Common injuries from La Porte refinery explosions include burn injuries, head and brain injuries, spinal cord injuries (SCIs), lung and airway damage, and vision loss.
Outside of these injuries, a La Porte refinery explosion can cause anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other psychological trauma.
La Porte refinery explosions can cause extreme heat, flames, smoke, or hazardous chemicals to form, which can contribute to burns that require surgery or other medical procedures or treatment.
These explosions can create extreme heat that results in thermal burns that damage the skin. Or, they can cause employees and others to be exposed to corrosive chemicals that contribute to burns.
In a La Porte refinery explosion, moving or swinging equipment can strike someone, which has the potential to cause a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or other head trauma.
Outside of this, the force associated with an explosion that occurs at a La Porte refinery can result in a concussion or other head or brain injuries.
Falling debris in a La Porte refinery explosion can hit a person on the head, which can cause this individual to suffer a head or brain injury.
In addition, if a refinery worker is not wearing a helmet or other head protection at the time of an explosion, they are increasingly susceptible to head or brain injuries during the blast.
The initial symptoms of a head or brain injury from a La Porte refinery explosion are sometimes not immediately noticeable. Without proper care, these can worsen and affect someone for years.
La Porte refinery explosions can cause SCIs due to extreme blast forces, falls from heights, and crushing impacts from falling debris.
Severe spinal cord damage from a La Porte refinery explosion can result in partial or complete paralysis and keep a person from working or enjoying life the same way they did before the incident.
When a La Porte refinery explosion happens, employees and others in the area may inhale toxic fumes, smoke, or superheated air that burns the respiratory tract and contributes to breathing problems.
Shockwaves from the explosion can also damage the lungs and other air-filled organs.
A La Porte refinery explosion can create bright flashes of light or flying particles that have the potential to damage the eyes and lead to vision damage or loss.
Furthermore, people who are exposed to intense heat or harmful chemicals during a La Porte refinery explosion can be prone to permanent sight impairment or complete blindness.
People who have survived or witnessed a La Porte refinery explosion can experience vivid nightmares or sudden flashbacks of the incident.
Some individuals may choose to stay away from places, sounds, or reminders relating to the explosion or feel constantly on edge or startled by things associated with it.
The explosion can also cause a person to become emotionally numb to the point where they feel detached from family and friends or activities that they enjoyed previously.