Experience – Incident and Industry
Michael Best’s Explosion And Fire Investigation Team has extensive experience investigating and litigating cases and government enforcement actions involving complex explosion, fire, gas leak, excavation, trenchless horizontal directional drilling (HDD), dust accumulation, bag house failures and explosions, boiler failures and explosions, arc flash and electrocution cases. We represent utilities, contractors, manufacturers, engineers, designers, system installers, pipeline companies, mills, food processors, chemical suppliers, bio fuel makers and many other industries in these types of cases.
Regulatory Areas of Experience
Our team has been involved in litigation with numerous state and federal agencies throughout the US in connection with explosion, fire, electrical, gas, chemical and combustible dust hazards and incidents including: the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Alcohol Tobacco and Fire Arms (ATF), the US Attorney’s Office as well as equivalent state prosecutors; state fire marshals; US Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS); and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
We have extensive experience with regulatory requirements including: OSHA regulations such as the Process Safety Management Standard; Hazardous Waste Operations Standard; OSHA’s National Explosion Program in Dust Hazards; Pipeline Safety Regulations 49 CFR 191, 192; National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards 54, 58, 70E, 654, 664, 921; State One-Call (Call Before You Dig) regulations in every state; HDD Good Practices Guidelines; and Common Ground Alliance Best Practices, to name a few.
Our Approach
Our defense team consists of ten (10) attorneys and paralegals who have worked together on dozens of explosion, fire, electrical, gas, chemical and combustible dust related cases, including multiple fatality and large property damage cases. In addition, we have established a network of external experts at a dozen or more firms throughout the country, including numerous former federal and state regulators. Because of our experience and contacts with former and current regulators, we are able to immediately respond to an incident or government investigation and interface with government regulators, utilizing our experience and relationships in order to protect our client’s interests and secure top expertise for our client.
Case Management
Michael Best is able to provide clients with secure access to Best-Net, our extranet site, that will allow for the seamless sharing of numerous files, photos, calendars, pleadings, government investigation reports, media reports, and other information that is pertinent to all pending litigation matters.
Michael Best has an established Extranet that provides secure and protected access to client information. This site, known as "Best-Net," is an interactive, web-based database that permits you to monitor the progress of pending matters. In addition to being able to review information, the calendar, pleadings, legal analysis, and documents for each matter, Best-Net provides you with upload and download capabilities so that you can provide and obtain copies of information and documents directly to and from your Michael Best contact without going through your email system. This permits faster, more efficient information exchange and eliminates e-mail memory and storage overloads. In addition, through Best-Net, you can link to external legal resources. Best-Net incorporates notice features so that your Michael Best contact is immediately and automatically notified via email when you have, for example, uploaded documents. It also permits you to incorporate dates and notice features from the matter calendar directly into your Microsoft Outlook calendar.
Best-Net is secure and flexible. As with our other communication services, we ensure the confidentiality of all of this information and communications using encryption software, fire walls and other protection procedures and practices. The Best-Net features provided can be expanded or contracted depending on the demands and complexity of each matter. Based on the matter, access to each feature is customized for each individual user and various levels of access can be granted or revoked. Clients especially appreciate that the Best-Net can be used to present up to the minute details about your case to management in your company as well as insurance representatives. It’s there at your fingertips, wherever you are in the world, without the need to maintain a big case file.