Cargo Tanker Chemical Explosion: Method, Compliance, and Liability

This course walks through the reconstruction of a cargo tanker chemical explosion, from scene documentation and evidence preservation through origin and cause analysis, the release and ignition sequence, and the thermal and blast effects on the vehicle and its surroundings. Participants will then examine the compliance review that follows an incident, including cargo tank specifications, hazardous materials handling and placarding, carrier and driver obligations, and maintenance and inspection records, and how gaps in compliance are identified and documented. The course concludes with how reconstruction findings and compliance analysis are carried into civil litigation, including causation, the allocation of liability among carrier, shipper, manufacturer, and maintenance providers, and what counsel and claims professionals should expect from the expert work product.