Settlement for Oilfield Worker Severely Burned During Pipeline Cleaning Explosion
On August 19th, 2013, Jerry Justice was working as a vacuum truck driver
and sent to remote location outside of Meeteetse, Wyoming, to assist Saga
Petroleum in evacuating natural gas liquids from a pipeline. On the day
he was injured, Saga Petroleum was running a “pig” through
the natural gas pipeline when the pig became lodged at a valve junction.
Due to inadequate planning, improper equipment and unsafe actions at the
worksite, the job site filled with volatile gas vapors. The natural gas
vapors ignited engulfing the worksite in a fireball, which severely burned
Jerry Justice. Jerry suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns to his hands, arms,
head and neck. He also suffered severe emotional trauma and post traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of the explosion. Grant Lawson and
The Spence Law Firm represented Jerry and filed suit against defendants
Saga Petroleum and Bower Petroleum in the Fifth Judicial District Court
for the District of Park County in September of 2014. After nearly two
years of litigation, Mr. Justice’s case was successfully resolved
prior to trial for a confidential amount.
Due to the dangerous nature of oil and gas operations, oil and gas operators and service companies have a responsibility to promote safety in the workplace. The failure to promote safety and enforce safety can lead to devastating results. The Spence Law Firm has a team of investigators and trial lawyers with decades of experience representing injured workers in serious burn injury cases. To learn more, contact us today.