A group of friends and their families gathered poolside at the Bolero apartment complex in Phoenix on June 19, 2020. It was a perfect summer day. Seven people, five women and two children, were looking forward to a celebratory afternoon swimming, barbecuing, and socializing.

Their excitement for what should have been a day of fun, however, soon turned into shock and terror. The gathering became a nightmarish scene with a sudden earth-shaking explosion, a flash of flames, and instantaneous searing heat.

The group believed they were cooking on a charcoal grill. Investigators later determined that it had been converted from propane to charcoal, but an uncapped propane line remained beneath it. Gas had accumulated in an enclosed area below the grill before it ignited.

In the moments after the explosion, the women who were able to respond turned their attention to the children. Despite the chaos and their own injuries, they worked to get them away from the blast area and find a way to safety while first responders were on their way.

The explosion itself was over, but the danger and uncertainty were not. Several of them were suffering from serious burns, no one knew whether another explosion could occur, and locked gates complicated efforts to get the injured out of the pool area. What followed was a frantic effort to protect the children, help the wounded, and get everyone to emergency medical care.

For several of the victims, the ordeal continued long after they left the scene. Hospital stays, repeated medical treatment, rehabilitation, and psychological care followed. Recovery stretched over months, and both the physical and emotional scars were significant.

What happened that afternoon illustrates something important about explosion cases. The event itself may last only seconds, while determining what caused it, what went wrong, and who was responsible can require a much more detailed investigation.

An explosion injury attorney can help determine what caused the blast, who may be responsible, and whether you have a claim for compensation. That can mean reviewing reports and records, interviewing witnesses, examining equipment, and consulting with experts to piece together how the incident occurred.

For someone who has been injured, and for family members trying to help, the aftermath can be overwhelming. In addition to pain and medical treatment, there may be questions about how long recovery will take, whether the injuries will have lasting effects, and how medical bills and lost income will be handled.

Attorneys at Kelly Law Team will carefully examine the evidence, paying close attention to details that can become important in establishing fault. Sometimes, as in the Phoenix apartment complex incident, the most important evidence is something the injured people could not possibly have known was there.

The cause of an explosion is not always obvious, and determining what went wrong often requires looking closely at the equipment, materials, and safety procedures involved.

In Arizona, explosions have been caused by:

• Improperly installed gas and propane grills
• Damaged and deteriorating natural gas lines and pipes
• Leaks around gas delivery equipment like meters and valves
• Propane leaks when filling tanks
• Excessive combustible dust buildup around sawmill and grain storage equipment
• Lithium-ion batteries in laptops, power tools
• Vape batteries
• Compressed gas cylinders which rupture when exposed to heat
• Electric and hybrid car batteries overheating
• Old or poorly maintained steam boiler systems
• Fireworks and ammunition
• Electrical equipment arcs igniting nearby fuel or vapors
• Vehicle fuel-system leaks or fuel-tank fires
• Malfunctioning hydraulic equipment

 These are only some of the circumstances that can lead to an explosion. In many cases, the key question is whether the incident resulted from a defective product, poor maintenance, improper handling, inadequate safety procedures, or some other preventable failure.

Determining what caused an explosion is only part of the investigation. To develop a solid case, an attorney must trace the failure back to the person or company that had responsibility for preventing it in the first place. It requires finding answers to a lot of questions.

• If a gas line failed, who owned it, installed it, inspected it, and maintained it?
• If a propane tank or a valve leaked, was the equipment defective, improperly filled, or poorly maintained?
• If combustible dust accumulated and was the apparent cause, who was responsible for cleaning the equipment and enforcing safety procedures?
• If a battery exploded, was there a manufacturing defect, was it improperly installed, was it grounded correctly, or was it kept in service longer than recommended?
• If a contractor worked on a system before the accident, exactly what did that company do? How long had the employee been working for the company? Had he been trained on that piece of equipment?

Responsibility may be several levels away from the explosion. The company that appears most obvious may only be one of the parties which could have prevented the occurrence. Identifying those parties is important because each may have a different level of responsibility and have different insurance to compensate for the injuries that resulted.

The injuries caused by an explosion can vary depending on its force, the materials involved, and how close a person was. Some injuries are visible immediately, and some injuries may not become clear for hours or even days.

Some common injuries can include burns, broken bones, cuts, internal bleeding, head trauma, and breathing issues from inhaling smoke or toxic chemicals. People who have been in an explosion may also experience long-term emotional effects.

The seriousness of the injuries is important when determining medical care, financial loss, and other damages that must be considered as part of a claim. A burn accident lawyer can help document the extent of those injuries, the treatment they require, and the ways they may affect a person’s life in the future.

If you are able, move to a safe place and ask someone to call for medical help. Even if you think your injuries are minor, shock and adrenaline after a traumatic event can temporarily block your ability to recognize pain. Also, internal injuries may not be readily apparent.

After the immediate event is over, make sure you preserve any evidence. Pictures taken at the scene, witness names, reports, and any notes you take can be useful to investigators trying to determine the cause of a blast.

Also, try to make sure any damaged equipment or devices are not removed until their importance is known.

Keep any clothing or personal items which may have been affected by the explosion. Physical evidence can sometimes provide an experienced accident reconstruction specialist with answers.

Several areas of Arizona law may apply when someone is injured in an explosion. The laws that matter will depend on how the explosion occurred, who was responsible for preventing it, and the injuries and financial losses that resulted.

When an explosion involves leaking propane or natural gas, a gas leak lawyer can identify the legal grounds for holding a person or company responsible and determine what compensation may be available under Arizona law. Some of the laws and legal principles that may apply include:

Negligence: Failure of a person or company to use reasonable care, which led to an injury.

Product Liability: A defective piece of equipment, valve, tank, gas line, battery, or product led to an exploion injury.

Premises Liability: An unsafe condition on a property was a factor.

Wrongful Death: When someone dies as a result of a preventable explosion. (A.R.S. 12-611 to 12-613)

Comparative Fault: The injured person may have contributed to the circumstances which caused the explosion. Arizona law allows that person to recover a portion of the claim based on shared responsibility. (A.R.S. 12-2505 and 12-2506)

Time Limits: Arizona’s statute of limitations and any shorter deadlines that may apply in specific cases. (A.R.S. 12-542; A.R.S. 12-821 and 12-821.01 for claims involving public entities)

 Insurance adjusters often contact the injured party soon after they learn their client is involved in an explosion. If they’ve contacted you, they already know you’ve been injured and may be considering legal action.

It’s best not to discuss the case with the caller. By referring them to your attorney, you avoid making any statements which might be used later to weaken your case.

Insurance companies sometimes offer early settlements to limit their exposure. You, on the other hand, need time. Explosions are traumatic events. It can be days or even weeks before the full extent of the injuries is known, and a treatment plan developed.

Let your attorney be your guide in dealing with insurance companies while you focus on healing.

An explosion or injury from a serious burn affects every part of a person’s life. Medical bills may start arriving while the injured person is still undergoing treatment and unable to work. Explosion injuries often take months and even years to heal.

In Arizona, compensation may be available for medical expenses, lost wages, anticipated effects on future earning ability, pain and suffering, and other injuries connected to the accident.

This is when documentation of losses becomes important. An attorney will help review and record medical bills. If treatment is ongoing, the attorney will work with medical and financial experts to estimate future expenses and long-term needs.

The devastation that an explosion brings into someone’s life needs to be understood on a personal level. It can affect sleep, work, and mobility. It can cause anxiety, both physical and emotional scarring, and a loss of independence. The ability to enjoy life may be diminished. If pain and suffering damages are appropriate, those deciding on the case should have a clear picture of how the injuries impacted a person’s daily life.

The friends who gathered around the pool at the Bolero apartment complex that afternoon in 2020 had no idea an uncapped propane line was leaking beneath the grill they were using. What began as an ordinary day turned into a life-changing event because of a danger they could neither see nor anticipate.

A significant settlement was reached because the lawyers at Kelly Law Team understood that this was a complex case requiring an exhaustive investigation and tenacious negotiation. The case was built by preserving evidence, interviewing witnesses, consulting experts about the equipment involved, and tracing responsibility to the individuals and companies that had an opportunity to prevent the explosion.

If you or a family member has been seriously injured in an explosion, the Kelly Law Team can investigate what happened and help you understand your legal options. While you concentrate on your medical treatment and recovery, our team will focus on the investigation, the insurance companies, and the legal issues involved in pursuing the compensation you may be entitled to under Arizona law.