Plumber Injured in Gas Tank Explosion Sues Tampa Electric

A Tampa plumber is suing Tampa Electric Co. and its sister company after he was injured by an exploding gas line. The lawsuit, which was filed in Hillsborough County, alleges that plumber Anthony Gavin was working as a subcontractor for Tampa Electric. He was in a four-foot hole dealing with underground powerlines when a gas explosion caused him to become “engulfed in flames”. The plumber sustained severe burn injuries all over his body.

Gavin says that no one ever alerted him to the fact that the gas had not been turned off. Tampa electric is being blamed for failing to maintain the gas lines and for failing to ensure the safety of the contractor while he was doing work for the company.

Personal Injury Versus Workers’ Compensation 

Workers who are covered by an employer’s workers’ compensation policy are not entitled to file lawsuits against their employer. They can, however, file a lawsuit if they are a third-party contractor who is employed by a different company. That is precisely the situation with Mr. Gavin who alleges that Tampa Electric is responsible for his injury. Since he is not an employee of Tampa Electric, his lawsuit will be allowed to go forward as a non-employee cannot file a workers’ compensation claim.

Burn Injury Lawsuits 

In cases where a plaintiff suffers the permanent loss of a bodily organ or permanent disfigurement, the case value can go very high. This is because it is assumed that the plaintiff will have a reduced quality of life for the rest of their life.

Gavin says he has sustained burn injuries all over his body. He says he cannot work, and if he’s married, he may be able to sue for loss of consortium if he can no longer be intimate with his wife.

In a burn injury lawsuit, a defendant is entitled to compensation for hospital bills and medical expenses as well as pain and suffering damages and lost wages. Pain and suffering relate not only to the physical pain of having burnt skin, but also the emotional pain regarding the way people will now look at you. Pain and suffering damages are meant to compensate the plaintiff for any issues related to a decreased quality of life.

Burn injuries of this type often result in third and fourth-degree burns. This means that victims will have to deal with skin grafts and will remain in constant pain for months. Then there is the fact that they will never look the same. Never again will their family be able to see the same face. This tends to make them shut-ins, not wanting to go in public where others can see them. In legal terms, this is known as “loss of society”. When an injury has an adverse impact on a marriage, that is called “loss of consortium”.

Talk to a Tampa Personal Injury Attorney Today 

If you’ve suffered burn injuries on the job or otherwise, call the Tampa personal injury attorneys at the Matassini Law Firm to schedule a free consultation and learn more about our services.

Resource:

tampabay.com/news/business/2020/07/22/plumber-sues-tampa-electric-after-gas-explosion/

https://www.matassinilaw.com/plant-city-wreck-kills-one-teen-injures-two/