Victims of Blast May Face Lifetime Disability or Disfigurement
Questions remain surrounding a gas line explosion that sent five people to an area hospital. The explosion occurred in an otherwise quiet neighborhood in Santa Fe, Texas, in the early evening hours. The five injured individuals were all contract workers involved in what otherwise would have been routine pipeline-related work on behalf or CenterPoint Energy. The crew was directly employed by Dayton Pipeline which contracts with CenterPoint Energy for service work related to pipelines through which CenterPoint supplies natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial properties in Santa Fe.
Investigation into Cause of Explosion is Ongoing
The exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Federal, state, and local officials are involved in different aspects of the investigatory process. There is no definitive timeline as to when the results of the investigation will be announced to the public at large.
As of this time, both CenterPoint Energy and Dayton Pipeline maintain that the crew was at the scene of the explosion doing routine work when the explosion occurred. Thus far, these companies and investigators have not indicated that the crew was at the site due to a report of a problem with the pipeline itself.
Extent of Worker Injuries
Only members of the Dayton Pipeline crew were injured as a result of the explosion. No bystanders or other members of the public at large were hurt because of the explosion.
Of the workers, two crew members suffered what evidently were more minor injuries. They were transported to John Sealy Hospital in Galveston and appear to have been released following treatment for their injuries. Three of the crew members were admitted to the trauma center at the hospital. Two of these individuals were reported in critical condition. The third member of the trio taken to the trauma center was in better condition than his colleagues.
All of the injured workers thus far have survived their injuries. Reports on the condition of the three individuals taken to the trauma center have been limited; however, these crew members do appear to be somewhat on the mend and have transitioned from critical care. With that said, at least two of these workers appear to have sustained serious burns as a result of the explosion and fire. They very well may be facing lifetime disability or disfigurement as a result of the blaze and associated burns.
Fighting the Blaze
The Santa Fe gas line explosion resulted in an intense fire, with flames shooting a considerable distance into the air. Firefighters from three Texas communities were involved in battling the blaze that started at about 6:00 p.m. These were Santa Fe, Texas City, and Hitchcock. The firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze after about four hours. The fire did not spread to any surrounding properties. Physical damage appears contained to the pipeline itself and the Santa Fe roadway in which the explosion occurred.
Frequency of Gas Line Explosions
Unfortunately, gas line explosions of this and other types are relatively commonplace occurrences, not only in the state of Texas but across the United States. Although the exact number of gas line-related injuries and deaths can fluctuate rather significantly from one year to the next, approximately 100 people sustain serious injuries annually in gas line explosions. Between 12 to 20 people are killed each year in these types of incidents.
Workers do make up a considerable percentage of the individuals who are injured or killed in gas line explosions, including those similar to the Santa Fe gas line explosion of June 2019. Additionally, victims of gas line explosions oftentimes also include passersby and others who have no direct connection whatsoever to a particular pipeline, pipeline company, or energy services enterprise.
The Doan Law Firm maintains a gas line explosion hotline at (800) 349-0000 where an injured person or the survivors of a family member killed in a pipeline explosion or similar incident can make contact with an experienced attorney. An initial consultation with a gas line explosion lawyer can be scheduled at any one of the firm’s offices, located throughout Texas and coast to coast in the United States.
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