On Thursday, June 13th, emergency response personnel were called out to a Petro chemical plant up the Mississippi River, which had exploded. The plant was located in Geismar, which is between New Orleans and Baton Rouge and spectators reported seeing thick black smoke rising in that area from miles away. The explosion occurred suddenly around 8:30 a.m. and a fire broke out following the big boom. Several Louisiana highways have been shut down as a result. So far, one worker, 29-year-old Zachary Green was proclaimed dead on the scene and 77 others have been reported injured and are receiving treatment at local hospitals. Many were taken away in ambulances but the severely injured were helicoptered out.
The chemical plant industry is one that is strict on practicing safety and extra precaution. Unfortunately, accidents do happen when dealing with extremely flammable gas such as propylene. After the explosion, the plant continued to burn off other dangerous chemicals in a controlled flaring. Investigators are saying that it may still be too early to tell what specifically caused the explosion. Tests have been performed and, currently, there is not a dangerous level of chemicals surrounding the plant- the propylene is believed to have burned off before spreading beyond the 25 acres of the chemical plant. Other plants located nearby have evacuated, as well as nearby residents in the area. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will be carefully monitoring the area for the time being.
Lawsuits have already been filed from some of the injured workers in the Geismar plant explosion. Burn injuries are some of the most expensive to treat. The victims and their families are looking to be reimbursed for medical costs and any loss of income due to the explosion. If you were one of the 77 injured workers in the Geismar chemical plant explosion, be sure to speak with a Baton Rouge personal injury lawyer from The Layfield Law Firm, LLC. We can help you in recovering the compensation you deserve! Call us today at (225) 283-1374.