Dallas Oil Field Injury Lawyers

Oil production is surging in Texas, as daily output in the state is approaching six million barrels per day. If Texas were a country, it would be the fourth-largest producer of oil in the world. Along with record production also comes a rising risk of accidents and injuries.

Each year, nearly one in every fifty oil field workers across the country will suffer an injury or illness on the job. If someone else’s actions were to blame for your oil field injury, you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation after you successfully file a lawsuit. The Dallas oil field injury lawyers at Nix Patterson, LLP can fight for you to get every dollar you deserve when you have been a victim of someone else’s negligence.

Types of Oil Field Accidents in Dallas

Many things are happening at once in an oil field. In addition to large and complex equipment, numerous volatile and explosive substances are also being used to extract oil from the ground. At the same time, activity is always happening around you at any given time.

Common oil field accidents include:

• Explosions and Fires. The volatile chemicals or the petroleum itself could ignite or catch fire. Well blowouts are unfortunately far too common at oil fields.
• Rig Collapses. The rig itself may be unsteady, or it could fall in a disaster, injuring workers who are in the vicinity or are struck by the debris.
• Traffic Accidents. Numerous large trucks and mechanized vehicles are found both on the oil field and in close proximity.
• Chemical Leaks. Workers could be exposed to any one of a number of hazardous chemicals, causing damage to their eyes, respiratory system or internal organs.
• Slip and Falls. Workers fall from heights or slip when there are debris or machinery in their walking path.
• Equipment Accidents. In addition to the rig itself, oil field workers use other types of heavy machinery, including blasters, cranes, and earth movers. The machinery could be poorly maintained, or it could malfunction.
• Caught-Between Accidents. A majority of oil field injuries occur when workers are trapped between two large objects or are buried in collapses, either of the earth or structures.

Your attorney would investigate the cause of the accident and gather evidence that could prove that someone else should be held accountable. It takes time and skill to investigate an oil field accident, especially since there may be technical complexities at work.

Common Causes of Oil Field Accidents in Dallas

While it may be referred to as an “accident,” someone else’s carelessness is often to blame for your injuries. Oil drillers and other contractors at the site are often focused on profits above all else, and they fail to promote a culture of compliance that would have kept you safe. A simple investment of time (and sometimes money) could have kept your accident from happening in the first place.

Some causes of oil field accidents in Dallas include:

• Lack of safety training for employees
• Failure to properly maintain equipment
• Improper use of chemicals on the site
• Malfunctioning equipment that is defective
• Failure to properly supervise employees
• Forcing employees to work extra long shifts
• Ignoring workplace and industry safety regulations

You may be able to hold someone legally accountable for your injuries when they were to blame for your accident injuries.

Common Injuries from Oil Field Accidents

Oil field work is widely known to be one of the most dangerous ways to earn a living in the United States, based on injury and fatality statistics. Chances are that an oil field worker will be sickened or injured at least once during the course of their career.

Common oil field injuries include:

• Burns
• Respiratory distress
• Amputation and loss of limbs
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Fractures and broken bones
• Internal injuries
• Head and neck injuries
• Soft tissue injuries

The responsible party has a legal obligation to fully pay you for your injuries, regardless of the extent of the harm.

What To Do Immediately After an Oil Field Accident

Even though you may be dealing with significant physical injuries after an oil field accident, there are things that you need to do in the days afterward. If you intend to file a workers’ compensation claim, you would need to notify your employer within 30 days of the accident under Texas law.

Your main priority should be your health and getting the medical care that you need to make the fullest possible recovery. You would not be able to file a lawsuit until you reach the point of maximum medical improvement, so you should begin your treatment as soon as possible. Further, the failure to get care for your injuries quickly could be grounds for your actual damages being challenged.

Finally, you should also contact an experienced oil field injury attorney immediately. Your lawyer would need time to conduct a full investigation of the accident before you begin to lose the evidence you need to prove liability in the case. You must have a guide to the legal process as soon as possible, both to reassure you and to keep you from making any mistakes that could jeopardize your case. You can feel confident when you hand the details of your case over to an oil field injury attorney who will do all the legal work on your behalf.

Who Can Be Held Liable for an Oil Field Injury?

There are numerous possible parties who you can sue for an oil field injury. Your lawyer would conduct an immediate and thorough investigation to determine who may have been to blame for the accident. You can hold anyone who was negligent accountable for what happened. It is not uncommon for an accident victim to sue two or more parties. You need to be as expansive as possible in who you name as defendants in the lawsuit.

Potentially responsible parties to an oil field injury lawsuit include:

• Equipment manufacturers. You can sue any company involved in the manufacturing or sale of defective equipment in a product liability lawsuit.
• Other contractors or subcontractors. Although you cannot sue your employer, you can sue another company present on the site when their employees injured you.
• Truck drivers. You may have been injured in a vehicle accident on or near the oil field, and you can sue the responsible driver and their employer.
• Oil rig owners. The oil rig may not have been properly maintained, or it may have been used when malfunctions should have kept it out of service.

What Types of Damages Can Be Recovered in an Oil Field Accident Injury Claim?

If you can successfully prove your oil field injury lawsuit or the defendant settles your case, you could be entitled to a substantial amount of financial compensation. Remember that you are likely suing a corporate defendant who has a significant amount of insurance coverage and the assets necessary to pay what could be extensive liability.

Your damages would consist of your actual financial costs and losses associated with your injury, along with the more subjective harm that results from the effects of your injuries.

Oil field lawsuit damages include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Emotional distress
• Embarrassment and humiliation

If the defendant acted extremely carelessly or recklessly and put your life in danger, you may even be able to persuade a jury to award you punitive damages. These damages can greatly increase the value of your case. Just the prospect of punitive damages can increase your leverage in settlement negotiations when the facts are particularly shocking.

It is crucial to know the value of your claim before you file the lawsuit because you have an obligation to prove your damages in addition to liability. Your settlement check can be significant, but you may need to fight for every dollar first.

Am I Also Entitled to Workers’ Comp If I Am Injured in an Oil Field Accident?

Filing a personal injury lawsuit usually leads to a better financial outcome than a workers’ compensation claim. If you win your case, you could receive full lost wages and non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. In a workers’ compensation claim, you would receive a fraction of your lost wages for a period of time and medical treatment for your injuries. Thus, injured oil field workers will look to find someone who they can sue. However, the usual rule for workplace injuries is that you cannot sue your employer. They have purchased workers’ compensation insurance, and they are immune from nearly all lawsuits.

If you cannot find a third party to sue, you can always file a workers’ compensation claim. You cannot receive both workers’ compensation benefits and a lawsuit settlement. Still, you should file for workers’ comp in case you do not win your lawsuit. If you eventually receive a settlement or jury award, the workers’ compensation insurance company would be reimbursed for what they have paid towards your claim.

What If the Oil Field Accident Resulted in a Death?

If your loved one died in an oil field accident, your family has suffered your own personal injury. Your damages are what you have lost when your family member passed away. Wrongful death damages include:

• The wages that your loved one would have earned had they lived and continued to work
• The grief and anguish that your family has suffered from the sudden loss of a loved one
• The loss of the guidance and love you received from the family member.

Your family could file a lawsuit under the Texas Wrongful Death Act. Like any other personal injury case, proving that someone else was responsible for the accident is a prerequisite for receiving financial compensation.

There is an available death benefit under Texas workers’ compensation law. The family can receive 75% of the deceased oil field worker’s average weekly wage, and they can be paid for funeral and burial expenses.

Contact a Dallas Oil Field Injury Lawyer Today

You can begin the legal process by contacting the Dallas oil field injury attorneys at Nix Patterson today. We are standing by and ready to do battle for you in the legal process. The company that was responsible for your injuries is not going to make it easy for you to get all the compensation you deserve, so you need a fighter who is not afraid to litigate your case.

You can speak to one of our lawyers during a free initial consultation by sending us a message through our website or by calling us today at 512-328-5333. The conversation costs you nothing, and you do not owe us anything unless you win your case.