A recent incident at a South Toledo business is a reminder of how quickly an ordinary workday can turn dangerous when pressurized tanks, industrial equipment, chemicals, or other hazardous materials are involved.
According to a recent WTOL 11 report, explosions involving cleaning tanks occurred at a South Toledo business. Incidents like this can raise important questions about workplace safety, equipment maintenance, training, and whether all necessary precautions were taken to protect workers and others at the facility.
For injured workers and their families, determining exactly what happened—and who may be responsible—can be just as important as addressing the immediate medical consequences.
Nurenberg Paris Has Experience Investigating Explosion Cases
At Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy, our attorneys have experience handling serious cases involving explosions, industrial accidents, defective equipment, fires, and catastrophic workplace injuries.
More recently, Nurenberg Paris filed a lawsuit on behalf of 14 victims of the catastrophic 2023 I. Schumann & Co. explosion in Bedford, Ohio. The lawsuit alleges negligence, failures to follow safety requirements, and disregard for worker safety in connection with the explosion.
In another recent explosion case, Nurenberg Paris filed suit on behalf of a Northeast Ohio firefighter and his daughter after they suffered severe burns in a 2025 propane explosion at their home. The complaint alleges that propane leaked from a newly installed furnace and gas line, accumulated inside the residence, and ignited.
Industrial Explosion Cases Require a Thorough Investigation
When an explosion happens at a workplace, identifying the cause can require much more than reviewing an accident report.
Depending on the circumstances, an investigation may need to examine:
- The equipment involved in the explosion
- Maintenance and inspection records
- Pressure levels and pressure-relief systems
- Cleaning procedures and chemicals
- Manufacturer specifications and warnings
- Employee training and safety procedures
- OSHA and other applicable safety requirements
- Prior equipment problems or incidents
- Surveillance footage
- Witness statements
- Whether contractors or outside companies serviced or maintained the equipment
Preserving this evidence can be especially important. Equipment can be repaired, altered, moved, or discarded after an accident, potentially making it more difficult to determine exactly what went wrong.
A Workplace Injury May Involve More Than Workers’ Compensation
When someone is injured while working in Ohio, workers’ compensation may provide benefits regardless of who caused the accident. But an industrial explosion can sometimes involve another company or entity besides the injured person’s employer.
For example, potential third-party responsibility could involve an equipment manufacturer, maintenance company, contractor, property owner, or another business whose actions contributed to the incident.
Nurenberg Paris evaluates workplace injury cases to determine whether an injured worker may have both a workers’ compensation claim and a separate claim against a responsible third party.
That distinction can be extremely important after a catastrophic accident.
Experience Matters After an Explosion
Explosion cases can involve complicated questions of engineering, product design, workplace safety, maintenance, and corporate responsibility. They can also result in devastating injuries, including burns, traumatic brain injuries, hearing damage, fractures, amputations, respiratory injuries, and permanent disability.
Nurenberg Paris has represented injured workers and families in complex workplace and product-liability cases for decades. Our published results include cases involving explosions, industrial equipment, fires, electrocutions, machinery accidents, and other catastrophic incidents. Nurenberg Paris has recovered recovering more than $1 billion for clients across its cases, although past results do not guarantee the outcome of any future case.
Injured in a Workplace or Industrial Explosion in Ohio?
The recent South Toledo incident demonstrates why explosions involving tanks and industrial equipment deserve careful investigation.
If you or a family member has been seriously injured in an explosion at a factory, manufacturing facility, repair shop, warehouse, construction site, or other Ohio workplace, Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy can investigate what happened and determine what legal options may be available.
Contact Nurenberg Paris for a free consultation. There are no upfront costs, and under the firm’s No Fee Guarantee®, you pay no attorney fee unless the firm obtains a recovery for you.
