Undefeated Texas Oilfield Accident Lawyers
Winter weather brings more than ice storms, snow, and freezing temperatures to the Permian Basin—it brings heightened dangers to the oilfield. Icy roads, frozen pipelines, and malfunctioning equipment can turn an already hazardous job into a life-threatening one. Among the most serious risks is “cold stress,” where workers face prolonged exposure to dangerously low temperatures, often with deadly consequences.
But the truth is that most oilfield accidents—including those caused by cold stress—are entirely preventable. Oil and gas companies have a duty to prioritize safety over profits by implementing effective winterization plans and protecting workers from harsh conditions. When they fail to do so, they can and should be held fully accountable for the harm they cause.
Read on to learn about the dangers of oil rigs in winter and how our undefeated Texas oilfield accident lawyers can help you secure justice and safeguard your family’s future if you or a loved one were injured or tragically killed in an oilfield accident or explosion.
Why Is Winter Dangerous on the Oilfield?
Extreme cold doesn’t just disrupt oil and gas production—it makes an already dangerous job even deadlier. Despite the best-laid safety plans, Mother Nature can still easily overwhelm an oilfield’s operations.
Take the unprecedented Winter Storm Uri in 2021, for example. The extreme cold brought much of the Permian Basin’s operations to a standstill, halting nearly 85% of the region’s oil and gas production—and 40% of the nation’s output. Major companies like Occidental and Chevron were forced to shut down compression and production at wells across the region.
This catastrophic event also left millions of Texans without power and tragically claimed at least 249 lives across the state. In response, Texas adopted new rules to hold natural gas companies accountable, imposing fines of up to $1 million for failing to prepare for extreme weather.
While no oilfield workers were killed during the 2021 freeze, history tells a different story. In 2014, four workers were tragically killed at the DuPont plant in La Porte, Texas, when a failure to properly winterize the facility led to a fatal release of methyl mercaptay — an accident that was entirely preventable.
Unfortunately, in the ten years since that tragic incident, the fatality rate for oil and gas workers has only continued to increase, and is now 7 times higher than the rate for all U.S. workers combined.
Most Common Winter Hazards on the Oilfield
When oil and gas corporations or rig operators fail to winterize equipment and keep workers safe, the result is often catastrophic. Below are some of the most common and dangerous hazards oilfield workers encounter during winter:
Equipment Failure
When temperatures plummet, critical equipment like pumps, valves, and compressors can freeze or malfunction, leading to dangerous pressure build-ups or system failures. This can result in spills, fires, or blowouts that threaten worker safety. Employers must ensure all equipment is adequately winterized and regularly maintained to minimize these risks.
Frozen Piping
Freezing temperatures can cause pipelines to crack or rupture, creating hazards such as toxic chemical exposure, spills, or even explosions. Workers tasked with addressing these issues face additional dangers, especially if companies fail to provide proper training or adequate safety gear.
Snowy, Icy, or Slick Surfaces
Treacherous conditions on oilfield sites, including icy walkways, slick platforms, and snow-covered equipment, make slips, trips, and falls far more likely. These accidents can result in serious injuries, including broken bones, head trauma, or back injuries.
Truck Accidents
Oilfield operations rely heavily on transportation, but icy or snow-covered roads can lead to devastating truck accidents. Whether involving tankers hauling fuel or supply trucks navigating remote locations, winter weather often exacerbates already hazardous driving conditions, increasing the likelihood of collisions.
Falls
The combination of freezing temperatures and icy surfaces creates a heightened risk of falls, particularly for workers climbing rigs, ladders, or scaffolding. Falls from significant heights often result in severe injuries or even fatalities, especially when safety protocols are inadequate.
Fires, Blowouts, and Explosions
Extreme cold can compromise the integrity of safety systems and equipment, making it harder to control pressure in wells and pipelines. This increases the likelihood of blowouts, fires, or explosions, all of which pose catastrophic risks to workers and surrounding areas.
Common Winter Injuries in Oil and Gas
On the oilfield, no two injuries are ever the same. And injuries caused by extreme cold are even more unique to the situation at-hand.
Below are some of the most common injuries oilfield workers may face during winter operations and their potential impact.
- Frostnip and Frostbite caused by the freezing of the skin and tissues, and which can lead to tissue death, amputation, and lasting consequences.
- Hypothermia (when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it) caused by working outdoors for long hours in freezing temperatures.
- Trench Foot (or “immersion foot”) caused by prolonged exposure to cold, wet conditions and which can cause nerve damage, tissue loss, and severe pain.
- Chilblains (painful inflammation of small blood vessels in the skin) caused by repeated exposure to extreme cold, and often resulting redness, itching, possible blistering, inflammation, or in severe cases, potential ulceration.
- Burn Injuries due to a fire or blowout, which often require extensive medical treatment, including skin grafts, rehabilitation, or surgery.
- Broken Bones that may take months to heal and could leave workers unable to return to their jobs after a slip and fall on slick, icy surfaces.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) that occur when a worker suffers a violent blow to the head, such as in a fall or truck accident, often resulting in lasting or even permanent consequences, including memory loss, impaired motor functions, and cognitive difficulties.
- Spinal and Neck Injuries that may result in chronic pain, limited mobility, or paralysis.
- Wrongful Death
It’s essential for workers who experience cold stress injuries to seek immediate medical attention, even if symptoms seem mild. Early intervention can prevent further harm and ensure the best possible outcome. If you or a loved one are injured due to cold weather exposure on the oilfield, it’s crucial to act quickly to safeguard your health and legal rights.
Companies Have a Duty to Protect Workers
While extreme cold is rare in West Texas and the Permian Basin, the region that powers the nation’s oil and gas industry must always be prepared to prevent catastrophic accidents—even in the face of weather conditions they don’t often encounter. Oilfields can (and do) operate effectively in extreme winter conditions, but only when employers take proactive steps to control winter weather hazards and protect workers. This includes following federal regulations and industry standards, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidance on cold stress.
Ensuring the safety of workers, equipment, and operations during winter demands thorough planning, sufficient resources, and a steadfast commitment to safety. Key measures include:
- Adequate Protective Gear: Providing insulated clothing, gloves, and face coverings to shield exposed skin from frostbite and cold stress.
- Appropriate Footwear: Equipping workers with slip-resistant boots to navigate icy or damp environments safely.
- Warm Shelters: Establishing heated break areas to help prevent hypothermia and other cold-related illnesses.
- Comprehensive Training: Educating workers to recognize the signs of freezing fluids and other cold-weather risks, properly maintain winterized equipment, and prioritize safety over speed in icy or slick conditions.
- Rig Winterization Plans: Implementing strategies such as insulating equipment, performing routine maintenance, and knowing when to temporarily shut down wells to prevent accidents caused by freezing temperatures.
When companies delay winterization efforts, rely on outdated equipment, or fail to adequately train their workforce, they gamble not only with operational efficiency but also with the lives of their workers. Prioritizing safety isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a legal and moral obligation.
Your Legal Options After an Oilfield Accident
When oilfield companies fail to address winter hazards or implement adequate safety measures, workers who are injured as a result may think their only option is workers’ compensation. But that’s not always the case. You may have additional legal avenues to hold the at-fault parties fully accountable and recover the compensation you deserve.
Injured oilfield workers may be able to file a lawsuit for additional compensation in situations such as:
- Unsafe Job Sites: If the job site was dangerous due to the owner’s negligence.
- Third-Party Negligence: If your injury was caused by the actions or negligence of a third party, such as a contractor or subcontractor.
- Defective Equipment or Products: If a dangerous or defective device, tool, or product caused your injury.
In some cases, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against your employer even if they do carry workers’ comp. But it’s critical to consult with an experienced oilfield accident lawyer right away, one who can help you understand your rights and fight for the maximum compensation you deserve for all of your injuries and losses.
Undefeated: Our Track Record of Historic Oilfield Accident Victories
Companies have a duty to winterize their oil rigs, but many try to get away with cutting corners and rushing jobs to increase their profits. This couldn’t be more reckless for the workers who keep our nation’s supply of crude flowing.
If an employer or third party’s carelessness has caused you harm, you deserve to hold them fully accountable, and you need the best team of lawyers on your side to stand up and fight for you.
At Zehl & Associates, we aren’t like other law firms. Having secured Billions, including the largest record-setting victories for clients injured in the worst oilfield disasters in Texas history, we have the resources, experience, and dedication to take on any oil and gas company in the world and not only win — but set records.
Among our recent victories for oilfield workers, we have secured:
- #1 Largest Oilfield Burn Settlement for an individual in U.S. history
- $100M Settlement on behalf of workers injured in a petrochemical explosion
- $90M Settlement on behalf of a contractor severely burned in a blowout
- $62M Settlement on behalf of an oilfield burn victim
- $55M Settlement on behalf of an injured oilfield worker
We do whatever it takes to secure the justice and full compensation our clients and their families deserve. But our dedication goes well beyond the courtroom, from ensuring that our clients see the best doctors and medical providers in the country, to creating financial plans to secure their children’s and loved ones’ futures. We stand by our clients every step of the way.
Interested in learning more about our unwavering commitment to clients? Hear what oilfield accident victims have to say about working with our top-rated lawyers.
Undefeated Texas Oilfield Accident Lawyers: Call 1-888-603-3636 for a Free Consult
Our Undefeated Oilfield Accident Lawyers have won billions for clients injured or tragically killed while working at oil rigs, pipelines, compressor stations, and processing plants in the Permian basin and across Texas and consistently win Record-Breaking Verdicts and Settlements on their behalf.
If you or someone you love were hurt in an oilfield accident or explosion, please call 1-888-603-3844 or Click Here to send us a confidential email via our “Contact Us” form with any questions.
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