Oregon Injury Lawyer Blog
Workers who operate heavy industrial equipment, handle volatile materials, or work near highly pressurized containers face the risk of catastrophic or fatal accidents every day. They deserve to work in safe conditions. Sometimes, however, a defective device, improper installation, or other negligence jeopardizes that safety. If you have been injured on the job in Oregon, an industrial accident lawsuit may be an integral part of your overall solution. For answers about how these cases work and whether one may help you, reach out right away to speak to an experienced Oregon industrial accident lawyer.
Students and teachers at two schools in Clackamas County got an unexpected day off earlier this month for reasons wholly unrelated to the weather. Earlier this month, an explosion at a commercial building blew the roof off and triggered “Level 3” evacuation orders from county authorities.
According to KATU TV, the company that occupied the building at 301 South Redwood Street was in the business of “heat treating metal parts under high pressure.” The incident occurred when one of the facility’s two tanks exploded. According to the company’s website, the Canby facility “launched with two of the company’s largest [Hot Isostatic Pressing] vessels at the time (each 46 inches in diameter) capable of processing large castings” for the aerospace and defense industries.
KGW reported that, according to firefighters, “the explosion came from a 15-foot tall pressure tank and sent up a geyser of debris, dropping massive chunks hundreds of feet away.” Thankfully, no one died or suffered severe injuries as a result of this explosion. Regrettably, that is not always the case. Last October, an explosion at a high explosives facility in Tennessee killed 16. In August, an explosion at a Pennsylvania steel plant killed two and injured 10.
Seeking Recovery After a Workplace Accident
In Oregon, some workers injured on the job may be limited to workers’ compensation benefits as their sole source of recovery. For many, however, the options are potentially greater, and workers’ compensation is just one part of the total answer. If a worker suffered injuries and the potential liability for that accident extends beyond the employer, the worker may seek compensation through an “industrial accident” action.
Explosion accidents provide a useful illustration of how this can work. Say, for example, a pressurized vessel at a manufacturing facility explodes, seriously injuring a worker who was nearby. If an investigation ultimately reveals that the tank had a latent manufacturing defect that caused the blast and that the vessel was manufactured by a third party, the injured worker could have a viable industrial accident claim against the tank manufacturer. Similarly, say a device exploded because it was installed incorrectly. If the employer brought in a third-party entity to perform the installation, the injured employee could have a cause of action against the third-party installer.
There are several things you need to know about Oregon industrial accident cases. For one thing, as the above examples demonstrate, accurately assessing who was liable for your injuries is critical, making the right kind of investigation a must. You will need to have evidence that convincingly ties the third party that you sued to the accident and to the injuries you suffered.
Additionally, industrial accident cases are typically complex and nuanced matters. They require legal advocacy from someone who has extensive first-hand experience handling these cases. The skilled Oregon industrial accident attorneys at Kaplan Law LLC have this experience, having taken on small and large entities alike. Our successes include representation of victims who were injured or killed in explosions at Fortune 500 companies located in Corvallis and in Boardman. To learn more about how you can put our experience to work for you, call (503) 226-3844 today or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.
