Undefeated Texas Oil Rig Accident Lawyers
Texas Oil Rig Lawyers with Largest Wins in History
Texas is the top energy producer in the nation, outranking every other state by a wide margin.
In fact, according to the Energy Information Administration, Texas drilling rigs accounted for 42 percent of the United States’s crude oil production in 2022 and 27 percent of the nation’s marketed natural gas production.
The sector’s impact on the state’s economy can’t be overstated. That year alone, Texas oil and gas rigs directly supported over 443,000 jobs and contributed more than $24.7 billion in state and local taxes and state royalties to the Texas economy. In 2022, Texas oil rig workers commanded an average salary exceeding $115,000.
Unfortunately, this economic prosperity has a significant downside, as few occupations are as dangerous as those associated with the state’s onshore and offshore drilling operations. From the ever-present risk of catastrophic fires and explosions to the constant threat of toxic exposures, Texas oil rig workers from the Permian Basin to the Gulf of Mexico risk injury and death every single day they’re on the job.
If you were injured or lost a loved one in a Texas oil rig accident or explosion, you can’t depend on your employer to “take care of you” or “make things right.” Regardless of what they might promise, the company and its insurer have only one goal – to pay you and your family as little as possible, no matter the actual extent of your injuries and losses. The reality is, they have already hired a team of lawyers and will employ whatever tactics necessary to avoid accountability, even if that means blaming you for your injuries and “losing” or misplacing critical evidence proving the accident was preventable and that the company was at fault.
Injured in a Texas Oil Rig Accident? Contact Our Undefeated Oil Rig Lawyers for a Free Consult by Calling 1-888-603-3636 or by Clicking Here
After a Texas oil rig accident, it’s critical that you take immediate steps to protect your future.
Having successfully represented more than 1,000 oil and gas workers in Texas and throughout the United States, our Oilfield Accident Lawyers have the resources, knowledge, and skills to successfully take on the largest oil and gas companies in the world and secure our clients the resources needed to access the best medical care available and provide for themselves and their families for the rest of their lives.
Call 1-888-603-3636, chat with us through our website, or Click Here to send us a confidential email through our “Contact Us” form.
All consultations are free, there’s no commitment involved, and you won’t owe us anything unless we win your case.
Texas’s Oil and Gas Industry
Thanks to its critical onshore and offshore drilling industries, Texas has been producing more crude oil than any other state in the nation since at least 1970. The Lone Star State also accounts for more than two-fifths of the nation’s crude oil proved reserves and has more than one-fourth of the nation’s 100 largest oil fields as measured by reserves.
The discovery of the Spindletop oil field in East Texas set off the state’s first major oil boom in 1901. Today, Texas’s onshore oil and gas industry is centered on four major onshore energy-producing regions and the Gulf of Mexico:
Permian Basin
The Permian Basin is the biggest oil-producing area of Texas and the United States, spanning a 250-mile-wide area in West Texas and New Mexico that encompasses:
- 7,000 different oilfields
- Multiple oil-producing formations, including Avalon, Bone Spring, Canyon, Clear Fork, Devonian, Ellenberger, Morrow, San Andres, Spraberry, Wolfcamp, Yates, and Yeso, among others.
- Top-producing sub-basins, including the Central Basin, the Delaware Basin, and the Midland Basin,
About 89 million to 100 million barrels of crude oil are currently extracted from the Permian every month.
Eagle Ford Shale
The Eagle Ford Shale spans six counties: Karnes, La Salle, Gonzales, De Witt, Dimmit, and McMullen. While oil has been produced in this area for some time, drilling in the Eagle Ford Shale took off in 2010, mainly due to significant advances in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technologies. In fact, from 2010 to 2022, production in the Eagle Ford surged from about 1 percent of the nation’s total annual oil output to more than 9 percent.
Currently, about 20 million barrels are extracted from the Eagle Ford Shale each month.
Anadarko Basin
Covering the Texas panhandle, western Oklahoma, western Kansas, and the southeast corner of Colorado. The Anadarko boasts 25 major plays, including the Granite Wash Shale, an area spanning the Texas panhandle and western Oklahoma that boasts several significant formations, including the Cleveland, Hogshooter, Marmaton, and Tonkawa formations.
Advances in fracking and horizontal drilling also helped drive interest in the Granite Walsh during the early 21st century. Considered one of the more “unconventional” regions for oil production in Texas, the basin currently produces between 89,000 and 105,000 barrels of oil each month.
Barnett Shale
Covering about 5,000 miles and more than 18 counties, the Barnett Shale is an oil and gas-producing region just west and slightly south of Dallas. Although it is more focused on natural gas production, the Barnett Shale still produces between 10,000 and 15,000 barrels of crude oil each month.
Haynesville/Bossier Shale
The Haynesville/Bossier Shale spans eastern Texas and western Louisiana. Another beneficiary of the shale revolution, drillers have been flocking to the Haynesville/ Bossier since 2008, after advanced fracking and horizontal drilling technologies finally brought the basin’s abundant but unconventional natural gas resources into play.
The Haynesville/Bossier is currently the third-largest shale gas-producing play in the United States, accounting for roughly 13 percent of the nation’s dry natural gas production in February 2022.
Gulf of Mexico
The western and central Gulf of Mexico, which includes offshore Texas, constitutes one of the major oil-producing regions in the world. Currently, oil rigs located off the Texas Gulf coast extract in excess of 52,000 barrels of crude each month.
The Dangers of Working on an Oil Rig
Working on an oil rig is dangerous.
The men and women manning the oil rigs scattered across the state’s oilfields and along the Texas coast face a multitude of risks every day they’re on the job:
- Heavy Equipment Malfunctions: Regular maintenance and thorough inspections are essential to ensuring a rig’s blowout preventer and other critical equipment are in good working order. Rig operators are also responsible for ensuring all workers are trained in the safe use of heavy equipment.
- Toxic Exposure: The drilling and extraction processes require various chemicals and materials that can be hazardous to human health. Strict adherence to safety procedures, the use of personal protective equipment, and regular monitoring are crucial in minimizing exposure risks.
- Explosions and Fires: If not properly handled and stored, the volatile liquids and gases present on an oil rig can ignite and cause explosions and fires. Proper maintenance of equipment, adherence to safety guidelines for handling hazardous materials, and regular safety drills are crucial to prevention.
- Electrocutions and Electrical Accidents: Electrical systems are integral to the operation of oil rigs, but they also pose risks of electrocution and electrical fires. To mitigate these dangers, rigorous inspection and maintenance of electrical equipment, grounding procedures, and proper training are essential.
- Slips, Trips, and Falls: Elevated platforms, narrow walkways, and slippery surfaces increase the likelihood of slips, trips, and falls on an oil rig. Non-slip flooring, proper lighting, fall protection equipment, and regular housekeeping practices are central to mitigating these risks.
- Fatigue: Oil rig workers often work long hours, sometimes in demanding conditions. Their fatigue can impair judgment, coordination, and reaction times, increasing the risk of injuries and accidents.
- Extreme Weather: Oil rigs operate in diverse environmental conditions, including offshore locations prone to high winds, heavy rains, storms, and even hurricanes. Rigorous safety training, appropriate protective clothing, and strict adherence to weather monitoring protocols are essential to ensuring workers’ health and well-being.
As a result of these hazards, oil rig workers are seven times more likely to die on the job than workers in other sectors. Texas annually logs more deadly oilfield and oil rig accidents than any other state — with 219 workplace fatalities recorded from 2014 to 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Recent Texas Oilfield and Oil Rig Accidents
Unfortunately, Texas oil and gas fatalities show no signs of slowing and actually doubled between 2021 and 2022, rising from 41 to 83. Workers who earned their living on drilling rigs accounted for 17% of the oil and gas fatalities reported in 2022, with the total number of Texas oil rig deaths rising to 7 compared to only 4 in 2021.
All too often, these deaths occurred because of preventable well blowouts, drilling rig explosions and other catastrophic incidents that were the direct result of an oil or gas company’s willingness to cut corners in the pursuit of higher production and profits.
Batson Oilfield Accident
An accident at an oilfield near Batson, Texas, tragically claimed the life of a worker in June 2024. According to media reports, the deceased was among a crew working on equipment when a piece fell and struck him from above. Although first responders attempted to save the worker’s life, he later died of his injuries.
Humble Oil Rig Accident
In June 2023, a mobile oil rig located on a drill site in a remote section of Harris County collapsed and fell on a worker, killing him. A second worker was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for a shoulder injury.
Sabine Pass Offshore Oil Rig Fire
In February 2022, a fire on a decommissioned offshore oil rig near Sabine Pass, Texas, forced nine workers to flee for their lives. The blaze broke out aboard the Pride Wisconsin, a mobile offshore drilling unit otherwise known as a jack-up rig, during a salvage operation. All nine workers were evacuated via a Coast Guard helicopter, and the fire was allowed to burn itself out.
Kiewit Bulkhead Offshore Oil Rig Accident
An offshore construction worker was tragically killed in October 2022 after falling from an offshore rig moored at the Kiewit bulkheads inside the La Quinta ship channel near Ingleside. Initially reported missing, a marine team discovered the worker’s remains hours later using a side scan sonar system to search the sea floor. Although the deceased had been wearing an appropriate flotation device when he fell, it failed to deploy, likely contributing to his death.
Chesapeake Oil Rig Explosion
A Texas oilfield worker was catastrophically burned, and three others were tragically killed when an oil well blowout set off a massive explosion and fire at a Burleson County oil rig on January 29, 2020. Federal investigators later determined that Chesapeake Energy’s failure to follow effective well control practices and safety measures contributed to the explosion.
Midland County Tanker Truck Explosion
In November 2019, a worker suffered severe burns when a hot oiler truck exploded as it was offloading product at a Midland County storage terminal. Once emergency crews arrived, a hose disconnected from the hot oiler, spilling fuel on the ground and triggering a blaze that quickly spread to a fire truck and at least four frac trucks.
Winkler Texas Pipeline Explosion
In May 2020, a pipeline explosion at an oilfield in Winkler County sent three workers to a hospital in Kermit, including two who were later airlifted to another facility. The blast occurred while a crew performed a power washing job at an oilfield just off County Road 404-Cattleguard #4. Authorities in Winkler County later confirmed that the explosion involved a flowack pipeline.
Noodle Oilfield Explosion
In January 2020, a tank battery explosion at an oilfield near Noodle left one man dead. According to the Jones County Sheriff’s Department, the victim, who was power washing the tank battery when the blast erupted, suffered severe burns to 60 percent of his body and was thrown several feet against a nearby vehicle. He was airlifted to a Lubbock hospital but sadly died of his injuries.
Permian Basin H2S Gas Poisonings
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas was blamed for the deaths of a Permian Basin oilfield worker and his wife in October 2019. The 44-year-old father of three had gone to check on a pump house in Odessa operated by Aghorn Energy. His wife, 37, drove to the location sometime later, worried her husband hadn’t returned. Law enforcement officers discovered the couple’s remains following an alert from Aghorn Energy.
Henderson County Tank Fire
In September 2019, two Texas oilfield workers suffered serious injuries when a tank fire erupted at a Block T Petroleum site located in Chandler, Henderson County. Smoke from the burning tank was seen for miles, and multiple departments from Henderson County, Coffee City, and Chandler were deployed to the site.
Jasper County Oil Rig Explosion
Three oilfield workers were injured in August 2019 when an explosion erupted on an oil rig located at a Jeffcoat Production Company drill site in Jasper County. The blast occurred while a workover crew performed maintenance on a well. According to witnesses, the injured men were circulating the well when natural gas fumes somehow got into the engine that was turning the pump. Although they attempted to shut down the engine and pump, the workers were unable to prevent the uncontrolled release of natural gas.
Rusk County Oilfield Accident
In May 2019, two employees of White Oak-based Well Pro Services LP were hurt in connection with an accident on a Rusk County oilfield. As they pulled piping from a wellhead, it suddenly separated and struck both workers. A helicopter transferred one of the men to Tyler with a head injury. His co-worker suffered a back injury and traveled to UT Health Henderson by ambulance.
Martin County Oilfield Explosion
A deadly explosion on a Martin County oilfield tragically claimed the lives of two men in March 2019. The blast occurred as a crew was working on a Heater Treater. Unfortunately, the equipment pressured up, causing oil and gas to ignite. One of the workers died at the scene, and the other succumbed to his injuries while being transferred to a burn unit in Lubbock.
Our Texas Oil Rig Lawyers Are Different
Many Texas personal injury law firms claim to represent injured oil rig workers and their families. But few can say they’ve gone up against the biggest oil and gas companies in the world, recovered the largest verdicts and settlements in history, and remain undefeated at trial.
Our Undefeated Texas Oil Rig Lawyers don’t just win. We consistently recover record-breaking verdicts and settlements, including the #1 Largest Oilfield Accident Settlement in History and #1 Largest Burn Injury Settlement in History.
Why are we so successful in and out of the courtroom?
- Our lawyers are experienced trial lawyers – and they’ve never been defeated in the courtroom.
- Because we’ve represented more than 1,000 oilfield and oil rig workers across the country, we have a thorough understanding of the safety regulations governing the oil and gas industry and know how to counter the tactics companies employ to avoid responsibility.
- We won’t even consider settling your case unless you and your family receive the maximum compensation possible for your injuries and losses.
- If the company doesn’t offer a settlement that fully compensates you and your family, we won’t hesitate to take your case to trial, where we’ve consistently recovered the largest verdicts in history.
From assisting with reasonable living expenses and ensuring you have access to the best medical treatment available while your case is pending to connecting you with a team of top financial advisors who can help establish a financial plan and set up trust funds that will continue to provide for you and your family for the rest of your lives, few law firms can match our dedication to our clients or ability to hold oil rig operators accountable.
But don’t just take our word for it. To see what other injured oilfield victims and past clients say about their experience with our Texas Oilfield Injury Lawyers, just visit our Client Testimonial page or our firm’s YouTube Channel.
Undefeated Texas Oil Rig Accident Lawyers: Call 1-888-603-3636 or Click Here For a Free Consult.
If you or a loved one were seriously injured or tragically killed in an oil rig accident or explosion, you can’t afford to place your family’s future in your employer’s hands. In all likelihood, the company and its team of lawyers are already working to avoid responsibility and pay you as little as possible for your injuries and losses.
With Billions in settlements and verdicts and the #1 largest oilfield accident recoveries in US history, our Undefeated Oil Rig Accident Lawyers have repeatedly demonstrated that we don’t just win — we set records.
Call 1-888-603-3636, use the “Chat Now” button on our website, or Click Here to send us a confidential email through our Contact Us form.
We’ll answer your questions, explain your rights and options, and provide the information you need to make the best decision for you and your family.