pipelines provide people with important resources and help get necessary resources to customers across the region. However, natural gas pipeline workers that live or work in the Fort Worth area are at risk of on-the-job injuries that can cause substantial effects on their lives. Those living near these pipelines are also at risk if the pipelines burst or explode.
If you or a loved one works at a natural gas pipeline in Fort Worth and was injured in an explosion, The Queenan Law Firm may be able to help. Our Fort Worth natural gas pipeline explosion accident attorneys help injured workers and their families recover compensation for the accident, and we help the family of deceased pipeline explosion accident victims get compensation for their loss. We also help families and individuals who live near the explosion site with injury cases against the company that operates the pipeline or the parties responsible for causing the explosion. For a free case consultation, contact our law offices today at (817) 476-1797.
Suing Natural Gas Pipelines for Explosion Injuries in Fort Worth
If you were injured in a natural gas pipeline explosion, you could face serious, life-altering injuries such as burns. People can also be killed in these accidents. If you were injured because of a pipeline explosion on a natural gas line, you could be entitled to sue the responsible parties.
Utility companies, co-ops, and the companies that build and operate natural gas pipelines are often responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of these lines. The crew that work on these lines are often at risk, as are those who live around the pipeline if the line is not properly maintained. In the event of an explosion, the company’s fault in the matter can be analyzed by looking at whether their actions leading up to the explosion were “negligent.”
Under Texas law, a company can be held responsible for its negligence, which is proven by showing four factors in a lawsuit: duty, breach, causation, and damages. Companies operating pipelines have a duty to act reasonably in how they manage and upkeep their lines. Failing to take reasonable steps to look for problems, failing to take reasonable precautions when doing installation or maintenance, and failing to report problems to people who are in potential danger could all be considered a breach of this legal duty. If that breach caused your injuries, then you could be entitled to sue for any damages you can prove.
How Injured Pipeline Workers Can Sue for Natural Gas Explosions in Fort Worth
If you work at a natural gas company or do work on pipelines in the Fort Worth area, Texas law may allow you to sue your employer for on-the-job injuries. In many cases, workers are governed by workers’ compensation laws, which require injured workers to file a claim through workers’ comp. instead of the courts. However, both employers and employees in Texas are allowed to opt out of workers’ compensation. If your employer does not carry workers’ comp. insurance or you opted out of coverage when you started your job, then you could be entitled to sue your employer for injuries in a natural gas pipeline explosion.
As mentioned, a lawsuit for injuries in a pipeline explosion in Fort Worth requires the injury victim to prove that the defendant’s negligence caused their injuries. If the injured worker was the one who caused damage to the pipe or failed to report known issues to their superiors, then they may be unable to claim that someone else caused their injuries.
If someone other than your employer caused the accident, then they could also be held responsible for the resulting injuries. For instance, if the manufacturer of pipeline parts or safety valves supplied faulty parts, the manufacturer might be held accountable instead of the pipeline company, and anyone injured in the explosion could be entitled to sue them. You can also sue people who negligently damage a pipeline and cause explosions, such as construction crews or people digging without getting gas lines marked.
Damages for Natural Gas Line Explosions in Fort Worth
If you were injured in an accident involving a natural gas pipeline explosion in Fort Worth, then you could be entitled to claim damages for any injuries and harm resulting from the accident. This can include the cost of medical care, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Many victims – especially natural gas pipeline workers – face severe burns in pipeline explosions. These injuries can require intensive medical care, long-term followup care, surgeries, and more. They can also make it impossible to return to work, resulting in lost wages. The pain of a burn injury is also incredibly severe, especially if you suffered burns over a significant portion of your body. The damages for these injuries can often be quite high.
If you were injured in an accident because you live near the explosion, you could also claim compensation for property damage. This can help pay for damage to your home, your car, or other property damaged because of a natural gas company’s negligence.
Damages can also be claimed by the surviving spouse, parents, and children of those killed in natural gas pipeline explosions. Wrongful death and survival claims can often get family members damages for their loved one’s end-of-life medical care and pain and suffering as well as ongoing lost wages if the deceased provided their family with income. Additional damages for funeral costs, burial costs, grief counseling, and other damages related to the death can also be claimed in many cases.
Call Our Fort Worth Natural Gas Pipeline Explosion Injury Attorneys for a Free Consultation
The Queenan Law Firm’s Fort Worth natural gas pipeline explosion accident attorneys represent injury victims and the families of those killed in natural gas pipeline explosions. For help with your potential case, call the Fort Worth personal injury lawyers at our law offices today to learn more about how to file a claim and what our lawyers can do to help with your case. For your free case consultation with our Fort Worth and Texas personal injury lawyer, call us at (817) 476-1797.