San Antonio Oil Field Injury Lawyers

Oil is big business in San Antonio and across Texas. However, San Antonio oil field workers are constantly at risk of severe injury or death because of preventable accidents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that Texas leads the US in oil field injuries and deaths. Almost 40% of deaths occur in the Permian Basin near San Antonio. These tragic incidents are a stark reminder of what can happen when oil corporations put their profits ahead of safety.

Fortunately, you don’t have to take on the oil industry alone after an oil field accident or explosion. Nix Patterson’s dedicated San Antonio oil field injury lawyers are ready to stand up to negligent oil companies and ensure you get the compensation you deserve.

Common Causes of Oil Field Accidents in San Antonio

There are several frequent causes of oil field accidents across Texas:

• Human error. Simple mistakes can lead to many severe and fatal oil field accidents. Many human error incidents happen because of improper safety training and supervision. Workers may be unprepared to handle hazardous chemicals and machinery at the job site.
• Environmental problems. Texas has severe weather. High heat, rain, and cold can affect oil field workers’ safety and efficiency. Plus, many workers are located in remote locations that are difficult for first responders to reach.
• Mechanical failure. Specialized equipment and machinery are vital in Texas oil fields. Insufficient or delayed maintenance can cause wear and tear, eventually leading to equipment failure and accidents.

Types of Oil Field Accidents Common in San Antonio

The Texas oil industry is hazardous. The frequency of serious and fatal oil field accidents in the state stresses the need for intensive safety training and safety measures. Worker safety should always be prioritized over corporate profits. Sadly, however, this isn’t always the case. Some of the most common causes of devastating oil field accidents in San Antonio are:

Fires and Explosions

Drilling for oil and gas means flammable hydrocarbons are ever present on job sites. Blowouts, fires, and explosions are the most common hazards that can injure and kill oil field workers. Many of these accidents could be prevented with better training and compliance with safety rules and industry standards promulgated by the American Petroleum Institute.

Oil Equipment Failure

San Antonio oil field workers rely on complicated machinery and hazardous equipment to do their jobs. Improper equipment use, inadequate maintenance, poor training, and equipment manufacturing defects often contribute to equipment failure that injures oil field workers on oil rigs.

Oil Well Blowouts

An oil well blowout is often caused by pressure buildup and inadequate barriers. If a well blows, there can be a flash fire and explosion, which puts everyone on the site at risk of severe injury or death.

Falls

Oil field workers often must work at heights on oil rigs, and falls are far too common and can cause catastrophic injuries or death. Improper training, lack of safety equipment, and rushing too quickly through jobs are frequent causes of falls.

These are only the most common causes of San Antonio oil field accidents that mar this dangerous industry. Unfortunately, better safety rules and training could prevent many oil field accidents.

Common Injuries from Oil Field Accidents

Oil field accidents often happen suddenly and without warning. Workers are often saddled with severe injuries, piles of medical bills, and an uncertain future. Some typical oil field injuries in Texas are:

• Burns. Blowouts and explosions in oil fields frequently cause horrifying burns, sometimes requiring agonizing skin grafts and other painful treatments. Some injury victims also suffer skin cancer later in life. Anyone severely burned in an oil field accident will need compensation for future medical bills and rehabilitation, which is why you need to hire experienced San Antonio personal injury lawyers from Nix Patterson to fight for you.
• Crush injuries. Massive equipment and machinery are regular parts of oil rigs and fields. Sudden, unexpected movement of this equipment can cause crush injuries that affect the neck, back, spinal cord, hands, feet, and limbs. Some oil field workers suffer crush injuries that require the amputation of one or multiple limbs.
• Brain injuries. Explosions, falls, and machinery accidents all have the potential to cause traumatic brain injuries that might require years of medical care and rehabilitation. Many workers cannot work again and need the ongoing financial support that an oil field injury lawsuit can provide.
• Chemical exposure. The oil and gas industry often uses flammable and toxic chemicals. Long-term exposure to certain chemicals can cause severe or fatal exposure injuries. For instance, hydrogen sulfide can contribute to organ failure and death, but it is odorless and difficult to detect.
• Eye injuries. Oil field debris, chemical exposure, and sparks from welding can cause vision loss or blindness. Approximately 20% of all eye injuries in the field lead to permanent blindness.
• Electrocution. Faulty or poorly maintained equipment can cause electrical injuries that can cause nerve, organ, and skin damage and sometimes death.

What To Do Immediately After an Oilfield Accident

For many reasons, being injured in a San Antonio oil field accident is difficult. You have to deal with serious injuries suddenly, and if you can’t work, workers’ comp probably won’t fully cover your losses. You will also deal with complex legal processes that may seem daunting and unfair. The process will be aided if you take the following steps after an oil field accident:

• Tell your company about the accident. You should inform your supervisor that you were injured. Reporting the injury promptly could help you to receive compensation. Be honest about what happened and file an accident report in writing. Failure to report is common because workers are ‘tough’ and may not want to complain. But your employer will use this against you, so report the accident promptly.
• Get medical attention immediately. After you tell your employer, get immediate medical attention. Your company must ensure you receive essential medical care after a workplace injury. An accurate diagnosis after the accident will preserve your health and maintain your legal options. Delaying medical care may cause the insurance company to doubt your claim.
• Contact a San Antonio oil field accident lawyer. After you report your injury, an accident investigation will begin. You should retain an experienced attorney before speaking to the claims adjuster. Doing so will ensure your rights are protected.

Who Can Be Held Liable for an Oilfield Injury?

If you or a loved one is injured in an oil field, your first option is to file for workers’ compensation with your employer. The employer’s insurance company would pay for your medical bills and partial lost wages. However, workers’ compensation doesn’t cover 100% of wages. Nor does it pay for your pain and suffering, which can be substantial after a severe oil injury. You can only receive compensation for pain and suffering in a civil lawsuit.

Texas workers cannot sue their employer who has bought workers’ comp insurance unless they can prove that the company’s gross negligence or intentional action triggered the injury. However, you could sue third parties if their negligence caused the injury.

For example, if a trucking company, oil rig manufacturer, or contracting company injured you while you were working for your company, you could potentially file a personal injury lawsuit against that entity. If your company doesn’t have workers’ compensation insurance, you would need to file a personal injury lawsuit to obtain compensation.

Specific legal and statutory requirements must be met to file a personal injury lawsuit when workers’ compensation is involved. Nix Patterson oil field injury workers can review your San Antonio accident case and determine if you have grounds to sue.

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

If your company has workers’ compensation insurance, it will cover your medical bills and partial wages after an oil field injury. You cannot generally file a personal injury lawsuit in Texas against your employer if workers’ compensation insurance covers it. However, you may be able to file a lawsuit against a third-party company whose negligence contributed to your injuries.

Depending on the situation, Nix Patterson’s San Antonio oil field injury lawyers can assist with a workers’ compensation or personal injury lawsuit case. Our attorneys may help you receive more workers’ comp benefits than you could. We also may assist you in obtaining the following types of damages in a personal injury lawsuit against a negligent company other than your employer:

• Medical bills. If a company’s negligence contributed to your oil field injuries, you may be entitled to compensation for your future and current medical bills.
• Lost earnings. If you have been unable to work since your accident, you could receive compensation for lost earnings. Lost future income could also be obtained if you cannot earn a living temporarily or permanently.
• Pain and suffering. Many oil field injuries are excruciating, and you could receive compensation for your pain and suffering from injuries and treatments. You also may be entitled to compensation for your mental and emotional trauma.

What if the Oilfield Accident Resulted in a Death?

Sadly, some San Antonio oil field accidents are so severe that death occurs. The Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction database shows that Texas had 44 of 69 total fatal oil field injuries in 2017. If you lost your loved one in a Texas oil field accident, you could be eligible to file a wrongful death claim against the negligent employer.

Your Nix Patterson oil field accident lawyers must prove that the employer was liable for the accident and the resulting injuries. If successful, your family could receive wrongful death compensation for:

• The decedent’s pain and suffering during death
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Lost future earnings
• Loss of benefits, such as health insurance, pensions, and retirement
• Loss of care and support of the family
• Emotional and mental anguish from the loss

The deceased’s surviving spouse, parents, or children are eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit within three months of the death. If they don’t, the estate executor can file the claim.

The oil company and its attorneys will fight any oil field injury wrongful death claim. Level the playing field by retaining a Nix Patterson wrongful death attorney to fight for your rights and compensation.

Contact Nix Patterson’s Oil Field Injury Lawyers Today

Working in Texas oil fields can be lucrative, but the work is dangerous. Accidents happen regularly, and many are severe or fatal. If you or a loved one is injured in an oil field accident, you could be entitled to compensation in a personal injury lawsuit.

San Antonio oil field injury lawyers can review your case at no cost today. If your case qualifies, you could receive compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages. Contact us today for a complimentary legal consultation. And remember, you don’t pay any fees unless we win.