Twenty-one Injured in Explosion and Fire at Kuraray American EVAL Plant in Pasadena, Texas

About 22 people were injured with burn and other kinds of injuries after an explosion and fire at Kuraray American EVAL on Choate and Bay Area Boulevard in Pasadena, California at about 10:43 am on Saturday, May 19, 2018. The number of injured has been changing throughout the days since the accident as more information comes in. Some news reports state that 17 people were hurt; others have stated that 22 were injured.

About 250 employees and personnel were inside the plant. A valve blew after overpressurization, which sparked a flash-fire. Everyone is accounted for, according to the company. Some of those hurt were injured while they were fleeing the plant.

The 20 injured were taken by ambulance to local hospitals. Some news reports state that two people were seriously injured with burns and were airlifted to hospitals. None of the injuries are reported to be life-threatening at this time.

The company is part of the chemical maker Kuraray, which is based in Tokyo. It produces dental, fiber, resin, and elastomer products. The Kuraray American EVAL facility opened in 1986 and is the world’s largest ethylene vinyl alcohol plant.

Serious Burns Can Cause Lifelong Health Problems

Serious burns can affect a person for the rest of their life. If the burns are third- or fourth-degree, a patient can go into burn shock, which can cause death. The severity of burn injuries will vary, depending on how deeply the burn penetrates a human body.

And the treatment for burns is extremely painful and includes wound cleaning, debriding (which is removing dead skin), cutting away burned tissue, harvesting skin for grafts, and dressing the wound. Pain medication can not always alleviate the pain a patient will feel while undergoing these procedures. And the medication can cause hallucinations, difficulty breathing, and even addiction.

Some patients must undergo physical therapy, especially if the burns have affected tissue and bone. Therapy can last for months and can be very expensive.

If Your Loved One was Injured in the Kuraray American EVAL Explosion, Call Us

If you or a loved one has been burned in an industrial accident, please accept our most heartfelt sympathies. Nobody should have to endure that kind of suffering. And the pain can be compounded by financial worries and (if a company is at fault) a desire for justice.

Our attorneys have years of experience defending the rights of people who have been burned or otherwise injured in industrial accidents. Every case is different; if you would like to talk about your specific situation, you can call us for free, and without obligation. Tell us about your situation and your needs. We will tell you about your legal rights and how to protect them.

Call us at 1-888-377-8900. Find out how we can help you.