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Turnaround Accidents

Our Attorneys Fight for Workers Injured in Shutdowns & Turnarounds

Plant & Refinery Turnaround Accident Attorneys

Voted Best Lawyers in America

In industrial plants and refineries, a turnaround is the process of taking the entire unit offline while a revamp or renewal is performed. Turnarounds are sometimes called shutdowns or outages and can refer to different projects such as debottlenecking, inspection and testing, or revamps. Turnarounds are expensive in terms of labor costs, equipment, and lost production during the downtime, but they are vital to maintaining and updating the plant’s equipment. Delays in turnarounds can lead to long-term safety problems that put workers at risk.

While turnarounds are necessary to maintain the overall safety of the plant, the process itself can be volatile. If not performed properly and under close supervision, severe plant accidents can occur that have the potential to greatly injure workers.

Common Injuries Suffered in Turnaround Accidents

Turnarounds are a large, complex process with multiple steps that can lead to an accident if not performed correctly. Because they can be inherently unpredictable, the types of accidents can vary widely.

Some common injuries suffered in turnaround accidents include:

Turnaround Accident FAQ

Why are turnarounds dangerous at plants and refineries?

Turnarounds, also referred to as TARs, are an essential—and dangerous—part of plant and refinery maintenance. Everything must be taken offline to make sure it’s working correctly and for improvements to be made, if necessary. With systems and machinery being taken offline and put back online again, sometimes with renovations or refits, the potential for accidents is higher than usual. Every single step must be carried out correctly, or disaster could result. Turnaround accidents and shutdown injuries happen when procedure isn’t followed correctly, systems fail, or safety precautions are not properly implemented.

I was injured in a turnaround accident. Who’s responsible?

If you were working at a plant or refinery and were injured during a turnaround or shutdown, the individual or company responsible for the incident should be held liable for your medical care, lost earnings, and other losses you’ve experienced and will experience in the future. Your employer may be responsible for these losses on a no-fault basis, or you could have grounds for a lawsuit if gross negligence, intentional misconduct, or a third party (someone other than your employer or another worker) was involved. An investigation will reveal who should be held accountable for a turnaround or shutdown injury.

How can plant and refinery turnaround accidents be prevented?

Turnarounds are expensive, time-consuming, and necessary. If mishandled or mismanaged, numerous workers could be injured or killed. At the very least, the process may be drawn out and result in lost production and revenue for the plant or refinery.

The best way to plan a safe and successful turnaround is by:

  • Identifying what equipment may require repairs or replacement ahead of time.
  • Gathering the necessary tools, personnel, and equipment to perform repairs/replacements.
  • Only having necessary personnel at the site at the time of the turnaround (having unnecessary personnel present at particularly hazardous steps will only put more people at risk.)
  • Having only the most experienced personnel manage the turnaround.
  • Never rushing or cutting corners, no matter the pressure or demand.

What To Do If You Have Been Injured in a Turnaround Accident

If you or a loved one has been injured during a turnaround or shutdown at a plant or refinery, you should consult with an experienced turnaround accident lawyer as soon as possible. Turnarounds can be extremely complex since there are typically multiple parties, trades, and chains of command involved in the process. Because of those complexities, it is important that you consult with a plant shutdown injury attorney who has the experience and technical knowledge to fully analyze and evaluate the turnaround process to identify actions that may have led to the accident. There is always a reason for a turnaround or shutdown accident. It just has to be uncovered.

Our firm has represented workers from the largest plants and refineries in the country. We recovered over $11 million for a client who was injured in a turnaround accident. Call (888) 493-1629 to find out how our can help you.

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  • $357 Million Largest Workplace Accident Settlement in Texas History Arnold & Itkin LLP secured a massive nine-figure settlement against a transnational corporation for a workplace incident. The settlement set a Texas record for being the largest personal injury settlement in the state’s history.
  • $97 Million Massive Settlement Secured for Refinery Workers Arnold & Itkin is proud to share that after months of preparation for trial, our firm was able to secure a huge settlement for clients who were injured in a refinery fire. Find out more now.
  • $92.7 Million Record Settlement for Burn Injury Victim Arnold & Itkin LLP secured a substantial settlement for a man who suffered severe burns in an accident at his job. The settlement set a new record statewide for workers with similar injuries.
  • $51 Million Settlement for Plant Workers Injured in Explosion Arnold & Itkin LLP secured a $51,000,000 settlement for contract workers injured in a plant explosion after taking more than 40 depositions.
  • $44.6 Million Record-Setting Settlement Secured for 3 Refinery Workers Arnold & Itkin secured an eight-figure settlement for a group of Gulf Coast refinery workers who were severely or fatally injured. Rather than do right by our clients and their families, the refinery put its money toward a legal team to get them off ...
  • $39.7 Million Record Verdict Won for Victim of Industrial Accident Attorneys Kyle Findley and Adam Lewis obtained a record $39.744 million verdict on behalf of a client who was burned in a severe dust fire and explosion at a plywood plant in Corrigan, TX.
  • $18.5 Million Second Verdict Won for 4 Victims of Geismar Explosion In our second trial on behalf of victims of the 2013 plant explosion in Geismar, LA, Arnold & Itkin won a massive verdict for 4 workers and their families. The verdict will go toward providing the extensive care they have required in the years since ...
  • $15.5 Million Massive Verdict Won for Geismar Explosion Victims Arnold & Itkin won a landmark verdict against Williams Companies, Inc. and child company Williams Olefins LLC for their part in the 2013 explosion that killed 2 workers and injured over 100 more. Williams Companies tried to blame the incident on ...
  • $13.7 Million Massive Settlement Won Only Months After Injury Arnold & Itkin represented a plant worker who was seriously injured in an accident on the job. Plant injuries are often complex, taking years to fully investigate and litigate. Fortunately, our firm’s work was able to secure a multi-million dollar ...
  • $12 Million Injured Worker Received Settlement for Burn Injuries Our industrial injury lawyers have recently recovered $12 million on behalf of a plant worker who suffered burns when a safety valve failed at the refinery where he was employed. His settlement will go toward providing him with extensive and ...
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