Plant Injury Lawyer: Industrial Plant Accidents/Explosions

Plant Injury Lawyer for Industrial Plant Explosions, Chemical Spills, and Accidents

Plant Accidents Cause Catastrophic Injuries and Death. Our Virginia Plant Injury Lawyer Can Help You Recover Damages.

Virginia has more than 4,900 manufacturing companies that employ close to 300,000 workers, according to Industry Select.

Nearly 30,000 industrial plant and manufacturing employees call Newport News home, buoyed by the Newport News Shipbuilding Yard owned by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). Fairfax County, the City of Richmond (DuPont, Altria, Phillip Morris, Loudoun County, Rockingham County, Lynchburg (BWXT Nuclear Operations Group), Danville (Goodyear), Dublin (Volvo Trucks North America), Roanoke, Smithfield (Smithfield Foods), West Point (Westrock), and Norfolk have several thousands of industrial workers each.

This industrial presence heightens the risk of industrial plant accidents, including chemical leaks, gas explosions, and fires. These incidents damage victims, their families, and even the surrounding communities. Whether a plant accident or explosion happens because of human error, safety violations, or equipment failure, the results are usually the same – debilitating and even deadly injuries. This means many families are left to endure emotional, physical, psychological, and financial difficulties.

If you were seriously injured in a plant accident or an industrial plant explosion or lost a loved one in a deadly incident, then now is the time to contact my law firm, Corey Pollard Law, to discuss your legal options and assess a path forward. We will look for all potential ways to recover financial restitution for your harm and losses.

Common Causes of Plant Accidents and Industrial Plant Explosions

There are many ways a plant accident or industrial plant explosion can occur. While natural disasters may cause some incidents, unfortunately, many of these types of accidents are preventable. Common causes of these accidents and explosions include the following:

• • Human error
  • Lack of oversight
  • Equipment failures and defective equipment
  • Safety protocol violations
  • Improper equipment maintenance
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation violations
  • Defective products

Types of Plant Accidents and Industrial Plant Explosions

Industrial plant accidents and explosions can take many forms, including:

• • Pressure vessel explosions: This type of explosion occurs when a pressurized container, like a tank or boiler, ruptures due to over-pressurization, corrosion, or mechanical failure. For example, in 2021, a boiler exploded at the Valley Milk Products plant in Strasburg, VA.

• • Mishandling chemicals: When a plant accident or explosion occurs, one of the first safety risks investigated is whether unintended chemical reactions from exposure, improper handling, mixing, or storage occurred. In July 2024, a chemical leak occurred at the Virginia American Water Plant in Hopewell, VA.

• • Dust explosions occur when combustible particles like powdered chemicals or metal dust become suspended in the air and ignite. For example, a sugar dust explosion killed 13 workers at an Imperial Sugar refinery in Savannah, GA, in February 2008. A plastic dust explosion activated the sprinkler system at Hanwha Azdel’s plant in Lynchburg, VA. And in December 2020, a dust explosion caused fires at the Wolverine Advanced Materials plant in Blacksburg, Virginia.

• • Gas leaks and/or vapor cloud explosions occur when flammable gases or vapors, such as methane or hydrogen sulfide gas, leak and mix with air, forming a vapor cloud. For example, we have resolved many gas leak cases that caused carbon monoxide poisoning. And during the summer of 2024, an ammonia gas leak at a food plant in Sterling, VA, forced several people to seek medical care.

• • Defective Machinery: Plant accidents often result when machinery or heavy equipment fails. Amputations and degloving injuries are among the worst of these types of injuries.

• • Other plant accidents: Accidents that may not lead to death or catastrophic harm outside of an industrial plant can have terrible consequences inside. For example, several employees have died at the Goodyear plant in Danville, VA.

Each plant accident and explosion type requires in-depth knowledge of relevant rules and regulations. You can use the violation of applicable safety regulations to prove negligence. An experienced plant accident lawyer with a record of successfully resolving gas explosion claims can help assess what happened, which entity may be held responsible, and other pressing legal issues. 

Types of Injuries Suffered in a Plant Accident or Industrial Plant Explosion

An explosion at a local plant or industrial site can carry significant ramifications, not just for workers at the site but also for the general public (e.g., toxic chemicals suddenly becoming airborne throughout a locality or poisoning a water source). Injuries suffered in a plant accident vary significantly, ranging from minor burn injuries to traumatic brain injuries or even death. 

Significant burn injuries are one of the most common types of injuries suffered in these types of industrial accidents. Whether the burns from the accident were from fire or chemical burns, they will likely fall into one of these categories:

• • First-degree burns (least severe burns)
  • Second-degree burns
  • Third-degree burns
  • Fourth-degree burns (most severe burns)

It is common for people to suffer different burn degrees on various parts of their body based on exposure. Other serious bodily injuries sustained in plant accidents and industrial explosions include the following:

• • Broken bones
  • Lung damage from inhaling smoke, chemicals, and other airborne toxins
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Internal bleeding
  • Hearing loss
  • Blunt-force trauma from explosion debris
  • Chemical plant explosions may also result in long-term health problems. Specific chemicals are known carcinogens, meaning they increase the risk of developing some cancers and contribute to the development of heart and lung disease.

The severity of injuries suffered in these incidents is why contacting an experienced and knowledgeable plant accident / industrial plant explosion lawyer in Virginia makes sense. 

Steps to Take Following a Plant Accident

Following a serious plant accident or gas explosion at an industrial site, there are steps you should try to take (if physically or mentally able) to help protect your legal rights and options. These steps include: 

• • Seek Immediate Medical Care: The most crucial step after a plant accident or industrial plant explosion is to get medical treatment immediately. As you likely know, industrial accidents and gas explosion injuries can be both non-visible and severe. For example, when you breathe in toxic chemicals and fumes, the symptoms may not be immediate. Still, the exposure may gradually hurt your overall health. Both visible and hidden medical conditions can get worse without treatment. Even if you don’t believe you were injured or that your injury is relatively minor, you should still get medical treatment as soon as humanly possible. Delays in medical care can impact not only your health but the viability of your legal options down the road.

• • Record Your Medical Timeline: Make sure to properly document the timeline of your medical treatment and retain all records. For example, keep a copy of your doctor’s office notes, medical work restriction letters, medical bills, and invoices. If your doctor’s office doesn’t photograph visible injuries, take photos of your injuries immediately and over time. Everything will help if you choose to file a lawsuit. And the images showing healing help prove pain and suffering damages.

• • Keep Detailed Records: In addition to retaining medical records, you should also retain all potentially relevant documents associated with the accident. For example, you should keep any personal protective equipment or clothing you wore during the accident. Germane evidence includes photos and/or videos of the accident or explosion. In addition, you should keep a copy of the incident report in your records.

• • Speak to a Plant Accident Lawyer in Richmond: Contacting an experienced plant accident / industrial plant explosion lawyer in Virginia should occur immediately after the incident. Ensure they know tort and workers compensation law, as you may be entitled to workers comp benefits through your employer and personal injury damages due to a negligent third party. Sooner is better.

The Clock Ticks: You Must File a Legal Action Quickly After a Plant Accident or Industrial Explosion from Chemical or Gas Leaks

Different types of lawsuits have different time limits for filing a legal action. This temporal restriction is known as the statute of limitations.

According to Virginia Code § 8.01-243, you have two years from the date of the injury. The same statute of limitations applies to workers comp claims for plant accident injuries.

It is important to note that in plant accident and industrial plant explosion cases, the statute of limitations does not start until you learn about the injury or reasonably should have known the incident harmed you. This exception, known as the discovery rule, may apply to plant explosion claims seeking damages for a disease diagnosed years after the event.

Statute of limitation issues matter. And we recommend you speak to a Richmond industrial explosion lawyer with a statewide practice sooner rather than later. Failing to comply with deadlines puts your legal claim at risk. It could result in you losing the right to be made whole.

Have Questions About Your Legal Options Following a Plant Accident or Industrial Explosion? Contact an Experienced Plant Accident Lawyer Based in Richmond, Virginia

If you have questions about your ability to pursue legal action against the company that owned or operated the accident or gas explosion site, then now is the time to schedule a free consultation with our firm.

Call (804) 251-1620 or (757) 810-5614 or complete this form to see if we will accept representation.