Blog Layout

Trailer malfunction releases toxic gas in Kenosha

Randy Rozek • Apr 30, 2017

A pick-up truck hauling two tanks of anhydrous ammonia in the Town of Paris last Wednesday morning reportedly released the toxic gases after a valve on the tank trailer malfunctioned. According to an article by the Beloit Daily News, authorities gave the all-clear by about 3:40 p.m. Wednesday. Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in […]

A pick-up truck hauling two tanks of anhydrous ammonia in the Town of Paris last Wednesday morning reportedly released the toxic gases after a valve on the tank trailer malfunctioned.

According to an article by the Beloit Daily News , authorities gave the all-clear by about 3:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in air causes immediate burning of the nose, throat and respiratory tract, which can cause bronchiolar and alveolar edema, and airway destruction resulting in respiratory distress or failure. Inhalation of lower concentrations can cause coughing, and nose and throat irritation.

“Crews were able to close the valve, ending the leak,” the article reads. “But residents were told to stay indoors and close doors and windows, and roads entering the town were closed.”

The truck driver was not injured as a result of the leak and an elderly man who lived near where the leak occurred was evacuated from his home.

“By late afternoon authorities said roads had reopened and there was no longer any danger to the public. The incident remains under investigation,” the article reads.

Water is the most important emergency treatment given for anhydrous ammonia exposures before advanced medical services arrive, according to first aid safety information on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website.

Anhydrous ammonia is hydrophilic, which is to say it has a strong affinity for water. When anhydrous ammonia vapor or liquid comes in contact with water it forms the corrosive alkaline ammonium hydroxide.

When anhydrous ammonia gas or liquid comes in contact with the human body three types of injuries may result:

  • Dehydration.  Is the result of ammonia’s great attraction for water. Anhydrous ammonia will extract water from body tissue.
  • Caustic burning.  Is the result of the strong base formed when ammonia combines with water from body tissue. Once ammonia extracts water from body tissue it forms ammonium hydroxide that can chemically burn tissue.
  • Freezing.  As liquid ammonia vaporizes it pulls heat away from body tissue causing frostbite in an instant. Released liquid anhydrous ammonia has a temperature of -28°F.

There is no cure for ammonia poisoning. First aid consists of decontamination, maintaining open airway, and respiration support followed by rapid   transport to an advanced medical care facility. After decontamination, no special protective clothing is required for those caring for the injured.

Children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are more vulnerable to injury when exposed to ammonia.

Free E-Books 
By Randy Rozek 27 Oct, 2023
After an ongoing struggle to bring justice to the victim of an attack at a Wisconsin diabetes clinic, attorney Randy Rozek of Rozek Law Offices, S.C. has won an $8.3 million victory in which a jury found hospital security at fault for the attack and the client’s resulting injuries. In 2014, Rozek’s client was in the waiting room of the diabetes clinic at a local children’s hospital when a 16-year-old girl with a history of violence viciously assaulted her. The victim, who was accompanied by her two young children, was “punched repeatedly in the face and head, had chunks of hair pulled from her head and was struck in the head with a chair,” Rozek said. The children, aged 9 and 11 at the time, were so frightened by the brutal beating that they fled to a stairwell for safety, fearing their mother had been killed by the attacker and that they would be next if the attacker was to find them. Rozek’s client survived the assault, but still struggles with symptoms of a TBI (traumatic brain injury) and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) following the attack.
By Jayne Zabrowski 21 Jul, 2020
Congratulations to Attorney Randy Rozek on his election to be Chair of the American Association for Justice’s Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group. The American Association for Justice (AAJ) is the largest group of legal advocates for justice in the country. According to AAJ: “For over 70 years, AAJ has successfully defended Americans’ right to trial by jury and continues to fight every day to protect our practices, our clients’ rights, and our civil justice system.” The 3 pillars of AAJ are Community, Advocacy and Education. AAJ has over 50,000 members and has several different Litigation Groups made up of attorneys that specialize in different areas of the law. The Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group (TBILG) was established in 1991 in order to allow attorneys that handle Traumatic Brain Injury cases the ability to share their knowledge, techniques and experience. The TBILG has over 300 members from around the world. Pre-COVID19, the TBILG will typically put on two or three in-person conferences throughout the year and always had a reputation for bringing in great speakers and having a great turnout. Randy was asked about his election as Chair of the TBILG and had this to say: “It means a lot to me that my fellow trial lawyer colleagues bestowed upon my the great honor of leading the Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group for the next year. Our group is made up of some of the greatest TBI lawyers in the country, if not the world. I am proud to lead a group of great lawyers that have dedicated their practices to advocate for those individuals that have suffered from the devastating effects of brain injuries.” Rozek Law Offices, S.C. 3970 N Oakland Ave Ste 604 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211 (414) 374-4444 https://www.rozeklaw.com/
By Randy Rozek 18 Mar, 2020
The vast majority of interactions between clients and Rozek Law Offices is not in-person contact. Typically, however, the initial contact between a potential client and Attorney Rozek would be an in person meeting. Due to the health concerns regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19), Rozek Law Offices has implemented new technology that will allow potential clients to retain Attorney Rozek and Rozek Law Offices without an in-person meeting. A typical new client relationship with Rozek Law Offices now looks like the following:
By Randy Rozek 20 Aug, 2019
MILWAUKEE, WI – We are pleased to announce that Randy Rozek, Rozek Law Offices, S. C., has been selected to the Brain Injury Association of America’s Brain Injury Preferred Attorneys Program. This is an exclusive partnership between the nation’s oldest and largest brain injury advocacy organization and one of Wisconsin’s foremost brain injury law firms. […]
By Randy Rozek 31 Oct, 2018
The majority of our clients are referred to us from people in the community, doctors, judges, lawyers, other past clients that we have represented, but also we’re routinely asked to associate with other attorneys around the state or even around the country because we know the right experts and we get the right results. Because […]
By Randy Rozek 08 Oct, 2018
Wisconsin Rideshare Accident Lawyer Rideshare accidents is a new field of law with the advent of Uber, Lyft, and other companies that offer ride services. What we’re seeing in the law is that some of these companies don’t provide adequate training or even adequate background checks on their drivers. Not only are we have seeing […]
By Randy Rozek 03 Oct, 2018
Coma is a deep state of unconsciousness for a prolonged period of time, immediately following a coma or during a coma, the medical professionals are looking to eliminate the bleeding and eliminate the swelling of the brain. Following that, and even after the coma victim regains consciousness, they’re still likely going to be left with […]
By Randy Rozek 07 Sep, 2018
If you’ve suffered a brain injury and you’re having vision problems, most likely, you’ll be referred to a neuro ophthalmologist. Some of the common visual disturbances following traumatic brain injury include light sensitivity, convergence disorder, blurred vision, seeing things in your visual field that aren’t actually there. A neuro ophthalmologist can help identify these types […]
By Randy Rozek 20 Aug, 2018
A neuroradiologist is a radiologist that specializes in advanced imaging of the brain. If you’ve been referred to a neuroradiologist, they’ll do an MRI and then look for damage to certain parts of the brain. Most likely lesions in the gray-white matter interface, which is most susceptible to injury following brain injury. There will also […]
By Randy Rozek 09 Aug, 2018
  If you’ve suffered a brain injury and you’ve been referred to a neuroendocrinologist, you can expect for that doctor to look for damage to your pituitary gland. If you’ve suffered a brain injury, most likely there was enough force involved to damage the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus, which connects the pituitary gland to […]
More Posts
Share by: