Representing People Injured in a Propane or Natural Gas Explosion in Colorado
Propane and natural gas are widely used in Colorado homes and therefore are common causes of burn injuries. These gases are safe if properly contained and used. Because of their extreme volatility, there are extensive governmental and industry standards covering every aspect of the distribution and delivery and the appliances that use them. The standards are generally sound and contain redundancies in the safeguards they provide.
Jim Cederberg, a lawyer at the Cederberg Law Firm will help you collect monetary damages following a serious natural gas or propane explosion. To learn more about your lawsuit, contact him at his office in Boulder, Colorado, for a free consultation.
The Dangers of Natural Gas and Propane
Natural gas and propane are naturally odorless and colorless and are therefore chemically odorized to enable detection of leaks. Natural gas is lighter than air, and small, unconfined leaks vent into the atmosphere. Propane is gas compressed into a liquid and then revaporized for use. The liquid form allows packing of the most possible energy into the least volume for easy transport. Volume for volume, propane is substantially more powerful than gasoline. Propane vapor is heavier than air. Therefore, it has a tendency to pool. In a building or basement, it can form explosive concentrations in substantial volume from relatively small leaks.
The propane industry has also struggled with the ineffectiveness of the odorant. Several factors seem to be at work. One is that the odorant in a pool of gas spread out along the floor doesn’t reach a person’s nose before the ignition source is introduced. Another is that the odorant can get “scrubbed” from the propane under certain circumstances. Some people simply cannot smell the odorant.
Holding Responsible Parties Liable for Gas Explosions
The gas appliance industry has been plagued by gas control designs that were not failsafe and resulted in leaks. Since the physical properties of natural gas make it more forgiving than propane, there seemed to be a disproportionate number of propane incidents, generally flash explosions that burned residents trying to relight their furnace or water heater. Flash burns result from brief exposure to a very hot flash explosion that may not even start a fire. Typical flash burns involve a serious burn injury to exposed areas such as the hands, arms and face with no damage to skin protected by a watchband, hair or even a lightweight cotton T-shirt.
Because there are redundancies in the standards that apply to the handling of propane and natural gas, any fire or explosion involving one of these gases, almost certainly involves at least one violation of a safety standard, and a very good chance that multiple violations have occurred. These violations, when discovered and proven, are extremely effective in establishing the plaintiff’s case.
If an accident resulted from a natural gas or propane leak, speak to attorney Jim Cederberg. For more information about your gas explosion case, contact the Cederberg Law Firm for a free consultation.
