El Paso Oil Field Injury Lawyers

The Texas oil industry has boomed in recent years. Unfortunately, so have the number of oil field accidents involving workers and innocent bystanders. 

A recent CDC report showed that 69 oil field workers died on the job in 2017 alone, and many of them were in Texas. Many more workers were seriously injured. Understanding your legal rights after an oil field mishap is important so you can potentially receive compensation for your losses.

If you or a loved one was hurt in an El Paso oil field accident, don’t allow the oil company to escape liability. You or your loved ones could be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and more. Our El Paso oil field injury lawyers at Nix Patterson specialize in financially holding negligent individuals and companies accountable for their negligence.

Common Causes of Oil Field Accidents in El Paso

Oil field accidents are often caused by one or more of the following:

• Human error. Lapses in judgment and human error by employees and others cause many oil field accidents. Even if an employee’s mistake led to the accident, the employer could still be liable for poor training, inadequate safety instructions, not following state and federal safety regulations, and more.
• Equipment failure. Malfunctioning or poorly maintained oil field equipment can trigger many severe accidents. Drilling rigs, pipelines, pressure vessels, and valves can have serious problems.
• Hazardous materials. Toxic, corrosive, and flammable materials pose significant risks to oil field employees. These substances’ leaks, spills, or releases may lead to explosions, fires, and dangerous exposures.
• Weather. High winds, heat, storms, or hurricanes can cause many oil field accidents. Weather is a common cause of accidents on offshore oil rigs.

Types of Oil Field Accidents in El Paso

Oil fields are very dangerous places to work. There are several types of common oil field accidents, including:

Caught-Between Accidents

These severe oil field accidents can happen when heavy equipment, machinery, or oil field objects hit or crush workers. In a caught-between accident, an oil field worker may be crushed or trapped between structures or equipment. These accidents may also happen when an employee is caught in a conveyor belt, rotating equipment, or drilling component.

Fires and Explosions

Oil, gas, and other flammable materials pose a serious risk of fire or explosion. These devastating accidents can occur from oil well sparks, electrical problems, or piping hot well surfaces that could ignite flammable liquids. These accidents can cause severe burns or death and are among the most frequent causes of oil field accidents.

Falls

Falls from heights in oil fields are another common cause of severe injury and death. Workers often work on the tops of oil drilling rigs, elevated platforms, and ladders. Frequent slip and trip injuries also lead to falls from uneven surfaces or work areas cluttered with equipment.

Vehicle Crashes

Tankers, trucks, and heavy machinery used to move equipment and products can slam into one another because of mechanical or driver errors. Dangerous road conditions to and from distant oil fields may also lead to severe and fatal truck accidents.

Common Injuries from Oil Field Accidents

El Paso-area oil fields involve fracking, drilling, and extensive transportation operations. So, employees are often exposed to many severe accident risks. Common oil field injuries include:

• Burns. Oil field explosions and blowouts often cause terrible burns, and victims may need painful skin grafts as part of their recovery. These accidents also raise the chances of getting skin cancer in subsequent years.
• Broken bones. Falls and machinery and vehicle accidents can cause all types of fractures to the ribs, collarbone, arms, legs, feet, and hands.
• Amputations and crushed limbs. Large machinery and equipment are constantly present on an oil field. Crush injuries are also a danger and can lead to a mangled or amputated arm, hand, leg, or foot.
• Brain injuries. Explosions, falls, and collisions with equipment can cause traumatic brain injuries requiring months or years of rehabilitation.
• Eye injuries. Chemical exposure, fires, explosions, and other accidents can cause temporary or permanent blindness.
• Hearing loss and deafness. Regular exposure to loud noises on the job site can cause permanent hearing loss. Plus, explosions can cause hearing loss and even deafness.
• Spinal cord injuries. Injuries to the spinal cord can happen in vehicle accidents, falls, and machinery and equipment mishaps.
• Slip-and-falls. These incidents can happen on oil rigs and platforms, possibly causing broken bones and other trauma.
• Chemical exposure. Exposure to toxic and flammable chemicals can damage or irritate the skin, lungs, and other organs.
• Electrocution. Poorly maintained or faulty machinery can lead to shock injuries, possibly causing severe injury, burns, and even death.

Consequences of oil field injuries can cause temporary or permanent disability and even death. Working with a skilled El Paso personal injury attorney ensures the claim goes smoother and maximizes your potential financial recovery.

What To Do Immediately After an Oil Field Accident

If you’re hurt after an El Paso oil field accident, you must take several vital actions:

• Stop what you are doing on the job and immediately report the accident and injury to your supervisor. Reporting the incident immediately is vital to show that the oil field accident led to your injuries. Even if you don’t think you have serious injuries, you should still report them to your employer immediately. Some injuries may take hours or even days to appear fully.
• Seek immediate medical treatment. Your doctor or ER can perform a full examination and tests to determine your injuries’ cause, nature, and severity. If you file a workers’ comp claim, ensure you attend all of your follow-up medical appointments.
• Do not accept a settlement or benefit. Do not agree to anything your company or workers’ compensation insurance provider offers until you have talked to an El Paso oil field injury attorney. Your attorney will fully respect your rights and work to maximize your potential claim or award.

Remember, your actions immediately following an oil field accident are critical to whether your case can result in compensation in a workers’ comp or personal injury claim.

Who Can Be Held Liable for an Oil Field Injury?

Oil companies and supervisors overseeing the workplace must do so safely to reduce the chances of severe injury or death. However, oil companies are known to pay less attention to safety than they should to maximize profits. As an oil field injury attorney, Nix Patterson understands that many parties could be held at fault for causing the accident that injured you. Some examples include:

• Oil companies
• Oil field owners
• Equipment rental companies
• Drilling operators
• Oil exploration companies
• Oil field equipment companies
• Machine operators
• Oil services companies

Determining who and which entities to hold liable for your oil field injuries is one of your attorney’s most critical duties. Several parties could be at fault, and all need to be held accountable in your claim.

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

After an El Paso oil field accident, you could be entitled to workers’ compensation from your employer. Most Texas employers, but not all, have workers’ compensation insurance. If your direct employer injured you and they have workers’ compensation, your claim is usually for workers’ compensation only. However, if the employer doesn’t have workers’ compensation, you may be eligible to file a personal injury claim against the company.

Further, if another company besides your employer injured you, such as an oil drilling contractor, you may be able to file a personal injury claim against that entity. An El Paso oil field injury will analyze your case and determine the most likely path to compensation.

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

After an oil field accident, you could have severe injuries that may entitle you to extensive compensation. If your employer is found liable, you usually will file a workers’ compensation claim to receive compensation for your full medical bills and partial lost wages. However, you are generally prohibited from suing your employer for your oil field accident if the company has workers’ compensation insurance.

However, filing a personal injury lawsuit is also possible if a third-party company, such as an equipment manufacturer or contractor, is responsible for your injuries. In that case, the following types of compensation could be available:

• Medical bills in the past and future
• Lost earnings
• Loss of earning power in the future
• Pain and suffering
• Property damages
• Mental and emotional trauma from the accident and treatments

Your oil field accident lawyers can review your case to provide an approximate case value. They also can determine if your most likely path to compensation is a workers’ comp claim, personal injury lawsuit, or both.

What if the Oil Field Accident Caused a Death?

Sadly, some oil field accidents cause death, not just injury. If your loved one died in an El Paso oil field accident, you have legal options. Texas law allows the surviving spouse, children, or parents of the deceased to file a wrongful death claim within three months of the death. If you miss this deadline, the executor of the deceased’s estate may file the claim.

If the wrongful death claim has merit, you and your family could receive compensation for:

• Medical bills after the accident for the deceased
• Out-of-pocket costs
• Property damage
• The deceased’s pain and suffering
• Your emotional and mental anguish
• Loss of earning capacity
• Loss of wages
• Loss of benefits and inheritance
• Loss of care, support, and consortium

Nix Patterson’s oil field injury lawyers also routinely represent wrongful death victims. We will fight to hold the oil and gas company or other entity liable for your grievous losses.

Contact Nix Patterson’s El Paso Oil Field Injury Lawyers

Working in the El Paso-area oil fields can be a rewarding career, but it’s not without its risks. Oil field accidents and explosions are unfortunately common, and the resulting injuries can be life-altering, even fatal.

If you or a loved one has been injured while working in an El Paso oil field, it’s crucial to seek the expertise of our seasoned El Paso oil field injury lawyers. We understand the complexities of these cases and are dedicated to fighting for your rights. Remember, evidence can disappear quickly, and eyewitness memories can fade, so it’s important to act swiftly.

Don’t let the opportunity for vital personal injury claim compensation slip away. Our team of El Paso oil field injury lawyers is prepared to advocate for your rights, but you must take immediate action. Contact Nix Patterson today for a complimentary legal consultation.

Nix Patterson attorneys operate on a contingency fee basis, which means we don’t get paid unless you win your case. This approach ensures that our financial interests are aligned with yours and demonstrates a confidence in our ability to secure the compensation you deserve.