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Westlake Chemical Accidents

Fighting for Workers Injured in Plant Explosions & Other Industrial Accidents

Westlake Chemical Accident Lawyers

Plant Explosion Attorneys Helping Injured Workers Nationwide

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, Westlake Chemical is an international manufacturer and supplier of petrochemicals, vinyl products, polyethylene, and vinyl chemicals. The company has about 9,200 employees at facilities located in Asia, Europe, and North America. Westlake Chemical has 28 locations in the United States alone. A Fortune 500 company, Westlake has an estimated market value of about $11.3 billion.

If you work for Westlake Chemical at any of their facilities, you have the right to expect that safety standards will be followed and your health will be put first if an accident does occur. Too often, we have seen hard-working men and women given the run around by insurance companies and employers that are more interested in protecting their bottom line than their employees. Our lawyers are committed to helping injured workers get the treatment and support they need to rebuild, even after the most serious work injuries.

Contact our Westlake Chemical accident lawyers today to find out how we can help you.

Westlake Chemical Accidents & Injuries

Through its decades in operation, Westlake Chemical has been no stranger to safety violations and accidents.

In 2012, the Occupational safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Westlake for 10 serious safety violations at its vinyl plant in Geismar, Louisiana, proposing a $67,000 fine for conditions that put employees at risk due to “the potential of over-pressurized process equipment.”

In 2018, OSHA opened an inspection into Westlake Chemical’s plant in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, finding 4 serious violations and 1 repeat violation and proposing a $103,916 fine. The inspection came after a worker’s left hand and a finger on his right hand were severed by a stock cutter.

In March of 2020, an employee died at the Westlake Chemical facility in Geismar, Louisiana. According to local news, the incident occurred in the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) unit of the Ascension Parish plant. Operators at the plant lost contact with the worker just after midnight and his body was recovered four hours later.

Explosion & Fire at Westlake Chemical Plant near Lake Charles, Louisiana

At about 10:45 a.m. on January 26, 2022, a large explosion and fire were reported at Westlake Chemical South, which is about 4 miles from Lake Charles, Louisiana. Large plumes of smoke could be seen flowing from the plant, but the cause of the explosion has yet to be determined. Officials soon reported that six people were injured in the incident. One was treated at the scene and five others were transported to local hospitals.

The explosion reportedly involved a tank of ethylene dichloride (1,2-dichloroethane), a colorless liquid with a scent similar to chloroform. It is identified as a carcinogen — a substance that can cause cancer in humans. If inhaled, it can irritate the nose and throat. Contact with the skin can cause burns. Exposure can have serious consequences, including headaches, loss of consciousness, lightheadedness, and dizziness.

Numerous emergency crews responded to the scene, and all schools in the Westlake and Sulphur area were put on a temporary shelter-in-place order to prevent possible exposure after the Westlake Chemical plant explosion.

Explosion at Westlake Chemical’s Petro Complex 2 Unit in Sulphur, LA

At around 11 pm on September 27, 2021, Westlake Chemical’s Petro Complex 2 Unit in Sulphur, Louisiana was rocked by a flash fire and explosion that injured 5 workers. All were taken to local hospitals, and one suffered serious burns to at least half of their body. Residents in Hammond, Lake Charles, and Lafayette reported hearing and feeling the explosion from their homes.

This incident occurred during plant maintenance, which is one of the most dangerous times for any facility, especially one like the Petro Complex 2 Unit, which is involved in the production of ethylene. Turnarounds require the shutdown of a plant or refinery to replace, repair, inspect, and maintain equipment and machinery. They are expensive and often go over budget and take longer than expected. The five workers who were injured in the Sulphur plant explosion were involved in turnaround operations.

The cause of this Westlake Chemical plant explosion is still under investigation.

Westlake Chemical Plant Locations

Westlake and its subsidiaries operate 28 facilities and offices in the United States. These are located in:

  • Aberdeen, Mississippi
  • Booneville, Mississippi
  • Bristol, Tennessee
  • Calvert City, Kentucky
  • Columbus, Ohio (Royal Building Products)
  • Geismar, Louisiana
  • Greensboro, Georgia
  • Hazlehurst, Mississippi (Gallman)
  • Houston, Texas (headquarters)
  • Janesville, Wisconsin
  • Sulphur, Louisiana
  • Lenexa, Kansas (DaVinci Roofscapes)
  • Leola, Pennsylvania
  • Lodi, California (NAPCO)
  • Longview, Washington
  • Longview, Texas
  • Madison, Mississippi
  • Marion, Virginia
  • McPherson, Kansas
  • Proctor, West Virginia (Natrium)
  • Novi, Michigan (Westlake Global Compounds)
  • Plaquemine, Louisiana
  • Prairie, Mississippi
  • Shelby Township, Michigan
  • Wayne, Pennsylvania
  • Westlake, Louisiana
  • Wichita Falls, Texas
  • Yucca, Arizona

Talk to a Westlake Chemical Injury Lawyer Today

Companies like Westlake Chemical have a legal and moral obligation to protect their workers. They must promote safe working environments by following regulations, properly maintaining equipment, performing turnarounds, and avoiding a culture where production is valued more than safety. Plant explosions, fires, chemical leaks, and other serious accidents will happen when safety standards are not met. Workers lives will be jeopardized when they’re placed second to profits. This is simply unacceptable.

At Arnold & Itkin, our Westlake Chemical accident attorneys believe in fighting for the rights of injured industrial workers and their families. When catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths happen at chemical plants, oil refineries, factories, and other industrial worksites, our attorneys are there to stand up for the injured and lost. We face off against multi-billion-dollar corporations without fear because we know we are fighting to set things right.

To find out more about your rights and options, call our Westlake Chemical plant explosion lawyers at (888) 493-1629. Your consultation is free and confidential.

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Check Out Our Victories

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  • $222 Million Record-Breaking Verdict for Widow Our firm won $222 million for a woman who lost her husband in an industrial accident caused by a faulty valve. We took the case to trial because the at-fault company refused to take responsibility. The jury saw through the corporate lies and double ...
  • $205 Million Confidential Settlement Obtained for Numerous Clients Arnold & Itkin reached a record $205,000,000 settlement on behalf of clients after several years of hard-fought litigation. The case settled just before trial was set to begin.
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  • $171 Million One of the Largest Confidential Settlements in History Arnold & Itkin worked over the course of several years to represent clients in a case that many other law firms turned down. In the end, we were able to obtain a record-setting confidential settlement.
  • $139 Million Massive Settlement Achieved for Victims of an Oilfield Incident Arnold & Itkin LLP negotiated a huge $139,000,000 settlement for injured families affected by an oilfield incident in the eastern United States, settling one week before trial.
  • $125 Million Settlement Won for Widow of Dredge Worker Offshore lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP won a nine-figure settlement for a woman who lost her husband in a pipeline explosion. By pushing the case toward trial, our firm pressured the defendant into settling with our client, allowing her to rebuild ...
  • $117 Million Largest Single-Event Personal Injury Verdict in Louisiana History Arnold & Itkin represented a pregnant woman who experienced stomach pain and called Acadian Ambulance. The driver of the ambulance drove the ambulance into the back of a sugar cane truck causing the plaintiff's spine to be severed at T4 and for her ...
  • $116 Million Confidential Settlement Arnold & Itkin LLP negotiated a massive nine figure settlement on behalf of their clients after several years of hard fought litigation.
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They don’t give you the runaround. You're looking for a firm that’s going to have your back and willing to go to trial and stick up for you. Go with Arnold & Itkin if you want results. They take their job very seriously.

”
Kevin Workplace Explosion Victim

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