Pumping Gas

Americans use hundreds of millions of gallons of gas each day. We refuel our cars on a very regular basis, some people as often as a few times per week. We are all familiar with the procedure of pumping gas from a gas station, and most of us do not think that it is especially dangerous. This is not the case- pumping gas can indeed be disastrous.

The biggest danger associated with the gas pump is a potential explosion. When the gas pump puts gas into your car’s tank, fumes escape and get into the air around the nozzle and the car. These fumes are very flammable, just like the gasoline going into the car is.

The flammable fumes need a spark to set them off. This can come in a variety of ways. Smoking a cigarette near a refueling car is incredibly dangerous and should never happen. The flaming cigarette could very easily set off the fumes from the gasoline, causing a severe explosion and fire.

A less obvious spark can come from static electricity. This static electricity can come from sliding across the seat while getting in and out of the car, or from the clothing that a person is wearing. When the person touches the metal on the nozzle, the static electricity is discharged and a spark is created. This spark can set off the fumes and cause a deadly fire. There have been over 100 documented cases of this occurrence at U.S. gas stations.

Contact Us

If you or someone you love has been injured in a gas pump accident, you may be entitled to reparations. For more information, contact the Clearwater personal injury lawyers of the Law Office of Tragos & Sartes, P.L. by calling 727-441-9030.