$
0
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Recovered in Verdicts and Settlements
Oklahoma’s workforce keeps the state running—from the energy sector and agriculture to logistics and manufacturing. But too often, that work comes at a cost. Explosions, equipment malfunctions, falls, and other serious incidents happen every day across Oklahoma job sites. For the workers who suffer these injuries, the impact is immediate and overwhelming.
You may be facing surgeries, lost income, or permanent disability. You may not know whether to file a workers’ comp claim, speak to a lawyer, or try to get back to work. And while you’re trying to make sense of what happened, your employer and their insurance carrier are already working to protect themselves.
Understanding your legal options is critical. And in Oklahoma, those options are not always as limited as employers want you to believe. At Nix Patterson, we help injured workers navigate the state’s complex legal landscape to pursue full accountability and real compensation.
Not every firm is equipped to handle catastrophic workplace injury cases. And few bring the courtroom experience and industry-specific insight needed to hold powerful employers accountable. Nix Patterson does.
We don’t process workers’ compensation paperwork. We pursue serious injury cases rooted in employer negligence, safety violations, and third-party fault. From the moment we take a case, we prepare it for trial. That approach allows us to gather critical evidence early, retain the right experts, and put pressure on defendants to negotiate seriously—or face us in court.
Oklahoma’s workplace injury laws have undergone multiple changes in recent years. From shifts in the workers’ comp system to evolving court decisions on employer immunity and civil liability, staying current is essential. Our attorneys understand the nuances of Oklahoma law and how to build claims that comply with state requirements while maximizing your recovery.
We represent workers who suffer the most serious harm—spinal cord trauma, amputations, burns, electrocutions, and traumatic brain injuries. These cases are high-stakes and require a level of legal sophistication and financial investment that many firms simply can’t offer. We can. And we do.
Like many states, Oklahoma uses a workers’ compensation system to handle most on-the-job injuries. But the system has changed significantly in recent years—and it’s not the only route to recovery for injured workers.
Oklahoma employers are generally required to carry workers’ comp insurance. This system allows injured employees to receive medical care, partial wage replacement, and disability benefits without proving fault. In return, employers receive legal immunity from most personal injury lawsuits.
But workers’ comp has limits. It does not cover pain and suffering, emotional trauma, or the full cost of long-term care. And in many cases, it fails to account for the real impact of life-changing injuries.
In the past decade, Oklahoma lawmakers have made multiple changes to the state’s workers’ comp system. Some of those changes have narrowed worker protections or placed stricter limits on benefits. Others have clarified the circumstances under which civil lawsuits are still allowed.
As a result, it’s more important than ever to speak with a legal team that understands the current rules—and when it makes sense to pursue a civil claim instead.
Despite workers’ comp immunity, Oklahoma law allows lawsuits in specific situations, including:
These cases are rare—but they are real. And when they apply, they allow injured workers to pursue far more than basic benefits.
Most employers want injured workers to believe they only have one option: file a claim and accept whatever workers’ comp pays. But in certain cases, Oklahoma law allows you to step outside that system—and pursue a claim that offers the full measure of justice.
If your employer knew about a serious safety risk and failed to act—or if they deliberately cut corners, falsified reports, or ignored repeated complaints—you may have a civil case. These actions go beyond simple carelessness. They represent a conscious disregard for worker safety that courts may punish through civil liability and punitive damages.
In many workplaces, the people who created the hazard aren’t your direct employer. It could be a subcontractor who rigged equipment improperly. A manufacturer that supplied faulty machinery. Or a property owner who failed to address obvious risks. In these cases, you may be able to sue the third party even if you’re receiving workers’ comp from your employer.
These claims allow you to seek damages for pain, suffering, future medical needs, and lost earnings—damages that are not available through workers’ comp alone.
If your employer failed to maintain proper workers’ comp coverage, or if they retaliated against you for reporting an injury, they may have waived their legal immunity. In such cases, you may have the right to sue directly.
Nix Patterson investigates every case for signs that an employer or third party crossed the line. When they do, we pursue civil claims that hold them accountable—and seek compensation that matches the severity of your injury.
Oklahoma’s economy is powered by industries that carry high physical risk. And in many of these environments, safety takes a back seat to speed, output, or profit. The result is a high number of serious injuries—and a legal system that often fails to protect workers unless someone steps in to fight.
From drilling rigs to refineries, the oil and gas industry exposes workers to flammable materials, extreme pressures, and complex mechanical systems. Fires, explosions, equipment malfunctions, and toxic exposures are not rare—they’re built into the risk profile of the job. And when employers skip inspections or push crews to meet unrealistic quotas, the results can be deadly.
Oklahoma’s rural workforce often operates without the safety infrastructure found in other industries. Tractor rollovers, grain silo suffocations, entanglements in machinery, and exposure to pesticides are all common causes of injury. In many cases, these incidents are caused by outdated equipment, poor training, or fatigue from long hours.
Factories and processing plants carry constant risks of crushing injuries, amputations, burns, and repetitive strain. When machines lack guards, safety protocols are ignored, or workers are pushed to operate at unsafe speeds, serious injuries become inevitable.
Delivery drivers, long-haul truckers, and warehouse staff are among the most frequently injured workers in the state. Forklift collisions, slip-and-falls, falling objects, and highway crashes are common—and often preventable with proper oversight and training.
Nix Patterson has experience in all of these sectors. We understand how the work is done, where safety breaks down, and how to build cases that hold employers and third parties responsible for the harm they cause.
Not every workplace injury is caused by negligence—but many are. In the aftermath of a serious incident, there are often signs that something was wrong long before the injury occurred. If your employer failed to follow basic safety standards, discouraged you from speaking up, or delayed getting you the help you needed, those are not just poor decisions. They may be legal red flags.
One of the clearest signs of negligence is delayed medical response. If your employer tried to downplay your injury, asked you to “walk it off,” or waited to report it, they may have been more concerned about liability than your well-being.
Another red flag is missing or inadequate safety equipment. If the tools you were given didn’t include the proper guards, shields, or protective gear—or if safety systems were removed, disabled, or never installed—your employer may have failed to meet their duty of care.
Lack of training is also a major issue. Employers are required to provide training on equipment use, emergency procedures, and job-specific hazards. If you or other workers were thrown into tasks without guidance, it shows a disregard for safety.
Finally, discouraging injury reporting is a serious concern. If supervisors pressured you not to file a report, threatened your job, or ignored previous complaints from others, that pattern could indicate systemic negligence.
At Nix Patterson, we take these signs seriously. We investigate every incident for evidence of employer misconduct and build cases that expose what went wrong—and who is responsible.
When it comes to proving employer fault, few tools are more powerful than official safety records. OSHA investigations, citations, and internal complaints provide a documented history of how a workplace was managed—and whether safety rules were followed.
After a serious injury, OSHA may inspect the workplace to determine what caused the incident. Inspectors often interview workers, review records, and assess compliance with federal safety standards. If violations are found, the employer can receive citations and be required to take corrective action.
These reports are public records. And they’re more than just paperwork—they’re evidence. If your injury occurred under similar conditions to a prior violation, or if OSHA has already cited the company for related hazards, it can help establish a pattern of disregard for worker safety.
In addition to OSHA documents, we look at:
These materials help us show that your employer knew the risks and failed to act. That failure may be the difference between a workers’ comp case and a civil lawsuit that holds them fully accountable.
When your injury is the result of negligence, civil litigation gives you the opportunity to pursue compensation that matches the seriousness of what you’ve lost. Workers’ compensation may cover part of your medical bills or lost wages—but it doesn’t account for the long-term physical, emotional, and financial impact of a catastrophic injury. A civil claim can.
At Nix Patterson, we build each case to reflect the full scope of harm. That includes the costs you’ve already faced—and the ones that are still ahead.
The medical costs associated with serious workplace injuries often stretch far beyond the initial hospital visit. We seek compensation for emergency transport, surgeries, hospital stays, and follow-up care. That includes physical therapy, rehabilitation, and any assistive devices you may need to live independently—such as wheelchairs, braces, or home modifications.
In many cases, our clients will require ongoing treatment for years. We work closely with medical experts and life-care planners to estimate future care costs accurately, ensuring your recovery includes the resources you’ll need to maintain health, function, and dignity over the long term.
The damage caused by a workplace injury isn’t limited to what shows up on an x-ray. Oklahoma law allows injured workers to recover damages for the emotional and psychological impact of their injury as well.
That includes chronic pain, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and the loss of independence or identity. Many clients lose the ability to do the things that once brought meaning to their lives—whether that’s physical work, time with family, or everyday routines.
These damages aren’t abstract. They’re real, deeply personal, and they deserve to be taken seriously in any legal claim.
A serious injury can derail your entire career. We pursue compensation for wages lost during recovery, as well as reduced earning capacity if your injury prevents you from returning to your previous job—or to work at all.
In addition to regular wages, we account for missed bonuses, lost promotions, and reduced retirement contributions. Our team partners with financial specialists and vocational experts to quantify these losses and present them clearly in negotiations or trial.
In extreme cases, where an employer’s actions go beyond negligence—such as knowingly ignoring repeated safety violations, disabling fire suppression systems, or falsifying inspection records—Oklahoma law may allow for punitive damages.
These damages are not awarded to reimburse losses. They are designed to send a message: when worker safety is sacrificed for profit or convenience, there are consequences. We pursue punitive damages aggressively when the facts support it, and we use them to push for lasting change—both for our client and the workforce as a whole.
Filing a claim is only the beginning. Truly holding an employer accountable—especially after a catastrophic workplace injury—requires far more. At Nix Patterson, we build every case for the courtroom, even if it never gets there. That means starting with a deep investigation, backing your claim with expert testimony, and absorbing every cost ourselves until we win.
We begin by uncovering exactly what happened and why. Our team collects every piece of available evidence, including photographs from the accident scene, surveillance footage, maintenance records, and internal safety reports. We also conduct interviews with coworkers, supervisors, and anyone else who may have seen the incident or reported concerns before it occurred.
When OSHA citations or prior violations exist, we bring them to light. These records often reveal that the employer knew about the danger—but chose to ignore it.
We don’t settle for the surface version of the story. We dig deeper to expose the full picture and hold negligent employers accountable.
The strongest claims rely on more than documents—they rely on trusted professionals who can help explain exactly what went wrong and what the future will look like for the injured worker.
We work with:
These experts help us present a clear, compelling case built on evidence—not assumptions or guesswork. Whether negotiating a settlement or presenting in court, we have the technical insight needed to prove our client’s case.
We know the financial pressure a serious injury creates. That’s why we cover every cost of litigation, including court filings, depositions, expert consultations, and evidence collection. You’ll never pay us out of pocket.
We only get paid if we win your case. That model ensures our interests are fully aligned with yours—and shows how confident we are in the cases we take. When we fight, we go all in.
If you’ve been seriously injured on the job in Oklahoma, you don’t have to settle for silence, blame-shifting, or bare-minimum compensation. You may have the right to sue—and the chance to recover everything you need to rebuild your life.
Nix Patterson is here to help. We’ve taken on major employers, insurance companies, and negligent contractors across the state. We prepare every case for trial. We bring in the experts. And we fight for the results our clients deserve.
Your consultation is free. Your case is confidential. And you don’t owe us a thing unless we win. Contact Nix Patterson today to speak with an Oklahoma workplace injury lawyer who will stand up for your rights.
Nix Patterson only works on a contingency fee basis. Our clients pay us nothing unless we win. Schedule a free consultation today. Call 512.328.5333 or complete the form below.
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The information on this site is for informational purposes only. Though it deals with legal issues, it should not be taken as legal advice for any specific case or situation. The law changes rapidly, and we make no warranty or guarantee about the accuracy or reliability of the content or links on this site. Every case and legal issue is different. Speak with a lawyer for specific advice.
This site is not intended to create, and viewing it does not create, an attorney-client relationship. The verdicts and settlements shown on this site are intended to be representative of cases Nix Patterson handles. These listings are not a guarantee or prediction of the outcome of any other cases or claim. Results in litigation can never be guaranteed.
La información contenida en este sitio tiene únicamente fines informativos. Aunque trata de cuestiones jurídicas, no debe tomarse como asesoramiento jurídico para ningún caso o situación específicos. La legislación cambia rápidamente y no garantizamos la exactitud o fiabilidad de los contenidos o enlaces de este sitio. Cada caso y asunto jurídico es diferente. Hable con un abogado para obtener asesoramiento específico.
Este sitio no pretende crear, y su consulta no crea, una relación abogado-cliente. Los veredictos y acuerdos mostrados en este sitio pretenden ser representativos de los casos que maneja Nix Patterson. Estos listados no son una garantía o predicción del resultado de cualquier otro caso o reclamación. Los resultados en litigios nunca pueden ser garantizados.