At the University of Iowa a staff person was injured when eight balloons exploded during transport.  The worker filled what is reported as eight balloons with either hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen/oxygen, placed them inside a Ford Explorer and the explosion occurred when he opened a side door.  The worker is reported to be Dale Stille who was transporting the balloons as part of an educational science program with Hawk-Eyes on Science.

From the standpoint of his phycial injuries being covered under a workers’ compensation claim this is a pretty straightforward case. The rub in this case has to do with figuring out if the injured worker needs to be evaluated for PTSD and what was in the bottles of gas he used. Was the mixture in the gas bottles he used correct? If not then there is the potential for a third-party case against the supply company providing gas to the University Of Iowa Department Of Physics. Preservation of the gas containers and proper testing are imperative. The University is on notice that the gas mixture may be wrong and needs to be tested before other workers are injured.

Defense lawyers tend to want to ignore the psychological aspects of a claim. PTSD isn't one they want evaluated and they aren't going to accept it as a legitimate claim without a fight. That being the case it's still worth the fight to get evaluated and treated.

Consider the exploding balloons for a minute. Many people probably wonder what the big deal is all about a few balloons exploding. After all it's just a few exploding balloons. But watch the video's below and see if you still think gas-filled balloons exploding can't cause injury.

These types of explosions can be extremely serious and can cause terrible burn injuries or someone’s death. And while the physical injuries are serious the psychological impact with post traumatic stress disorder also has to be treated. Here are a few resources to evaluate the potential issues in the case.

Balloon Explosions

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder