When the Texas fertilizer plant explosion occurred on April 17, 2013, it signaled a need to understand how often these types of events occur. The answers – spanning nearly the course of a century – may be an indicator of where we could be headed.
History Repeats Itself
Since 1921, there have been at least 17 unintended explosions of ammonium nitrate worldwide, according to the Guardian. Six of these happened in the U.S., and all led to casualties. However, with the rate at which ammonium nitrate production is growing in this country, these types of events could become more common.
One look at this data and it may not come as a surprise that nearly a third of the major ammonium nitrate explosions occurred in the last decade. What can we expect in the future? That will depend on whether or not regulatory agencies change their approach to plant oversight and the accountability of plant operators.
Fighting Cases like the Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion
When events like the West, Texas explosion occur, it takes experienced explosion accident lawyers to conduct the right investigations and bring the responsible parties to justice. Clifford Law Offices is recognized as a highly successful explosion accident law firm with more than 25 years of experience litigating these types of cases. In 2012, the firm secured the 11th highest verdict in the entire country for a grain bin explosion case, which was recognized by the National Law Journal. Clifford Law attorneys have also obtained settlements in other explosion cases, including a power plant explosion in Hammond, Indiana, and an electrical explosion in a shopping mall. For more information on selecting an experienced attorney, watch this plant explosions video featuring Clifford Law Offices’ partner and explosion accident lawyer, Kevin Durkin.