Visitor Question

Soaked in gas….is there anything I can do?

Submitted By: Anonymous (Baytown, TX)

I live in Texas and on 5/8/17 I was at a gas station where I prepaid for gas. I put the gas nozzle into my car gas tank and pushed the handle latch down. I heard the click noise you hear when the tank is full. I looked at the meter and it stopped.

When I removed the nozzle gas sprayed out and wouldn’t stop. I was soaked from head to toe. I yelled for help because gas was in my eyes. My Mom tried to help and got soaked with gas. I walked into the gas station and asked for help. The worker washed my eyes out with eye wash. I ended up in the emergency room because my nose, eyes, and throat wouldn’t stop burning.

We went back to the gas station when I was released from the ER. They gave me my change that was left over from prepaying and took a copy of my license. While they took my info another car drove up and when she removed the nozzle gas poured out. She got gas and drove off but she didn’t use the latch.

The manager said, “I will bag the pump.” My mom went back to the station on 5/10 and the manager said the pump was fine. She said she used it and her husband used it and it didn’t happen to them. My clothing, shoes and contacts are ruined and my throat is still burning from the fumes. Is there anything I can do about this situation? Thank you.

Disclaimer: Our response is not formal legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. It is generic legal information based on the very limited information provided. Do not rely upon the information in our response, or anywhere else on this site, when deciding the proper course of a legal matter. Always get a personalized case review from a local attorney.

Answer

Dear Anonymous,

Because of the complexity of the issues, your best interests would be served by seeking the advice and counsel of several personal injury attorneys in your area. However, depending on the amount of your medical bills, you may not find an attorney to accept your case.

In your situation, there will be several parties involved. The parties will likely be the owner of the gas station, the management, the company supplying the gas to the gas station, the manufacturer of the gas pumping stations, and the supplier of the gasoline.

You can be confident these parties will not accept, nor admit liability for your injuries. As a result, the only way you will be able to “pierce” the corporate veils of these companies is to retain an attorney. Thorough subpoenas, depositions, requests for interrogatories and other pretrial discovery, the attorney you choose will be capable of securing the highest possible amount of compensation for your injuries, your resulting medical bills, and an amount for your pain and suffering.

Most personal injury attorneys will not charge for initial office consultations. Gather your medical records from the emergency room and make appointments. After visiting with several attorneys you will have a better idea of the viability of your injury claim, the probability of success, and possibly an opinion of the general amount of compensation you may expect to receive after a settlement, or a trial.

Learn more here: Convenience Store and Gas Station Slip and Fall Claims

The above is general information. Laws change frequently, and across jurisdictions. You should get a personalized case evaluation from a licensed attorney.

Find a local attorney to give you a free case review here, or call 888-972-0892.

We wish you the best with your claim,

Published:

One comment on “Soaked in gas….is there anything I can do?

  1. Linda says:

    I was at a gas station and the breakaway came loose and I got in my mouth and eyes.

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