Those who work in refinery plants understand that there are risks involved. Even though injuries can occur in any industry, refinery workers face elevated risks by the simple nature of what goes on inside the plant. There are plenty of hazardous materials, heavy equipment, and dangerous environments that can cause severe injuries if proper precautions are not taken. Here, we want to discuss how long injury victims have to file claims in the event they sustain an injury as a result of a refinery plant explosion.
Most refinery plant explosion cases will be handled through workers’ compensation. When a worker is injured, they should be entitled to various types of coverage through their state’s workers’ compensation system. However, there are strict reporting deadlines in place for these claims.
We do need to point out that every state has different requirements when it comes to reporting deadlines for work injuries. In Texas, for example, injured workers are required to report their injury to the employer within 30 days of the incident occurring. This is typically not a problem for refinery plant explosion cases, where it is fairly obvious when the incident occurred and who sustained an injury.
However, workers’ compensation claims also have other deadlines in place, particularly when it comes to disputing impairment ratings, denials, and appeals. Additionally, after a work injury is reported, this does not necessarily mean that an injured worker will need to file a claim right away. Under the law in Texas, workers have one year from the date an injury occurs to file a workers’ comp claim, so long as they reported the incident within the appropriate timeframe.
In the event, a person other than an employee is injured in a refinery plant explosion, or if an employee has to file a third-party lawsuit to recover additional types of compensation, it is important to understand that there are going to be personal injury statutes of limitation in place.
Personal injury statutes of limitation vary from state to state. In Texas, personal injury claims must be filed within two years from the date the injury occurred. However, the statute of limitations differs in other states, usually ranging anywhere from one to four years from the date an accident occurs.
It is crucial for you to contact a skilled refinery plant explosion accident attorney who can help ensure that you file your claim on time.
If you or somebody you care about has been injured in a refinery plant explosion, you need to work with a skilled attorney as soon as possible. At the Doan Law Firm, we have extensive experience handling explosion accident claims in Texas and throughout the US. We are intimately familiar with the laws regarding explosions and injuries, and we will make sure that your claim gets filed on time in your respective state. Our goal is to help make sure that you recover compensation for your medical bills, lost income, out-of-pocket expenses, pain and suffering damages, and more. When you need a refinery plant explosion accident attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation of your case by clicking here or calling (800) 349-0000.