Decades of Experience Taking on Natural Gas Companies
A natural gas explosion can change a family’s life in seconds.
Victims may suffer catastrophic burns, permanent scarring and disfigurement, traumatic injuries, lengthy hospitalizations, and lifelong physical and emotional consequences. Some explosions result in death.
These are not ordinary personal injury cases.
Bates & Slone Attorneys at Law has decades of experience litigating natural gas explosion cases and has taken on some of the largest natural gas companies in the country.
We understand that determining why an explosion occurred may require an immediate and detailed investigation involving gas lines, pipelines, meters, regulators, valves, appliances, maintenance records, company procedures, leak reports, and other evidence.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a natural gas explosion in Kentucky, contact Bates & Slone to discuss what happened.
Call (606) 785-5581 for a free consultation.
No attorney’s fee unless we recover money for you.
Natural Gas Explosion Cases Require Experience
Natural gas explosion cases can be complicated.
The cause may not be obvious from looking at the scene after the explosion. In some cases, much of the physical evidence has been damaged or destroyed by the explosion and resulting fire.
Determining what happened may require examining the entire gas-delivery system and the events leading up to the explosion.
Questions may include:
- Where did the gas originate?
- How did the gas escape?
- How long had it been leaking?
- What caused the gas to ignite?
- Were there previous reports of a gas odor or leak?
- Was the gas line properly installed?
- Was equipment properly inspected and maintained?
- Were required safety procedures followed?
- Did someone fail to respond appropriately to a reported leak?
- Was excavation or construction work involved?
- Did defective equipment contribute to the explosion?
- Who owned and controlled the equipment involved?
The answers can determine who is legally responsible.
Taking on Natural Gas Companies
Natural gas companies and their insurance carriers may have substantial resources available to investigate an explosion immediately.
So should the injured person.
Bates & Slone has taken on some of the largest natural gas companies in the country.
Our experience matters because these cases may involve sophisticated corporate defendants, technical evidence, expert witnesses, extensive company records, and disputes concerning the cause of the explosion.
We investigate the evidence and pursue the people and companies responsible when their negligence causes catastrophic injuries or death.
What Causes Natural Gas Explosions?
A natural gas explosion can result from many different circumstances.
Potential causes may include:
- Leaking natural gas lines
- Damaged pipelines
- Deteriorated or corroded gas lines
- Improper installation
- Defective valves or regulators
- Faulty meters or connections
- Improper repairs
- Inadequate inspection or maintenance
- Excavation damage
- Failure to respond to reports of a gas odor
- Failure to locate or mark underground gas lines
- Defective appliances or equipment
- Violations of applicable safety requirements
- Other negligent acts or omissions
A proper investigation should determine the actual cause rather than simply accepting the first explanation offered after the explosion.
Preserving Evidence After a Gas Explosion
Evidence preservation can be particularly important in an explosion case.
The scene itself may contain critical evidence concerning where the gas escaped and what caused the ignition.
Depending upon the circumstances, an investigation may involve:
- Inspection of the explosion site
- Gas lines and piping
- Meters and regulators
- Valves and fittings
- Appliances and equipment
- Photographs and video
- Emergency response records
- 911 calls
- Fire department records
- Witness statements
- Gas-company records
- Leak and odor complaints
- Inspection and maintenance records
- Repair records
- Service calls
- Construction and excavation records
- Company policies and procedures
- Electronic records and communications
- Expert examination and testing
Physical evidence can be altered, repaired, removed, or destroyed.
That is one reason a serious natural gas explosion should be investigated as soon as possible.
Burn Injuries From Natural Gas Explosions
Burn injuries are among the most devastating injuries a person can suffer.
Severe burns may require emergency treatment, hospitalization, skin grafts, repeated surgeries, rehabilitation, and years of additional medical care.
Even after the initial wounds heal, a survivor may face permanent scarring, disfigurement, limited mobility, chronic pain, nerve damage, and additional medical procedures.
A serious burn case should therefore be evaluated based upon both the injuries the person has already suffered and the consequences those injuries may have in the future.
Scarring and Disfigurement
The effects of an explosion may remain visible for the rest of a person’s life.
Permanent scarring and disfigurement can be especially significant when burns involve the face, hands, arms, or other exposed areas of the body.
Those injuries can affect a person’s daily activities, employment, relationships, and quality of life.
We consider the full impact of permanent injuries when evaluating a natural gas explosion case.
Other Catastrophic Injuries
Burns are not the only injuries caused by natural gas explosions.
The force of an explosion, collapsing structures, flying debris, and resulting fire can cause:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Broken bones
- Internal injuries
- Lung and respiratory injuries
- Hearing damage
- Eye injuries
- Nerve damage
- Amputations
- Permanent impairment
- Other catastrophic injuries
A serious explosion case may require medical and other expert evidence to determine the victim’s future needs and the permanent consequences of the injuries.
Who Can Be Responsible for a Natural Gas Explosion?
Liability depends upon the cause of the explosion.
Potentially responsible parties may include:
- Natural gas utilities
- Pipeline companies
- Property owners
- Contractors
- Excavation companies
- Installation companies
- Maintenance and repair contractors
- Equipment manufacturers
- Other businesses or individuals whose conduct contributed to the explosion
There may be more than one responsible party.
Our job is to investigate the chain of events leading to the explosion and determine who should be held accountable under Kentucky law.
Failure to Respond to a Reported Gas Leak
Reports of a gas odor or suspected leak can become critically important evidence.
An investigation may examine when a company first learned of a possible leak, what information it received, how it responded, who was dispatched, what testing was performed, and whether appropriate steps were taken to protect people in the area.
Records of earlier leaks, repairs, service calls, and complaints may also become important.
When a company had notice of a dangerous condition before an explosion, those facts deserve careful investigation.
Excavation and Underground Gas Lines
Construction and excavation can damage underground natural gas lines.
When an explosion follows excavation work, the investigation may need to determine whether underground lines were properly identified and marked, whether excavation was performed safely, whether a line was struck or damaged, and whether the damage was properly reported and repaired.
Responsibility may extend beyond a single company.
Wrongful Death From a Natural Gas Explosion
Some natural gas explosions are fatal.
When negligence causes a death, Kentucky law may provide a wrongful death claim.
These cases require investigation not only of the cause of the explosion but also of the damages and claims available to the deceased person’s estate and surviving family members.
When appropriate, we also examine whether claims survived for injuries and conscious pain and suffering experienced between the explosion and death.
No amount of money can replace a family member. A wrongful death action can, however, provide a means of holding those responsible accountable under Kentucky law.
What Compensation May Be Available?
Every case is different.
Depending upon the facts and Kentucky law, damages in a serious natural gas explosion case may include compensation for:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical treatment
- Lost income
- Impairment of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent impairment
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Other legally recoverable damages
In cases involving particularly serious misconduct, additional damages may potentially be available if the requirements of Kentucky law are satisfied.
We evaluate each case individually rather than relying upon a generic formula.
The Gas Company May Already Be Investigating
After a serious explosion, the companies involved may immediately begin investigating the cause and protecting their legal interests.
They may have investigators, engineers, insurance representatives, experts, and lawyers examining the scene and gathering evidence.
The injured person and family deserve an investigation conducted on their behalf.
If you or someone in your family has suffered catastrophic injuries in a natural gas explosion, contact an attorney as soon as reasonably possible so the circumstances can be investigated and important evidence identified.
Why Choose Bates & Slone?
Natural gas explosion litigation is not new to us.
Bates & Slone has decades of experience litigating natural gas explosion cases and has taken on some of the largest natural gas companies in the country.
We understand that these cases can require extensive investigation, technical evidence, expert testimony, and litigation against well-funded corporate defendants and insurance companies.
We investigate what happened.
We identify the responsible parties.
We determine the available insurance coverage.
We develop the evidence necessary to establish our client’s injuries and damages.
And when a case cannot be resolved fairly, we are prepared to pursue it through litigation.
No attorney’s fee unless we recover money for you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kentucky Natural Gas Explosions
What should I do after a natural gas explosion?
Your immediate safety and medical care come first.
Once you are safe, preserve any photographs, video, communications, documents, or other information concerning the explosion.
In a serious case, contacting an attorney promptly can also help with identifying and preserving physical and documentary evidence.
Who is responsible for a gas explosion?
It depends upon what caused the explosion.
Responsibility may involve a natural gas company, pipeline operator, contractor, property owner, equipment manufacturer, excavation company, or another person or business.
A thorough investigation is necessary to determine the cause.
What if people smelled gas before the explosion?
That can be important evidence.
The investigation should determine whether the smell was reported, who received the report, what was done in response, and whether the company had previous notice of a leak or other problem.
What if a contractor damaged the gas line?
The contractor may be one of the parties whose conduct needs to be investigated.
Other parties may also have responsibility depending upon such matters as locating and marking the line, ownership and maintenance of the line, notification of the damage, and the response after the line was damaged.
Should the explosion site be inspected?
In a serious case, the physical scene may contain important evidence concerning the origin and cause of the explosion.
Whether and how an inspection should occur depends upon the circumstances, but preservation of physical evidence should be considered promptly.
What if my family member died in the explosion?
Kentucky law provides wrongful death claims when a death is caused by another’s negligence or wrongful conduct.
There may also be separate issues concerning claims that existed between the time of injury and death.
We can evaluate both the cause of the explosion and the wrongful death and other claims potentially available under Kentucky law.
How much is a natural gas explosion case worth?
There is no legitimate formula for determining the value of every explosion case.
The value depends upon the severity and permanence of the injuries, future medical needs, lost income and earning capacity, scarring and disfigurement, responsibility for the explosion, available insurance and assets, and other circumstances.
How much does Bates & Slone charge?
We handle personal injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency-fee basis.
There is no attorney’s fee unless we recover money for you.
We will explain our fee agreement and treatment of case expenses during your consultation.
Natural Gas Explosion Lawyers Serving Eastern Kentucky
Bates & Slone represents injured people and families in Hindman, Hazard, Pikeville, Prestonsburg, and communities throughout Eastern Kentucky and across Kentucky.
If you or someone in your family has suffered severe burns, catastrophic injuries, or death because of a natural gas explosion, talk with attorneys who have experience handling these cases.
Injured in a Natural Gas Explosion? Talk to Bates & Slone.
Decades of experience litigating natural gas explosion cases.
Experience taking on some of the largest natural gas companies in the country.
Let us investigate what happened and determine who was responsible.
Call Bates & Slone Attorneys at Law at (606) 785-5581 for a free consultation.
No attorney’s fee unless we recover money for you.