Explosion Lawyer Helps Explosion Injury Victims Get Compensation and Justice

Our Fire and Explosion Injury Lawyers Help Burn Victims Fight for Compensation and Justice

The explosion and burn injury lawyers at Pritzker Hageman help people burned in explosions obtain compensation so they can move on with their lives. Read one family’s story.

Were You or Your Loved One Injured in a Fire or Explosion?

You need a lawyer who will put your interests first and who knows how to fight and win fire and explosion cases. The nationally-recognized and award-winning explosion lawyers at Pritzker Hageman have successfully represented people and families harmed in nearly every type of explosion. In the process, we have obtained millions of dollars for our clients, allowing them to move on with their lives.

Experienced Burn Injury Legal Team

In one recent case, our burn injury legal team recovered $45 million for a client who was seriously injured in a pipeline explosion. In another explosion case, we recovered $10 million for a client who was burned when a residential propane leak caused a house to explode.

If you or your loved one was injured in a fire or explosion, contact us for a free lawsuit consultation.

Committed to Fighting for Justice and Supporting the Burn Survivor Community

Our attorneys and legal staff donate their time and experience in support of the burn survivor community. Pritzker Hageman law firm has committed over $100,000 towards non-profit efforts to advance burn survivor care and support.

What Can our Explosion Lawyers Do for You?

Our fire and explosion lawyers work incredibly hard to make a positive difference in the lives of our clients. As a result of our zealous advocacy, we have won multimillion-dollar settlements for people who have suffered from burns and other explosion injuries.

We Investigate Your Case

Our explosion lawyers have a wealth of experience investigating complex explosion cases. We have access to highly-qualified experts and use our extensive investigative resources to uncover the facts and identify liable parties.

Our efforts have resulted in numerous multimillion-dollar settlements, in cases from all over the United States. In fact, our law firm has won cases against corporations doing business in all 50 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

We Provide Care and Guidance

In many fire and explosion cases, it can take months or even years to obtain a verdict or settlement. Our explosion lawyers understand that families have financial needs and responsibilities that can’t be put off this long. We work with banks, hospitals, and applicable government services to help our clients during this financially challenging time.

We Get Answers

Our investigations result in our clients getting answers. To many of the families we have helped, these answers provide closure and help them to move forward.  We seek to learn:

1. If there was gross negligence on the part of the company responsible for the blast
2. If a company knew there was an explosion risk
3. If a product or process defect contributed to the explosion
4. If inadequate training contributed to worker carelessness

In propane explosion cases, we can help find out whether the explosion was caused by an improperly-filled tank, a loose valve, insufficient ventilation, or an improperly-installed appliance. In pipeline explosion cases, we can help find out if the explosion was caused by improper installation, defective safety equipment, a lapse in maintenance, or improper training. Regardless of how the explosion occurred, we can help.

Our Explosion Lawyers Hold Company Wrongdoers Responsible

We work tirelessly for our clients to hold wrongdoers responsible. Along the way, we have taken on Fortune 500 companies, huge insurance companies, and some of the biggest law firms in America. We are recognized as some of the best lawyers in America and we have the results to prove it. We have won over 70 multimillion-dollar cases for our clients. Because of these past successes, we have the resources and skill to unearth the evidence needed to win complex cases. 

Can I File an Explosion Lawsuit?

If a person is injured or killed in an explosion that was not their fault, they or their family members may be able to file an explosion lawsuit. Our explosion lawyers have over 40 years of experience successfully handling explosion cases on behalf of our clients and will be able to tell you if you can file a lawsuit.

The consultation is free and you will never owe us anything unless we successfully win money for you in your explosion lawsuit.

$10 Million Settlement for Man with Third-Degree Burn Injuries

Our lawyers recently represented a man who was seriously burned in a propane explosion. He suffered third-degree burns on about 60% of his body and underwent 8 major surgeries during his 55-day hospital stay. His survival seemed like a miracle. Like many survivors of severe third-degree burns, he developed acute stress disorder and faced many other challenges throughout his recovery.

When his wife contacted our law firm and asked us to represent him, we took on his case. We knew that discovering who was responsible for the explosion would be challenging, but we also knew that he and his family needed our help. Our team of investigators inspected the accident scene and looked through records to find what caused the explosion and to find out who was responsible for it.

We discovered that the explosion had been caused by a propane leak. But unlike most propane leaks, there hadn’t been a “rotten egg” warning smell to alert our client of the leak. We alleged that was due to the propane tank only being filled with one-third of the propane needed, in violation of industry safety standards and the explicit warning on the tank. Our argument was that, because the tank was under-filled, resulting in the propane gas not having an odor, our client could not smell the gas and was, therefore, not given the proper warning that a propane leak had occurred. 

We won a settlement of $10 million dollars for our client and his family from the company responsible for the improper filling of the propane tank.

Explosion Lawsuit Settlement Provides Money for Burns and Other Injuries

Explosion injuries have four classifications; all can be fatal. Primary injuries are blast wave injuries caused by the increased pressure exerted on the body. Secondary injuries are penetrating trauma injuries from flying debris. Tertiary injuries result from being thrown by the blast. All other injuries, including smoke inhalation, burns, crush injuries, and complications of existing medical problems, are classified as quaternary injuries. An explosion lawsuit will help you and your family get compensation and justice for your injuries.

Burn Injury

Burn injuries from explosions can be from the heat generated from the blast or the resulting fire, or from flames touching the skin. The severity of the burns depends on the percentage of the body burned and the depth of the burns. There are horrific injuries. In some cases, a column of fire shoots into the air, creating such intense heat that it can melt the siding on houses almost a mile away. That kind of heat also melts skin off of flesh. One of our clients lost limbs. In all of our cases, our lawyers find that a company did something wrong, either a safety violation, sloppy maintenance, or careless excavation.

Smoke Inhalation

Most deaths in explosions are from smoke inhalation, which includes both searing heat and chemicals, both of which can cause severe burns to the esophagus and lungs (so this is a type of burn injury). The smoke can prevent intake of oxygen, which can cause brain damage due to oxygen deprivation, or cerebral anoxia. Smoke inhalation injuries can include the following:

• Cerebral anoxia, a kind of brain damage caused by insufficient oxygen;
• Atelectasis–a partial or full collapse of a lung;
• Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome – a life-threatening condition caused by fluid buildup in the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs, characterized by severe shortness of breath;
• Carbon monoxide poisoning – characterized by flu-like symptoms including headaches, nausea and fatigue, this condition can cause brain damage and death;
• Cyanide poisoning – characterized by weakness, confusion, dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue, and unusual behavior, this condition can cause heart attack, seizure, stroke, coma, and death;
• Hypoxia – oxygen deprivation that can cause brain damage.

Brain Damage

There are several ways the brain can be damaged in an explosion.

• The pressure from the blast can cause a concussion, symptoms of which include headache, vomiting, dizziness, unexplained drowsiness, blurry vision, and cognitive problems;
• The head can hit a hard surface when the body is thrown by the force of the blast;
• Smoke can prevent oxygen from getting to the brain.

Lung Injury

Blast lung is a common injury. Imagine what happens to the lungs when extreme pressure hits the body and then reverses. Air is sucked out of the lungs as tissue is constricted. This damages the lungs, and can create bubbles of air that release into the blood and travel to other parts of the body. If one of these bubbles gets to the brain or heart, the person can have a stroke or heart attack.

Heart Damage

When the blast wave inflicts blunt force trauma to the chest, the pressure on the heart can cause cardiac arrest or other damage. In addition, debris, flying through the air at tremendous speeds, can pierce the chest and lacerate the heart muscle, valves, or arteries and veins. This both injures the heart and creates internal bleeding, which on its own can cause damage.

Crush Injury

Crush Injuries happen when part of a building or large pieces of debris fall on someone or when a person’s body is slammed onto a hard surface, like the ground or a wall. When a house, apartment, office building or other structure collapses whole floors can fall onto people below. In a recent explosion, a boiler was blown through the air and onto another building, where it tragically killed one person and injured two. Bones can be completely crushed, requiring limb removal. There is often internal organ damage, nerve damage, and severe bleeding in these injuries.

Ruptured Eardrum

The most common injury is a ruptured eardrum. The overpressure from the blast wave can rupture the tympanic membrain and fracture ossicles in the middle ear, causing permanent hearing loss.

Eye Damage

Eye injuries from explosions can include:

• Orbital fracture: a break in the bone of the eye socket
• Ruptured globes: a tear in the cornea and/or the sclera, the white part of the eye
• Traumatic optic neuropathy: damage to the optic nerve
• Total loss of the eye

Explosion Causes

Propane Gas

Propane, also referred to as LP gas, is highly combustible, meaning it ignites and explodes easily. There are numerous state, local and federal regulations and standards regarding its use. Winning a propane explosion case requires an understanding of all of the applicable laws, regulations and industry standards, as well as the knowledge and resources necessary to identify the cause of the explosion. In one recent case, our lawyers discovered that the propane which caused an explosion lacked odorant, which prevented a leak from being detected and led to a devastating explosion in a propane explosion lawsuit.

Natural Gas Pipeline

Natural gas explosions are generally caused by either a gas line or defective product exploding. In these cases, the gas company, a manufacturer, and others may be liable, meaning they are legally responsible and can be sued for personal injury or wrongful death. Some products that have caused blasts include water heaters, outdoor grills, ovens, and generators.

Pipeline explosions can occur for a number of reasons, but they are often due to the gas line or defective gas product exploding, often because pipeline components were old and poorly maintained. Many pipelines throughout the United States have been in use since the 1950s or earlier and are showing signs of wear. It is the responsibility of pipeline companies to inspect, maintain, and repair their pipelines, but unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen.

Failure to repair leaks, ruptures, and other defects leaves pipelines at risk for explosion, which often puts innocent people in harm’s way. We have a tremendous record of success winning pipeline explosion cases, recovering tens of millions of dollars for our clients. In one recent case, we recovered $45 million for our client who was seriously injured in a pipeline explosion.

For more information, read Gas Explosion Lawyer.

Boiler Explosions

Boiler blasts can occur when there is excessive pressure.  When the boiler can no longer contain the excessive pressure allowed to build in the boiler, the boiler explodes. Excessive pressure accidents can completely destroy a building. Fuel-related boiler blasts can occur when there is a failure to purge combustible gases from the firebox before ignition is attempted. Leaking fuel valves can also cause a blast.

In some cases, a blast can be caused when the boiler is allowed to operate without adequate water. For more information, read Boiler Explosion Lawyer.

For more information, please read the following:

• Can I Sue if My House Exploded?
• Why Didn’t We Smell Propane Gas?
• Can We Sue the Company That Filled the Propane Tank?
• Vape Lawyer

Recent Explosions Resulting in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

Cardiff, Idaho Gas Station Explosion Leaves Two Critically Injured and Two More Possibly Killed

A catastrophic explosion occurred during refueling at a remote gas station in Cardiff, Idaho. Two people, believed to be employees, were airlifted from the scene with extensive burns. Two more people, believed to be customers, were unaccounted for, but believed to have been killed when the building they were in was caught in the blast. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.

South Dakota Explosion Outside of Sioux Falls Leads to One Death and Two Serious Injuries

An explosion at a residence near the intersection of 261st Street and 455th Avenue, just West of Highway 19 in Minnehaha County, led to the near complete destruction of a home, and the loss of one life and serious injuries to two more people.

Given the location of the residence and the type of damage shown in imagery taken at the scene, the explosion injury lawyers at Pritzker Hageman believe propane is most likely involved.

Three Hospitalized in White County Georgia House Explosion

October 8, 2023 – Three people were hospitalized after a house explosion and fire in White County, GA. The blast occurred around 8:30 p.m. Emergency responders transported three people to area hospitals.

Elizabethtown, PA House Explosion Leaves 1 Dead

A September 18, 2023 house explosion in Elizabethtown, PA has left one man dead. Harvey Winters is believed to be the only person inside the home, located in the 200 block of Bossler Road, when the blast occurred around 11: 45 a.m. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.

Chesapeake Gas Explosion Injures Don and Faye Berry

Don and Faye Berry and 7 other people were injured in a natural gas house explosion and fire in Chesapeake, Virginia. Don and Faye Berry were critically injured when they were trapped beneath the rubble caused by the October 14 blast.  Their house on Lofurno Road in Deep Creek, VA was leveled.

Harper Woods House Explosion Injures 3 in Michigan

A house explosion on September 21, 2018, in the Detroit suburb of Harper Woods injured three people. According to fire officials, a natural gas buildup was the source of the blast that destroyed the home, located at 20839 Lennon. Two of the people injured were real estate appraisers. The house exploded when they opened the front door. The other injured person was a neighbor. One real estate appraiser was blown off the front porch, resulting in critical injuries, including serious head trauma. The other appraiser was also seriously injured. The neighbor was treated and released from the hospital.

Metal-Matic Explosion, Fire Injures 2 in Minneapolis

Two people in an explosion on September 19, 2018, at Metal-Matic, a metal processing plant in Minneapolis’ Marcy-Holmes neighborhood. The initial investigation found that the blast originated in a metal dust collector at Metal-Matic Inc., located at 629 SE 2nd St., Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Massachusetts Columbia Gas Explosion Kills 18-Year-Old

Over-pressurized gas lines likely triggered the firey blasts in three communities north of Boston, Massachusetts, on September 13, emergency officials said. Columbia Gas shut off service for customers in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover after three explosions and more than sixty structure fires caused injuries and the death of Leonel Rondon, an 18-year-old Lawrence man, who was fatally injured when a chimney from a house that had exploded fell on his car.

Ruptured Gas Line Causes Explosion at Coffee Corner in Homerville, Georgia

A gas line ruptured by a construction crew caused an August 18, 2018, explosion at the Coffee Corner in Homerville, Georgia. Three people, the only people in the coffee shop, were seriously injured: Baylee Tolle, Emily Tolle and Anna O’Guin. All three suffered severe burns and other injuries. They were airlifted to UF Health Shands Burn Center in Gainesville, Florida. The investigation found that a work crew was installing fiber optic cable when they struck a gas line. Natural gas then leaked into a sewer line connected to the coffee shop.

10 People Injured in Denver Gas Explosion

Ten people were injured in a natural gas explosion in Denver. Injuries included burns and blunt force trauma. One man was critically injured, and a woman who was pulled from the rubble was also seriously injured. They were transported to Denver Hospital. Xcel Energy is the natural gas provider in this area.

Leslie Township Propane Explosion in Michigan

Two men were injured when a propane clothes dryer exploded in Leslie Township, Michigan. The fire that ensued completely destroyed the home, which was located at 1090 Vaughn Road. The injured men were brothers. One was severely injured and the other had less severe injuries. The brother with critical injuries was airlifted to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, from Sparrow Hospital where he was initially transported.

Sun Prairie, Wisconsin Explosion Kills Firefighter and Injures Others

A gas leak explosion in downtown Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, killed a firefighter and injured 12 others. We Energies, the natural gas provider for the area, said workers for a construction company punctured a gas main, causing a leak.

Cable, WI House Explosion Results in 2 Injured, One Dead

One woman died and two others were injured when a house exploded in Cable, WI. A husband and wife were inside the home when the blast occurred. The husband was injured but able to escape the home.  The wife, who was trapped beneath the rubble, was alive when first responders pulled her free but she later succumbed to her injuries. A firefighter was injured.