Undefeated Texas Oilfield Explosion & Blowout Lawyers
An oilfield explosion or blowout can change your life and family forever. In the immediate aftermath, it’s natural to hope that the oil and gas company will do the right thing—but time and time again, they only let families down, prioritizing their bottom line over taking care of their own.
While nothing can ever replace the loss of a loved one, filing a wrongful death lawsuit is a powerful way to seek justice—holding the negligent parties fully accountable and securing the compensation your family needs to protect your financial future. No amount of money will ever erase your loss, but taking legal action is the only way to ensure you receive the stability and support you deserve as you navigate this challenging time.
When oil rigs blowout, Zehl & Associates is the name that oil and gas companies fear. They know that once we get involved, they will no longer be able to avoid responsibility and will have to pay more than they ever have before. We have won Billions for oilfield workers injured and tragically killed in the worst oil rig disasters in history, including Deepwater Horizon and the ConocoPhilllips San Juan Basin explosion.
We are here to stand up, fight, and win for your family.
Read on to learn more about filing a wrongful death lawsuit after an oilfield accident and how our undefeated Texas oil rig explosion lawyers stand by you every step of the way.
What Causes Deadly Oilfield Explosions and Fires?
Oilfield work is lucrative, but it’s also one of the most hazardous of all occupations, where even minor mistakes can ignite a devastating explosion or fire. According to the Center for Disease Control Oil Extraction Database, more than 14% of all oilfield fatalities are due to explosions and fires, claiming dozens of lives over the last ten years and injuring hundreds more.
Common types of oilfield explosions and fires
- Oil Rig Explosions: Often triggered by electrical fires, equipment malfunctions, blowouts, or improperly maintained pressurized systems.
- Well Blowouts: Sudden, uncontrolled releases of oil or gas can lead to massive explosions and fires, particularly when safety equipment fails or is improperly used.
- Tank Explosions: Storage tanks containing flammable substances can ignite due to leaks, overpressurization, or exposure to sparks.
- Pipeline Explosions: Faulty infrastructure, corrosion, or improper maintenance can cause pipelines to rupture, releasing highly flammable materials.
- Rig Fires: Fires on rigs often escalate due to the proximity of volatile chemicals and lack of adequate fire suppression systems.
- Chemical Explosions: Improper handling or storage of hazardous chemicals can lead to chain reactions with deadly consequences.
However, the root cause of most oilfield explosions and fires isn’t the inherent risk of the work, but preventable errors caused by reckless companies cutting corners to maximize profits.
Common causes of fatal oilfield explosions and fires
In our experience, the most devastating oilfield incidents result from the careless, reckless actions of companies and rig operators who fail to prioritize workers’ safety over their own bottom line.
Common causes of fatal oil rig explosions & blowouts we often see include:
- Unsafe or poorly enforced operating procedures
- Negligent hiring and insufficient training of workers
- Failure to follow safety protocols specific to explosive and flammable environments
- Violations of federal safety standards, including OSHA and industry regulations
Employers have a duty to protect their workers, but the industry as a whole continues to grapple with a systemic problem of prioritizing profits over the safety, often leaving workers and their families to face unimaginable consequences on their own as the oil and gas company does everything in their power to avoid responsibility.
When these failures result in tragedy, the responsible parties must be held accountable. Taking legal action not only provides justice and compensation for the family, but forces the company to be safer so that accidents like this don’t happen again.
How Do I Recover Compensation With a Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
A wrongful death lawsuit and survival claim are legal avenues to seek justice for your loved one’s tragic loss, ensuring you can focus on honoring their memory and supporting your family in their absence.
In Texas, you may file for wrongful death if your loved one’s death resulted from someone else’s carelessness or negligence, and if you are their spouse, child, or parent.
Ask yourself the following:
- Would they have been able to file a personal injury lawsuit if they had survived?
- Are you their spouse, child, or parent?
- Was their accident caused by the reckless actions of an oil and gas company?
- Was a contractor, subcontractor, or oil rig operator’s negligence to blame?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be entitled to file a wrongful death lawsuit. And you should contact our undefeated oilfield accident attorneys right away for a free consultation at 1-888-603-3636.
Our priority is providing you with all of the information you need to make the best decision for your family.
Remember, Texas law limits families to two years from the date of the accident to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Acting quickly is essential to protecting your rights and securing the justice your family deserves.
What Can I Recover After a Fatal Oil Rig Explosion?
Beyond the heartbreak of losing your family member’s companionship, support, and presence, many families must also confront the loss of their loved one’s income—the foundation that kept the household running. From covering the mortgage, car payments, and health insurance to buying groceries and paying tuition, their salary supported the stability and future of your family.
Under Texas law, surviving family members may pursue compensation to address the profound emotional and financial toll of their loss. These damages largely fall into two categories—economic and non-economic—that aim to provide relief for the challenges families face after losing a loved one in such a preventable tragedy.
At Zehl & Associates, we specialize in recovering all of your past and future damages, including:
- Lost Income and Financial Support: Compensation for the wages your loved one would have earned, as well as the financial contributions they would have provided to your family.
- Funeral and Burial Costs: Reimbursement for expenses related to laying your loved one to rest.
- Medical Expenses: Recovery of any medical costs incurred prior to your loved one’s passing.
- Loss of Inheritance: Compensation for the inheritance your family has lost due to your loved one’s untimely death.
- Loss of Services: Reflecting the value of household contributions, such as childcare or home maintenance, that your loved one provided.
- Pain and Suffering: Compensation for the emotional pain caused by your loss.
- Emotional Distress: Compensation for the overwhelming grief, trauma, and emotional suffering your family endures.
- Loss of Companionship and Consortium: Acknowledging the absence of the love, comfort, and relationship your loved one provided.
- Loss of Parental Guidance: For children, this reflects the irreplaceable loss of guidance, care, and support from a parent.
- Texas Survivor Claim Damages: Compensation for the pain and suffering your loved one endured before their death, including any medical expenses or lost wages they experienced between the time of their injury and their passing.
- Punitive Damages: Awarded in extreme cases, such as oil rig explosions or fires, to punish the responsible parties and deter similar conduct in the future — our law firm is known for recovering the largest punitive damages in history against oil and companies.
We understand exactly what is at stake for your family. That’s why we take the time to get to know you, learn about your family, and understand how your life has changed since the loss of your loved one. Armed with this knowledge, we accurately calculate all of your damages, gather evidence to uncover the truth about how the accident happened, and relentlessly fight the oil and gas company—or any other responsible parties—to hold them fully accountable for the devastation they caused and recover the maximum compensation possible.
Our meticulous, client-first approach and unwavering commitment to justice have enabled us to recover Billions for families, including the largest verdicts and settlements in Texas history against some of the largest oil and gas companies in the world. We ensure our clients have the financial security they need and deserve, so they never have to worry again.
NEVER Accept a Company’s Settlement Offer
While it’s tempting to believe that an oilfield company will do the right thing after a catastrophic accident, the reality is far different. From the moment the incident occurs, the matter is handed over to the company’s insurers and lawyers, whose sole focus is minimizing payouts to protect their bottom line.
You should NEVER accept a company’s initial settlement offer because:
- The Company’s Priority Is Their Bottom Line: Insurers and lawyers focus on minimizing payouts, not on fairly compensating your family.
- Initial Offers Are Substantially Low: Settlement offers rarely cover the full extent of your financial and emotional losses.
- Accepting a Settlement Shields the Company: These offers are designed to help the company avoid accountability while leaving you with unmet needs.
- Only A Wrongful Death Lawsuit Can Hold Them FULLY Accountable: Only legal action can ensure the full compensation, accountability, and safety changes that prevent the company from hurting anyone ever again.
Before considering a settlement, it’s crucial to reach out to the best lawyer you can find, who specializes in complex oilfield accidents, to protect your rights and secure what your family truly deserves.
Call us today at 1-888-603-3636.
How Zehl & Associates Can Help If Your Loved One Was Tragically Killed in an Oilfield Fire or Explosion
Every wrongful death case is unique, but our goals are always the same — to take the burden off of your family and ensure we recover the maximum compensation possible.
Our unwavering commitment to clients includes holding the negligent and reckless parties fully accountable, providing our clients and their families with the financial resources to care and provide for themselves for the rest of their lives, and preventing the dangerous conduct from occurring again in the future.
Not only do we consistently achieve these goals, but we also set records for our clients while doing so.
Our unmatched track record of historic wins on behalf of oilfield workers includes:
- #1 Largest Burn Injury Settlement in US History for an Individual Plaintiff
- Record-setting, confidential ConocoPhilllips San Juan Basin explosion settlement
- Record-setting, confidential BP Deepwater Horizon Explosion settlement
- $100M on behalf of workers injured in an oilfield explosion
- $90M on behalf of a contractor severely burned in a West Texas oil rig blowout
- $75M on behalf of workers injured in an oilfield blowout
- $67M on behalf of a worker injured in oilfield accident
- $55 million won for a worker severely burned in an Odessa, Texas oilfield accident
With the resources, extensive experience, and willingness to take on any oil and gas company in the world, Zehl & Associates will do whatever it takes to secure your family’s future.
Undefeated Oilfield Explosion Attorneys: Call 1-888-603-3636 for a Free Consult
With decades of experience and Billions won for oilfield accident victims, including the largest burn injury recoveries in history, our undefeated Texas oilfield accident attorneys have the resources and experience to stand up against the largest oil and gas companies in the world and ensure that our clients and their families receive the maximum compensation possible.
For more information, please contact our Undefeated oilfield accident attorneys to schedule a free consultation today.
Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers – Houston
2700 Post Oak Blvd #1000, Houston, TX 77056
(888) 603-3636
Open 24 hours
Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers – Midland
306 W Wall St Suite 701, Midland, TX 79701
(432) 220-0000
Open 24 hours