Imperial Sugar Co. Plant Explosion
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The plant explosion injury lawyers are currently evaluating cases of people affected by the Imperial Sugar Co. plan explosion that occurred in Port Wentworth, Georgia on February 7, 2008 for a potential lawsuit. If you or a loved one suffered as a result of the Imperial Sugar Co. plant explosion, please contact a plant explosion injury attorney at our law firm as soon as possible to discuss your case.
The Imperial Sugar Co. plant explosion in Port Wentworth, Georgia occurred at 7:00 p.m. when there where about 100 workers on site. The Port Wentworth sugar refinery is Texas-based Imperial Sugar Co.’s largest plant, and the main employer in the small Georgia town. Imperial Sugar Co. manufactures Dixie, Holly and Imperial brand sweeteners.
People living in neighboring South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia, felt the impact of the Imperial Sugar Co. plant explosion, and flames from the ensuing fire could be seen for miles. There were concerns that oil and other toxic materials at the Imperial Sugar Co. plant could have spilled into the nearby Savannah River.
Ambulances and emergency workers from 12 counties in Georgia and South Carolina were called in to assist at the scene. Efforts to control the blaze started by the Imperial Sugar Company plant explosion where hampered by water pressure problems. Firefighters were forced to divert water from nearby homes to fight the fire, and tugboats on the nearby Savannah River converged on the scene and turned water cannons onto the blaze.
Imperial Sugar Co. Plant Explosion Injures Dozens, Several Missing
The plant explosion injury attorneys at Parker Waichman Alonso LLP can help victims and the families of victims of the Imperial Sugar Co. plant explosion obtain the compensation they need to get their lives back on track. The morning after the Imperial Sugar Co. plant explosion, 62 people where reported injured and another six where missing. All of the injured where taken to area hospitals, where 40 were treated and released, while 13 were admitted. Nine people with severe burns where taken to a burn center in Augusta Georgia.
By the next morning, the search for the six missing victims of the Imperial Sugar Co. plant explosion had turned into a recovery effort. The U.S. Coast Guard closed the Savannah River around the port and Coast Guard helicopters searched the river for anyone who might have been thrown into the water.
Cause of Imperial Sugar Co. Plant Explosion
The plant explosion injury lawyers at Parker Waichman Alonso LLP are investigating the cause of the Imperial Sugar Co. plant explosion. The Imperial Sugar Co. plant explosion started in a silo used to store refined sugar prior to packaging. Although no official cause has yet been assigned, official from the Imperial Sugar Co. told media outlets that they suspected the explosion was the result of a “sugar dust explosion”. Plants where a lot of sugar dust is present are classified by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration as "hazardous locations," the same classification as coal preparation plants and producers of plastics, medicines and fireworks, according to the OSHA Web site. When sugar dust is aerosolized, it can get ionically charged and ignite from just a bit of static electricity.
Legal Help for Victims of the Imperial Sugar Co. Plant Explosion
The plant explosion injury lawyers at Parker Waichman Alonso LLP will hold accountable those parties responsible for the Imperial Sugar Co. plant explosion. If you or a loved one where injured as a result of the Imperial Sugar Co. Plant explosion, you are entitled to compensation. To discuss your case, please contact a qualified plant explosions injury attorney or lawyer at Parker Waichman Alonso LLP by filling out our online form or by calling 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636).