Shale drilling for natural gas has boomed in recent years, particularly in Pennsylvania. But with it has come the potential for accidents and injuries for those working at the drilling sites as well as people living nearby.
The process of hydraulic fracturing or “hydrofracking” to tap underground pockets of natural gas carries with it an array of dangers, including explosions and fires, heavy equipment malfunctions, vehicular accidents and exposure to toxic chemicals.
If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury or illness due to a fracking accident or exposure, you should contact a fracking injury lawyer. Kline & Specter, PC, with more than 50 attorneys, five of whom are also highly experienced doctors, has had success handling lawsuits involving fracking-related injuries and has the experience and expertise to help you and your family in a gas drilling injury case.
Kline & Specter recently won a substantial confidential settlement for a worker at a fracking site who lost several fingers when a crane operator dropped a large load on his hand.
Employment in natural gas industries is setting new records every day, particularly in The Marcellus Shale Field covering much of rural northern and western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, a region considered to have one of the largest natural gas deposits in the United States.
But the work can also be risky because of the highly volatile nature of fracking operations. Some wells experience pressure explosions known as “blowouts” when large amounts of water, sand and chemicals are injected under high pressure into underground shale formations. In other cases, it has been suspected that chemicals have leaked into surrounding soil and sources of drinking water.
There are an estimated half million fracking drilling sites operating in the United States. However, the aggressive expansion coupled with high-pressure hydrofracking and the use of large equipment and chemicals presents dangers to workers and the public.
If you suffered a catastrophic injury involving a fracking site, you should call us today at 800-243-1100.