Plant Explosion in Gibson, Louisiana: October 8, 2015
At approximately 11 a.m. on October 8, 2015, a blast was reported in Gibson, LA near a Williams Partners’ natural gas facility owned by subsidiary Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Co. According to reports, the plant was not operational at the time of the explosion and no gas was flowing. That being said, there were 12+ employees present at the plant, as well as 19 contractors. All of the employees were accounted for and reported as not being injured; however, 3 of the contractors were killed. Two individuals were reported as injured and in serious condition following the explosion. Initially, it is believed the source of the blast was a piece of equipment that was having routine maintenance performed. The equipment, known as a “slug catcher,” collects hydrocarbons building up within the pipelines.
Williams Olefins Plant Explosion: June 13, 2013
Williams is no stranger to catastrophic plant explosions. In 2013, tragedy struck another one of their plants in Geismar, Louisiana when a petrochemical plant exploded after the “catastrophic” failure of a heat exchanger. This led to the death of 2 workers and serious injuries to more than 100 individuals. The explosion could be felt for more than five miles around the plant. In December of 2013, Williams Olefins was cited by OSHA for six different process safety management standard violations, with one of them being named as willful. The company was fined for $99,000.
Those violations include the following:
- Mixing hot quench water with propylene
- Not documenting workplace training
- Not providing appropriate pressure protection
- Not correcting deficiencies that internal compliance audit discovered
- Not completing a process hazard analysis
The willful violation was the failure to develop procedures on changing / putting idle pressure vessels in service.
Our firm is proud to have helped dozens of the workers injured in the Williams plant explosion.
Our Firm’s Past Experience with Plant Accident Cases
Not only did our firm represent nearly one third of the Deepwater Horizon crewmembers, but we also represented workers injured in the 2005 Texas City refinery explosion. Our experience with plant accident and explosion cases can be seen by browsing through our victories, which we believe show our dedication to the advocacy for these hard-working individuals. We encourage you to check them out for yourself by browsing through our victories here.
Examples of our victories in plant accident cases:
- $13.75 Million – We represented an individual severely injured while employed at a plant. We reached this settlement approximately 9 months after the initial injury.
- $12 Million – Our client was a plant worker who had sustained severe burns after the failure of a safety valve at the plant where he was employed.
- $11.75 Million – We reached a confidential settlement within a year of our client’s injury. Our client had been injured while working a turnaround within a few days of arriving.
- $5.9 Million – Our firm represented a widow and her family whose husband was killed at a Southeast Texas plant after a series of pipes was dropped on him.
- $2.4 Million – Our client had been performing his job when an area of the refinery burst into flames; he was injured while trying to escape.
Experienced. Aggressive. Trial Lawyers.
If you have suffered from chemical burns, toxic exposure, or even the loss of a loved one after a Williams plant explosion, our team is here to help you. Based in Houston, we represent clients from coast to coast and have the skill and experience to take on these complex cases. Should you work with our firm, you can feel confident knowing you have a heavyweight in your corner who is invested in the outcome of your case and who is fighting to help you maximize your recovery.
Take the first step toward getting the help that you deserve. Call (888) 493-1629 or fill out our online form to send our firm a message. We offer completely free, confidential consultations.
