nationwide.intake // online // 24-7 tel: 888.533.8153 · contact@natinjurylawyers.com
home/practice/refinery & petrochemical accidents
REFINERIES · CHEMICAL PLANTS · TERMINALS

Refinery & Petrochemical Accidents

OVERVIEW

Refinery and petrochemical incidents — explosions, fires, toxic releases, and process-unit failures — are among the most catastrophic industrial cases in the United States. They typically involve multiple corporate defendants, complex contractor relationships, OSHA process safety management standards, and overlapping insurance towers. Investigation often requires accident reconstruction experts, metallurgists, and process safety engineers. The window to preserve physical evidence at an active industrial site is measured in days.

01

Common Causes

  • Process safety management (PSM) failures
  • Inadequate hazard analysis and mitigation
  • Defective valves, piping, or pressure vessels
  • Negligent contractor work and oversight
  • Worn or improperly maintained equipment
  • Failure to follow lockout-tagout procedures
02

Who Can Be Held Liable

  • The refinery or plant operator
  • Engineering and construction contractors
  • Equipment and component manufacturers
  • Maintenance and turnaround contractors
  • Site safety and inspection consultants
03

Evidence We Preserve

  • Process safety management documentation
  • OSHA and Chemical Safety Board investigations
  • Distributed control system (DCS) and SCADA data
  • Maintenance, inspection, and turnaround records
  • Job safety analyses and permit-to-work files
  • Internal incident reports and near-miss logs

Statutes of Limitation

Every state imposes a strict deadline to file suit. In some states, claims must be filed within one or two years of the injury or death. Once that deadline passes, the case is gone forever. Federal claims and claims against government entities can have even shorter notice requirements — sometimes as little as ninety days. Do not assume you have time.

Why Acting Quickly Matters

Critical evidence disappears in days, not weeks. Black-box data is overwritten. Surveillance footage is recycled. Witnesses move. Defendants and their insurers begin building their case the moment an incident occurs. The injured family deserves a litigation team moving just as fast.

FREE_CASE_REVIEW

Talk to a trial lawyer today.

Confidential consultations in English or Spanish, available 24 / 7. No fee unless we recover for you.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Information on this site is general information and not legal advice. Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.