Undefeated Plant & Refinery Injury Lawyers
Aging refineries and chemical plants across Texas and Louisiana are fueling a surge in devastating explosions, toxic releases, and industrial accidents — many of them fatal. In 2025, these incidents aren’t rare. They’re routine. And when they happen, you can’t count on the energy company to take responsibility. Their priority is protecting profits, not people. That’s why they cut corners on safety, delay critical upgrades, and do everything possible to avoid paying injured workers and their families what they deserve.
At Zehl & Associates, we’ve represented hundreds of workers hurt in the most catastrophic plant, refinery, and oilfield accidents in the country. We’ve recovered Billions for our clients, including the #1 largest verdicts and settlements in history against the biggest names in the energy industry.
Keep reading to understand your legal options after a plant or refinery accident, and how our undefeated plant & refinery accident lawyers will fight to secure the full compensation and justice you deserve.
Understanding Legal Options Available After a Refinery Injury or Explosion
“Can I sue my employer after a Houston oilfield accident? Can I file a personal injury lawsuit if I receive Workers’ Comp benefits? What if the accident was caused by a third party?“
These are some of the most common questions we hear after a refinery explosion — and for good reason. Navigating your legal options after a serious industrial accident is confusing, and most employers take full advantage of that uncertainty.
The truth? From the moment the explosion happens, your employer is already working to pay you as little as possible and avoid accountability. In most cases, they’ll try to convince you that Workers’ Compensation is your only option, even if that’s not true — and even if it means you walk away with a fraction of what you actually deserve.
Here’s what you need to know:
Workers’ Compensation: Limited Benefits and No Accountability
If your employer carries Workers’ Comp insurance, don’t assume it will take care of you — it won’t. Workers’ Comp limits you to doctors selected by (and loyal to) your company and provides only a fraction of what you could recover through a personal injury lawsuit.
You will be doing yourself a serious disservice by accepting Workers’ Comp without first finding out whether you’re actually limited to those benefits.
Why you shouldn’t limit yourself to Workers’ Comp:
- Covers only basic medical care and a portion of lost wages
- Does not compensate for pain and suffering, future earnings, or long-term disability
- Protects your employer from being sued — even when their reckless actions caused your injuries
- Often rushes injured workers back on the job before they’re ready
Workers’ Comp is designed to minimize what you receive, not maximize your recovery. It might help with some immediate costs, but it falls dangerously short if you’ve suffered serious, lasting injuries.
Even if you think Workers’ Comp is your only option, don’t assume that’s true. Many injured refinery and plant workers are shocked to learn they can file a personal injury lawsuit — either against a third party or, in states like Texas, even against their employer if they opted out of the Workers’ Comp system.
The only way to know what you’re truly entitled to — and avoid leaving substantial compensation on the table — is to speak with an experienced refinery accident lawyer as soon as possible.
Personal Injury Lawsuits: The Only Way to Recover Full Damages
If your employer doesn’t carry Workers’ Comp insurance (which is legal in Texas), or if a third party contributed to the explosion—like a contractor, equipment manufacturer, or property owner—you can file a personal injury lawsuit to pursue the full extent of your damages, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Full lost wages and loss of future earning capacity
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
- Punitive damages in cases of gross negligence
Unlike Workers’ Comp, a personal injury lawsuit holds the responsible party accountable and gives you the opportunity to recover every dollar you’re legally entitled to.
Types of Lawsuits You May Be Eligible to File After a Refinery or Plant Accident
In some cases, even if your employer has Workers’ Comp, you may still be able to file a lawsuit against them—for example, if gross negligence or intentional misconduct played a role.
The only way to know for sure is to contact an experienced refinery accident lawyer who can evaluate your case and determine whether you have grounds for a:
- Personal Injury Lawsuit filed when your injuries were caused by your employer’s negligence or unsafe conditions.
- Third-Party Lawsuit against contractors, equipment manufacturers, or other parties responsible for the accident.
- Gross Negligence Claim for reckless or intentional misconduct by your employer or others that led to your injury.
- Wrongful Death Lawsuit filed by surviving family members when a loved one dies due to a refinery or plant accident.
At Zehl & Associates, we identify every legal avenue you have to pursue the justice and full compensation you deserve. Contact us today at 1-888-603-3636 for a free consultation.
How Our Refinery Accident Lawyers Maximize Your Recovery
After a refinery or plant explosion, the law firm you choose isn’t just important — it’s everything. Insurance companies and energy corporations have entire legal teams working to limit your compensation from the moment the accident occurs. If your lawyer isn’t prepared to fight harder — and smarter — from day one, you risk walking away with far less than you’re owed.
Here’s how having the right legal team can change the outcome of your case:
1. Experience Matters — Especially After a Catastrophic Explosion
Plant and refinery accidents involve complex safety regulations, multiple liable parties, and aggressive corporate defense teams. Only a lawyer with real, proven experience in industrial accident cases knows how to overcome these challenges — and win. From day one, our team gets to work investigating the explosion, gathering critical evidence, and preparing your case for the maximum possible recovery.
2. We Take Immediate Action: Assembling a Team of Experts
The days and weeks after an explosion are critical. At Zehl & Associates,we immediately assemble the top industry experts, engineers, and accident investigators in the country to:
- Secure the scene
- Analyze equipment failures
- Uncover regulatory violations
- Identify every responsible party
- Determine what really happened and how it should have been prevented
This early investigation often makes the difference between a record-setting recovery and a denied or undervalued claim.
3. We Preserve Crucial Evidence & Use It to Win
Evidence can disappear quickly — especially when oil and gas companies try to cover their tracks. That’s why we advise clients to preserve anything connected to the accident, including clothing worn at the time of the incident, photos and videos of the site or injuries, names and contact info for witnesses.
From there, we take aggressive legal action to prevent the company from destroying internal records, surveillance footage, or electronic data. More importantly, we use this evidence to hold them fully accountable.
4. We Protect Your Rights Before Time Runs Out
Every refinery accident case is subject to strict legal deadlines. Waiting too long to take action could bar you from ever recovering compensation. In Texas, you generally have two years to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, while Louisiana allows just one year — making it critical to act quickly. Workers’ Compensation claims have separate deadlines: in Texas, for example, you must report the injury within 30 days and file a formal claim within one year. We ensure your claims are filed on time and that no legal opportunity is missed — especially when wrongful death or third-party claims are involved.
5. We Hold All At-Fault Parties Accountable — Not Just Your Employer
Your employer may tell you Workers’ Comp is your only option. But you may very well have the right to sue contractors, equipment manufacturers, property owners, and other third parties whose careless or reckless actions contributed to the accident. We investigate every angle to identify all liable parties — and hold each one accountable.
6. We Maximize Recoveries by Truly Understanding Your Losses
At Zehl & Associates, we don’t just calculate your hospital bills and lost wages — we get to know your family, your goals, what your life was like before the accident, and what has truly been taken from you. This personal understanding allows us to pursue compensation for:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of future income
- Long-term care and treatment
- The emotional toll on your loved ones
Our clients are more than just cases — they are like family. It’s this thorough, client-centered approach that’s led to record-setting verdicts nationwide.
7. We Refuse to Settle for Less — Even if That Means Going to Trial
Energy companies and their teams of lawyers and insurers will never offer full compensation unless they know your lawyer is ready — and able — to take the case to trial. At Zehl & Associates, we prepare every case as if it’s going before a jury. And we’ve never lost a case at trial.
Oil and gas companies know our reputation. They know our undefeated track record. And they know that if they don’t pay what you deserve, we’ll take them to court — and win.
Case in point: After 14 months of aggressive litigation, including dozens of contentious depositions and a failed attempt by the energy corporation to get the case thrown out, we recently secured $85.7 Million for a refinery worker who suffered a traumatic brain injury and spinal damage after falling from an improperly constructed scaffold.
Injured in a Refinery Accident? You Deserve the Best Legal Representation
Plant and refinery explosions are happening more frequently — and more violently — than ever before. Between 2019 and 2023, the number of refinery and chemical plant explosions in the region tripled compared to the previous five years. That disturbing trend has only continued: in 2024 alone, there were 48 major chemical incidents, including fires, explosions, and toxic releases.
Among them were the Pemex hydrogen sulfide release in Deer Park, TX, which killed two workers and injured 35, and the Atalco Alumina chemical accident in Gramercy, LA which sent five workers to the hospital. These weren’t isolated events — they’re part of a pattern of repeated safety failures by some of the biggest names in the energy industry.
Too often, the same companies and facilities appear in the headlines again and again, cutting corners, ignoring warning signs, and putting workers at risk — all in the name of protecting profits. And when disaster strikes, they move quickly to protect themselves, not the people whose lives have been shattered.
At Zehl & Associates, we’ve represented hundreds of injured plant and refinery workers, and we’ve seen the devastating toll these explosions take. Some of the most common injuries we help our clients recover from include:
- Severe chemical burns
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord damage and paralysis
- Crush injuries
- Amputations
- Complex fractures
- Psychological trauma and PTSD
If you or a loved one were seriously injured — or if you tragically lost a family member — in a plant, pipeline, or refinery accident, you need to act quickly.
How Zehl & Associates Helps Injured Plant and Refinery Workers
Choosing the right law firm can mean the difference between a life-changing financial recovery — and walking away with far less than you need and deserve. At Zehl & Associates, we’ve filed and won hundreds of personal injury lawsuits on behalf of injured refinery workers and their families — including the #1 largest verdicts and settlements in history against the largest petrochemical companies in the world.
Due to our success, our lawyers are able to provide our clients with the financial independence to care for themselves and their families for the rest of their lives, while allowing our firm to devote whatever resources are necessary to fighting the largest companies and legal teams in the world.
Why Injured Refinery Workers Choose Zehl & Associates:
- Billions Won: We’ve recovered some of the largest verdicts and settlements in history for plant and refinery workers — by preparing every case for trial and refusing to settle for less than our clients deserve.
- Extensive Experience with Complex Explosion Cases: We’ve handled and won lawsuits stemming from some of the most devastating refinery and chemical plant explosions in Texas, Louisiana, and across the country, giving us the insight and leverage to anticipate and counter an energy company’ every move.
- Access to the Best Doctors and Legal Support: From the moment you hire us, we connect you with the top medical specialists in the country and work closely with your doctors to ensure every aspect of your injury is fully documented and accounted for — at no upfront cost to you.
- No Fees Unless We Win — Guaranteed: We make sure your medical bills and reasonable living expenses are covered while your case is pending, and provide financial planning support so you can focus on your recovery without worrying about the future.
- We Never Accept Less Than Full Compensation: We build your case from the ground up with one goal: securing the maximum compensation possible. That includes lost income, future medical care, pain and suffering, and every dollar you’re legally entitled to.
Undefeated Refinery Explosion Lawyer: 1-888-603-3636 for a Free Consult
With Billions won, including the largest workplace accident settlements and verdicts in Texas, Louisiana, and U.S. history, our refinery explosion lawyers have the resources and experience to stand up against the largest petrochemical plants and oil and gas refineries in the world and not just win, but set records. We are here for you every step of the way.
Call today for a free consultation at 1-888-603-3636 or send us a confidential email through our Contact Us form.
Our lawyers will answer your questions, explain your rights, and make sure you have the information needed to make the best decision for you and your family going forward.
All consultations are free, and you won’t pay us anything unless we win your case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Seek medical attention right away, even if injuries aren’t obvious. Report the incident to your supervisor, but avoid making detailed statements. Don’t sign anything from your employer or insurance company. Contact an experienced refinery accident lawyer as soon as possible to protect your rights.
You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, future earnings, pain and suffering, and—in cases of gross negligence—punitive damages. Families of those killed can also pursue wrongful death damages.
Liability isn’t limited to your employer. Contractors, equipment manufacturers, property owners, and other third parties may be held responsible. A lawsuit may allow you to recover far more than workers’ comp alone.
You don’t need to know. Our investigators work with industry experts to identify every liable party — even those employers try to hide.
Not without legal counsel. Insurance adjusters are trained to minimize your claim. Let your lawyer handle all communications to avoid mistakes that could cost you.
Yes. If a third party contributed to the accident—or if your employer doesn’t carry Workers’ Comp in Texas—you may still be able to file a lawsuit and pursue full compensation.
In Texas, you typically have two years from the date of the accident. In Louisiana, the deadline is one year. If you miss these deadlines, you may lose your right to recover compensation.
Contact the Undefeated Houston Refinery Accident Lawyers from Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers for Help Today, Call 1-888-603-3636
For more information, please contact our Undefeated refinery accident attorneys in Houston, Texas at Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers to schedule a free consultation today.
We proudly serve Harris County, Midland County, and throughout the state of Texas. We are located in Houston and Midland and throughout the state of Texas:
Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers – Houston
2700 Post Oak Blvd #1000, Houston, TX 77056
(888) 603-3636
Open 24 hours
Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers – Midland
306 W Wall St Suite 701, Midland, TX 79701
(432) 220-0000
Open 24 hours