A growing number of lawsuits have been filed after oil & gas pipeline explosions, fires, and accidents occur in the U.S.
Need a Texas Pipeline Explosion Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you or a loved one was injured or died in a pipeline explosion, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
UPDATE: Atmos Energy Natural Gas Pipeline Explosion Kills 2, Injures 3
On July 26, 2021, 2 men died and 3 were injured when a natural gas pipeline owned by Atmos Energy suddenly exploded in an unincorporated area near Farmersville, according to WFAA-TV. Click here to read more.
$360 Million in Lawsuits Filed After Pipeline Explosion in Texas
In September 2020, over $360 million in lawsuits were filed after a deadly pipeline explosion occurred when a dredging vessel hit an underwater gas pipeline in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The tragedy occurred on August 21, when the Waymon L. Boyd Dredging Vessel hit an underwater natural gas pipeline, sparking a massive explosion that spread to a nearby grain elevator.
The explosion killed 4 men and sent 6 others to local hospitals. Within days, three wrongful death lawsuits were filed by the families of Miguel Martinez, Rafael Espinoza, and Joel Rivera, seeking $150 million in compensation. Another $200 million in lawsuits were filed by crew members who were injured in the blast.
1 Dead in Texas Eastern Transmission Gas Pipeline Explosion
August 2019 — One person died and 5 others were seriously injured in a massive explosion of the Texas Eastern Transmission Gas Pipeline in central Kentucky. The pipeline runs 9,000 miles from the Mexican-American border in Texas to New York City. The pipeline has exploded 3 times in the last 3 years. Click here to read more.
15 Injured in Deadly Pipeline Explosion in California
In July 2019, a natural gas pipeline explosion in Murietta, California, injured 15 people and killed 1 utility worker. The man who died was a technician who was fatally injured while trying to fix a ruptured pipeline. Click here to read more.
Pipeline Explosion in Texas Injures 5 People
In August 2018, 1 worker died and 4 others in Midland County, Texas were seriously burned in a series of explosions of the El Paso Natural Gas Pipeline (EPNG) in the Permian Basin. Click here to read more.
Lawsuit Filed After 3 Year-Old Girl Dies in Gas Pipeline Explosion in Texas
In August 2018, a lawsuit was filed by the family of a 3-year-old girl named Delaney Tercero who died in a natural gas pipeline exploded in Midland County, Texas.
The pipeline under her home was a “gathering line,” which means it did not have to be marked, built to any specific standard, or inspected.
The Midland County Sheriff said that it was old and rusted to the point where it was no longer safe:
“For a home to be obliterated like this, it’s just amazing. The power of compressed gas, the power of propane when it gets into a closed area, and it finds an ignition point, it is a bomb. And it’s exactly what happened here.”
Inspectors discovered that the pipeline had been leaking gas through a dime-sized hole for some time. The girl’s sister and parents were also badly burned in the explosion. Authorities believe the leaking pipeline caused highly-flammable gas to accumulate under the home, which ignited when the mother turned on the dryer to do laundry.
Texas Pipeline Explosion Injuries & Deaths
Texas is home to the Permian Basin, the largest oilfield in the U.S., and the state is crisscrossed by thousands of oil and natural gas pipelines. Oil and gas activity has surged in Texas in recent years. Unfortunately, the number of deaths and injuries has also surged.
What Causes Pipeline Explosions?
- Corrosion
- Metal fatigue
- Poor maintenance
- Improper welds after repairs
- Breaking the pipe during excavations, such as backhoes
- Chemical damage
- Pipeline carrying gas/oil under too much pressure
- Improper installation
Gathering Pipeline Explosions
Gathering lines are smaller pipes that transport gas and liquids from a source (like a drilling site) to a processing facility, refinery or a larger transmission line. The problem is that gathering lines are not regulated in the same way as major long-distance transmission pipelines.
In fact, over 439,000 miles of gathering lines crisscrossing the U.S. are entirely unregulated — often running underneath homes, businesses, and other dangerous places where people are entirely unaware that they could be at risk.
Need a Pipeline Explosion Lawyer in Texas?
Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.
Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”
The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years experience, participation in over 600 jury trials and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our law firm for a free case review.