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Seven Injured in Accident at Sunco Logistics in Nederland, Texas

NEDERLAND, TX — Seven people were taken to the hospital after a problem with a fire system at Sunco Logistics in Nederland, Texas on Monday, January 5th, 2014. The news article from The Beaumont Enterprise said that the accident happened sometime Monday afternoon.

Seven contractors were taken by EMS personnel to a nearby hospital after a dry fire suppression system mistakenly activated, releasing a dry powder irritant fire retardant into the atmosphere around the workers. It is not clear what caused the system to activate.

Seven workers were taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries.

The investigation into the accident is being handled by officials from several agencies.

Scene of the Accident

View from the Road

Commentary:

With a situation like this, there could be several different directions the investigation could lead. First and foremost, the news mentioned specifically that the seven people hospitalized were contractors. This may seem like an unimportant detail, but believe it or not, it means a great deal in the grand scope of things. If the injuries were caused by an incident outside the company that the men were working for, then the company that caused the accident would be liable, and probably not the victim’s employers. This is significant because it would take workers’ compensation, and all the difficulties it tends to come with, off the table. Instead of a workers’ comp claim against the victim’s employer, it would more than likely be a negligence claim against the company that caused the accident.

On that note, just from what I’ve seen in the news, the fire suppression system itself may have malfunctioned. If this turns out to be the case, then the claim could be against the manufacturers of the system, or the company that was contracted to properly install it. These systems are complex, and any problem could release toxic irritants onto unsuspecting workers. If this turns out to be what happened, holding the company responsible liable is the only way to send the message that this kind of product, or careless installation is absolutely unacceptable.

— Grossman Law Offices

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I'm a former employee. I had brought up this exact scenario and suggested a maintenance procedure that would eliminate the possibility of this type injury. Obviously my warning went unheeded.
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What this blog is all about

This blog was started as a source for information and news regarding Texas personal injury accidents. This blog has since evolved to feature related stories from all over the country.

Additionally, we hope our blog provides a place for personal injury victims, their family members & loved ones to express their concerns, raise new questions, or to share memories of a loved one who has suffered as a result of such an accident. We update our blog daily and will be happy to keep any and all memories or comments posted live for visitors to view at any time.

Michael Grossman

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