Pipelines are safe and efficient when operated, inspected, and maintained properly. But as they age, the risk of failure increases. Some of the original Texas pipelines were installed during the Great Depression, and it has been known for decades that many of these lines need maintenance or replacement. Unfortunately, pipeline ruptures happen more often than you might think. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration tracks pipeline incidents causing injuries and deaths. When a pipeline ruptures, explosions occur, injuring pipeline workers, construction workers, and nearby residents. When this happens, those injured need the help of a skilled personal injury or workplace injury lawyer.
If you were injured because of a pipeline rupture or a loved one died as a result of a pipeline explosion, you need experienced legal help that really understands oil and gas accidents. The Texas pipeline explosion injury lawyers at Ted Lyon Law have extensive experience. For advice and representation concerning a pipeline injury claim, call Ted Lyon Law at 877-Ted-Lyon (833-5966).
How Do Pipeline Explosions Happen?
With more than 58,000 miles of oil and gas pipelines running underground across the state, there is a good chance that you live or work directly on top of one. Our pipeline explosion injury attorneys in Texas have represented clients in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and across the state in pipeline explosions caused by:
Many of the cases we handle involve serious burn injuries and disfigurement and wrongful death. While financial compensation can’t undo the trauma and loss our clients suffered, it can help them start down the road to healing and recovery.
Holding Pipeline Owners and Operators Accountable for Pipeline Accidents
In any personal injury lawsuit, including pipeline explosion accidents, there are typically three types of damages our Texas lawyers can help you pursue. The first is money awarded to restore financial losses. Financial losses include medical bills, lost wages, and funeral and burial costs. The second is money awarded for non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering and the emotional losses that a victim has experienced. In a wrongful death claim, these damages attempt to compensate for the mental and emotional anguish of surviving family members.
Then there are punitive damages, which are awarded when gross negligence or a willful act led to the explosion. Punitive damages are intended to punish the defendant for what happened. Additionally, state law specifies that injured people have two years from the date of the incident to file a lawsuit. The same timeline applies in wrongful death cases, though there is a short list of exceptions.
Who Can Bring a Lawsuit?
People who survive a pipeline explosion can file the lawsuit with the help of a Texas attorney. If the injured person has died, a lawsuit can be brought by:
- A surviving spouse
- Surviving children
- The parents of the deceased
If none of these family members files a wrongful death claim within three months of the death, the executor of the deceased person’s estate can bring a lawsuit.
Call a Texas Pipeline Explosion Attorney for Help Today
While an oil and gas pipeline explosion may appear like a clear-cut case of negligence, in real life it is very complicated. You want an experienced Texas pipeline explosion injury lawyer handling your case. Call Ted Lyon Law at 877-Ted-Lyon (833-5966) or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation. We handle pipeline accident litigation on a contingency fee basis. That means we only earn a legal fee if we win your case. Home and hospital consultations are available if you are unable to visit our office.
Our firm has been recognized in many ways over the years, including selection to the Super Lawyers list and an AV Preeminent Rating* in Martindale-Hubbell’s peer review rating system.
*AV Preeminent is a certification mark of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories: legal ability and ethical standards.
