Delivery Truck Gas Tank Explosion in Pasadena Injures Three
Three people suffered major on-the-job injuries in a Pasadena explosion the afternoon of March 16, 2009. According to an article in the Pasadena Star News, the explosion apparently ripped apart a delivery truck that was fueled by compressed natural gas. The accident occurred while employees of California Linen Services on 40 E. California Blvd. were refueling a delivery truck that operates on compressed natural gas. Officials believe a gas tank exploded, destroying the truck.
The gas tank reportedly flew up about 1,000 feet in the air and landed 200 feet away. One person suffered critical injuries and two others are said to be in serious condition. The California Department of Occupational Safety and Health (CAL/OSHA) is looking into what caused this accident.
I’m relieved that no one was fatally injured in this horrific workplace accident. My heart goes out to the three workers who have been seriously injured. I wish them the very best for a quick and complete recovery.
CAL/OSHA’s investigation usually takes several months to get completed. If I were a family member of the victims here, I would be really interested to find out how and why this explosion occurred. The workers involved in this on the job accident will certainly be entitled to workers compensation benefits. But California workers compensation benefits are woefully inadequate and definitely not enough to cover a worker and his family especially if the incident involves serious injuries that could keep him away from his job for a long time.
The injured victims and their families would be well-advised to contact an experienced California workers compensation attorney who also has an excellent track record with “third-party” claims. These are claims that are filed against parties that are not the worker’s employer. It could be a contractor, a sub-contractor or even the manufacturer of a defective product. In this particular case, I would certainly have an expert thoroughly examine the truck and its gas tank for product defects. If the gas tank is defective, then the auto maker or the maker of that defective part can be held liable. The truck should also be preserved unaltered, in its current condition, so it can be examined by an expert for malfunctions, product defects and other evidence.