Men Injured in ND Oil Rig Explosion File Lawsuit

It is imperative that you work with an experienced oil rig explosion lawyer to advocate for you.

In mid January two men were injured in an explosion in in Williston, North Dakota. A tank battery exploded in the middle of the day in Grenora, says Nathan Andorff, director of Grenora public works and a member of the fire department. The two men were working at the site on a tank battery when it exploded. The men, ages 23 and 24, were injured in the explosion, one with a broken leg and the other with burns all over his body.

In 2012 two men were badly burned in another explosion in Williston. And yet another nonfatal fire was reported that same day.

In 2011 several men were badly burned in an oil rig explosion just outside of Beach, North Dakota. Three severely injured workers brought a lawsuit against six companies that are responsible for the incident. Continental Resources Inc., Pride Energy Inc., MI-SWACO Inc., Noble Casing Inc., Superior Well Services Inc., and Warrior Energy Services Corporation are alleged to have created conditions hazardous to the workers, specifically by rushing operations and subsequently failing to abide by safety practices. The lawsuit also says that several of the companies were poorly prepared, failed to control conditions, and did not minimize foreseeable risks that could potentially injure workers.

Three men are the injured workers who brought the suit against the six companies. One of the men’s arms were severely burned, another had burns covering 80 percent of his body, and the third had burns over 70 percent of his body.

One of the lawyers for the men has said “These men have all been put through hell over the past few weeks. Two of our clients have more than half of their bodies covered with burned flesh. The third has had his arms horribly burned. We have been conducting a thorough investigation into this incident. Bottom line, six different companies failed to protect human lives to turn a buck.”

Amidst the oil boom currently happening in the state of North Dakota that is bringing revenue and exciting opportunities to the state, there has also been many major oil rig explosion related incidents that put workers at risk.

The reality of oil rig explosions is that they happen all too often and are frequently the result of improper training, outdated equipment, or negligent safety practices. The result of these issues compounding can mean disaster or death for employees who are on site at the time of the explosion. Every year hundreds die or are injured in these accidents.

Companies that own the oil rigs have oftentimes never been on site. They usually are based out of state and since it is more profitable to forgo safety procedures, workers are sometimes put at risk. They understand their liability but dismiss it because the money they stand to gain is too great.

Employees are at a disadvantage because owners have money and lawyers on their side. It is imperative that you work with an experienced oil rig explosion lawyer to advocate for you, protect your rights, and get you the compensation that you do.

Catastrophic Personal Injury Lawyers

Zevan and Davidson is a trial law firm with a track record of obtaining results in high-stakes catastrophic personal injury cases. Our lawyers have recovered millions of dollars for our clients in a wide range of legal matters, including oil rig and gas explosions.

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photo credit: FeatheredTar