Kuraray America Eval explosion and fire injures 22 people - VB Attorneys

On May 19, 2018, over-pressurization of piping in the Kuraray America Eval building in Pasadena, Texas, caused a valve to blow around 10:40 a.m.. The explosion started a fire, which was put out quickly, according to Jeff Suggs, the corporate emergency manager for Kuraray. Twenty-two maintenance workers employed by Kuraray were injured. Kuraray reports their injuries were either burns suffered in the explosion and fire or physical injuries from evacuating the plant.

Workers injured in plant explosions need to act immediately

When explosions and fires happen at plants, injured workers are at a disadvantage. Investigations begin immediately, but workers are shut out of the process. Unless workers use the civil justice system to demand access to the evidence, explosion scene, and all the information necessary to get to the bottom of who is responsible for your injuries and why, you may not find out until it’s too late to get justice. The company’s investigation is all about finding ways to avoid being held responsible. In addition, the results of the government’s investigations may not be released in time for you to file a lawsuit.

Companies’ only incentive after an explosion and fire is to get back in operation. The longer the plant is down, the more money they lose. So their goal is to get back up and running as soon as possible. That could mean the valve, piping, surrounding equipment, and more could be removed, lost, destroyed, or thrown away before you get a chance to examine it. An independent investigation guarantees that that doesn’t happen.

How to launch an independent investigation after a plant explosion

To launch your own independent investigation, you need experienced plant explosion attorneys on your team. That’s where we come in. We know to file a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) immediately, we know the best investigators and experts to bring in to examine the evidence and explosion site, and we know how hold the responsible parties accountable in court. Not every injury attorney has the experience, knowledge, or track record to successfully investigate a plant explosion.

Experience matters, so hiring a firm that has investigated fires and explosions at:

• ExxonMobil refinery
• Enterprise Products chemical plant
• Lyondell Basel refinery
• Shamrock Ferrell refinery

The conclusions of our independent investigations allowed our clients to hold the responsible companies accountable in court. We help you get justice. Time is not on your side, so consult attorneys as soon as possible so you can get started right away. Companies get to work while you’re at the hospital, so you’re already at a disadvantage. When we get to work, we change that. Getting a TRO in place right away evens the playing field so your team of investigators and experts can go to the explosion site and examine everything. We go through all the relevant paperwork and documentation to determine if there were any safety failures leading up to and at the time of the explosion.

Getting justice after being injured in a plant explosion

Your independent investigation will be concluded in enough time so you can file a lawsuit if it’s necessary. Companies don’t want to take the blame, they don’t want your injuries on their safety record, and their shareholders don’t want them to pay you anything. The bottom line is that most plant explosions happen because companies put profits over safety.

Even though their motto may be “Safety is the cornerstone of everything we do,” somewhere along the line, a safety failure happened. Otherwise the explosion wouldn’t have happened. Your injuries happened because of the company’s choices. And a lawsuit is often the only way to hold them accountable and send a message that you – and the community – won’t allow them to injure anyone else.

To launch your independent investigation, contact us now. Our attorneys will get to work immediately. Call us at 877-724-7800 or submit a contact form. We will answer all of your questions, explain all your legal rights and how the lawsuit process works, and help you make an informed decision about your next steps. We look forward to helping you.