Undefeated Texas Oilfield Explosion Attorneys
Burns are among the most common—and most devastating—injuries resulting from oilfield accidents, particularly explosions and oil rig blowouts. The presence of volatile hydrocarbons, condensate, and combustible gases make fires, blowouts, and explosions the most dangerous threat to oilfield workers and contractors. It’s estimated that burn injuries account for nearly 16% of all oilfield fatalities, per the Centers for Disease Control, and injure hundreds more every year.
But the worse the burn injury, the harder a company and its insurers will fight to pay you as little as possible, even while promising to “make things right.” In our experience, workers’ compensation and assurances will never cover the full extent of what your family needs to recover and rebuild. That’s why having an experienced attorney on your side is essential—not just for securing the maximum compensation possible, but for ensuring access to the best medical care and the future that you and your loved ones deserve.
Read on to learn about the complexities of severe burn injuries, the complications that can follow, and how our undefeated Texas oilfield accident attorneys are prepared to do whatever it takes to protect your rights and secure your family’s future after the unthinkable.
Common Medical Complications After a Severe Burn Injury
The consequences of an oilfield fire or explosion leave victims with more than intense physical pain and potential disfigurement. A severe burn injury affects nearly every aspect of their family’s life as well.
Recovery is often a lengthy and costly process that demands specialized care and the management of numerous complications stemming from the severity of the burns.
The most common burn injury medical complications include:
- High Risk of Infection
Burn injuries destroy the skin’s natural barrier, leaving the body vulnerable to infections. These infections can delay healing, lead to sepsis, and create life-threatening complications if not managed properly. Victims often require ongoing medical care to monitor and address infections that could worsen their injuries or prolong their recovery. - Fluid Loss
Severe burns can cause significant fluid loss through damaged skin, leading to dehydration and shock. Victims often need immediate medical intervention to restore fluid balance and prevent further complications. - Hypothermia or Dangerously Low Body Temperature
Since burns impair the skin’s ability to regulate body temperature, victims are at risk of hypothermia. Emergency care may be needed to maintain a stable temperature, especially with extensive burns. - Breathing Problems
Inhalation injuries from smoke, chemicals, or hot air are common in burn incidents, leading to respiratory complications such as lung damage or airway swelling. These injuries often require intubation, oxygen therapy, or long-term pulmonary rehabilitation. - Scarring
Deep burns often result in significant scarring, which can be both physically restrictive and emotionally distressing. While treatments like laser therapy and surgery can help, scarring may remain a lifelong challenge for many victims. - Joint or Bone Problems
Burns that extend into deeper tissues can lead to joint stiffness or bone complications, such as fractures or osteomyelitis (bone infections). These issues can severely impact mobility and require long-term orthopedic care. - Need for Skin Grafts
For deeper burns, especially third- and fourth-degree burns, skin grafting is often essential. These procedures involve transplanting healthy skin to the injured area, which can reduce scarring, promote healing, and restore some functionality. Unfortunately, skin grafts come with their own risks, including infection, graft rejection, and additional surgeries, each adding to the financial burden. - Need for Reconstructive or Plastic Surgery
If skin grafts are required, it is highly likely that years of additional surgeries will be as well in order to repair damage to the extent one can function “normally” again. Significant facial burns, for instance, may require numerous painful rounds of plastic surgery to give the victim the ability to eat, speak, or express emotions or to address cosmetic concerns, helping to restore confidence and mitigate the emotional impact of disfigurement. These procedures, however, are costly and physically demanding, often requiring extensive recovery periods and specialized care. - Limited Mobility and Physical Impairments
Severe burns can affect muscles, tendons, and even bones, often resulting in limited mobility and reduced range of motion. Scarring and contractures (tightening of the skin) can restrict movement, making everyday activities painful or impossible. Many burn victims require physical therapy, adaptive devices, or ongoing treatment to regain even partial mobility. - Emotional Toll and Psychological Trauma
The emotional impact of a severe burn injury can be profound. Victims often face depression, anxiety, PTSD, and social isolation due to changes in appearance and physical limitations. Counseling and therapy are crucial for many to process the trauma and rebuild confidence, yet they add another layer of expense to an already costly recovery.
Why Recovering Maximum Compensation Is Essential
Given the severity of these medical complications, medical bills for burn injury victims can easily top hundreds of thousands of dollars and even millions for the most catastrophic cases. In fact, a 2019 national health study found that burn victims paid over $11K in hospital care and $4K in hospital stays for every 1% of total body surface area burned — that doesn’t even count longterm treatment.
Unfortunately, whether you have sustained traumatic second-degree burns or life-threatening third or fourth degree burns, the moment you seek comprehensive, long-term medical treatment and support for your injuries and medical complications, the company and its insurance company and their lawyers will work overtime to discredit your injuries, dispute your pain and suffering, and avoid responsibility.
Only an experienced oil rig explosion lawyers can level the playing field and demand the full compensation you deserve.
At Zehl & Associates, for instance, we not only use our expertise to accurately calculate all of your past and future medical bills and damages and to prove what really happened, we learn about you, your family, what you did before the accident, and what you wish you could still do but can’t anymore. Then we explain and quantify your losses for the jury at trial, where we remain undefeated.
What Damages Can I Recover for Burn Injuries?
- Long stays in specialized hospital burn units: Burn care is highly complex and requires specialized facilities, with daily costs exceeding $20,000. Prolonged stays can result in astronomical expenses.
- Therapeutic treatments: Advanced wound care and dressing changes can account for nearly a quarter of the total medical costs according to one study. These treatments are necessary to promote healing, reduce scarring, and prevent infection.
- Medications: Burn victims often require extensive medication, including antibiotics, pain management drugs, and anti-scarring treatments, which can add tens of thousands of dollars to overall care costs.
- Expensive surgical procedures: Multiple surgeries, including skin grafts and reconstructive procedures, are often needed to restore functionality, reduce scarring, or repair damage.
- Physical Therapy: Severe burns can cause lasting impairments to mobility and functionality, requiring months or even years of physical therapy to rebuild strength, improve range of motion, and regain independence. These therapies are often costly but essential to long-term recovery.
- Lost wages: Time away from work during recovery can cause financial strain, particularly for those supporting families. In some cases, burn injuries result in permanent disabilities, further affecting earning potential.
- Pain and suffering: Severe burns often result in excruciating pain, requiring months or years of rehabilitation and treatment. Compensation should reflect the immense physical toll these injuries take.
- Disfigurement and scarring: Visible scars and deformities can have lifelong impacts on a victim’s confidence, social interactions, and overall quality of life.
- Mental anguish: Burn survivors frequently experience emotional trauma, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD, requiring ongoing therapy and counseling to cope with the psychological aftermath.
With these immense costs and challenges in mind, securing maximum compensation is the only way to ensure your family has the resources you need to move forward and to make sure the negligent parties are held fully accountable.
Protecting Your Future After a Burn Injury
The sad truth is that most oilfield fires, explosions, and blowouts are entirely preventable. These accidents are often the result of inadequate training, rushed jobs, or all-too-common violations of safety rules and industry standards, including the American Petroleum Institute regulations. In fact, in 2023, oil companies were charged with well over $1.6 Million in OSHA penalties, with more than 337 citations issued for dangerous and often deadly infractions on the job site.
When a company’s reckless actions cause you harm, it’s crucial to secure a team that can fight for your family. But not every law firm that claims it successfully wins oilfield accident cases actually has what it takes to seek the full compensation you need and deserve.
As you search for an experienced oilfield accident attorney, ask yourself:
- Do they have a proven track record of Billions won?
Only a team with a history of securing record-setting verdicts and settlements for burn injury victims has the ability and know-how to pursue the maximum compensation possible for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and long-term needs. - How much experience do they have with oil well blowout and explosion cases?
Oilfield accidents are among the most complex in all of personal injury law, requiring a thorough understanding of industry standards and strict regulations, in order to not only build a strong case, but make sure the company is never able to harm anyone ever again. - How will they support my medical recovery?
If they cannot ensure that you receive the best medical care possible by working with leading burn specialists and securing compensation for all necessary treatments, including surgeries, rehabilitation, and ongoing care, they aren’t the best team for you. - Do they have the resources to take on large corporations and their insurers?
Only a firm with the financial strength and resources to take on major oil and gas companies and their insurers, can gather critical evidence, hire expert witnesses, build the strongest can, and also protect you when the company inevitably discredits your injuries or places the blame on you. - Are their clients more than just cases?
High-volume law firms rarely focus on individual clients rather than caseload. Only a team that dedicates their full time, resources, and personal attention into each case can truly get to know you and your family and understand what’s at stake for your future. - Are they transparent and communicative?
Experienced attorneys don’t leave you hanging. They keep you informed every step of the way and offer honest assessments of your case, so you can focus on what matters most.
At Zehl & Associates, for instance, we win record-setting verdicts and settlements for burn victims because, unlike some personal injury law firms, we focus on one client at a time and devote whatever resources are necessary to recover the absolute maximum compensation for each client and their family.
With our deep understanding of federal regulations and industry safety standards, we don’t just prove when companies violate safety policies—we hold them fully accountable.
How Our Undefeated Oilfield Explosion Lawyers Can Help
Our Oilfield Injury Lawyers have the resources and experience to take on the largest oil and gas companies in the world and not only win, but set records. We cannot be outworked, outmaneuvered, or intimidated, no matter how big the company or their team of lawyers.
Once hired, we immediately get to work:
- Making sure you receive the best medical care available: When you become our client, you’ll have access to the best reconstructive surgeons, physical and occupational therapists, and medical providers in the country, so that you’re able to focus on your recovery while we work on ensuring you and your family receive the largest recovery possble.
- Assembling the best and brightest team to investigate the accident. Having successfully represented over 1,000 oilfield accident victims across Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico and the United States, we know what evidence to look for, how to prove the company was at fault, and, most importantly, how to win.
- Treating you like family. Unlike many personal injury law firms, we focus on one client at a time and devote whatever resources necessary to recovering the absolute maximum compensation possible. From day one, we are available around the clock to answer questions and go above and beyond — so you can focus on what matters most.
- Preparing your case for trial. If the defendant refuses to offer a settlement that fully compensates our clients for all their injuries and losses, they know they will face us in the courtroom, where we remain undefeated.
- Never settling for less than full compensation.We refuse any settlement offer that doesn’t provide our clients with the maximum compensation possible for all of their injuries and losses.
But don’t just take our word for it. Hear what burn injury victims have to say about hiring Zehl & Associates and making the best decision for their future.
Our historic burn injury recoveries include:
- #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
Contact the Undefeated Houston Oilfield Accident Attorneys from Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers for Help Today, Call 1-888-603-3636
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 in Houston, Texas, at Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers to schedule a free consultation today.
We proudly serve Harris County, Midland County, and throughout the state of Texas. We are located in Houston and Midland and throughout the state of Texas:
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