Who Can I Sue If I’m Injured in an Oilfield Accident?
Undefeated Oilfield Accident and Injury Lawyers
When you’re struggling physically and emotionally in the aftermath of an oilfield accident, talking to an oilfield accident lawyer might be the last thing on your mind.
But what you don’t realize is that the companies responsible for your pain and suffering have already put together a team of investigators and lawyers to accomplish one mission: paying you and your family as little as possible for your injuries and losses.
Our Undefeated Oilfield Accident Lawyers have decades of experience successfully representing injured oilfield workers and their families, recovering Billions and consistently winning record-breaking verdicts and settlements – including the #1 Largest Oilfield Accident Settlement for an individual in US History.
Because of our unprecedented success, we have the resources, knowledge, and experience to identify all of the parties responsible for your injuries, locate and obtain the evidence needed to prove they’re to blame, and successfully take on the oilfield companies, their insurers, and their legal teams, both in and out of the courtroom.
Injured in an Oilfield Accident? Call 1-888-603-3636 or Click Here for a Free Consultation.
If you or a loved one were injured, burned, or tragically killed in an Oilfield accident or explosion, our Undefeated Oilfield Accident Lawyers will commit all of the time and resources necessary to hold the responsible parties accountable and recover the maximum compensation possible for you and your family.
Call or Click Here to send us a confidential email through our Contact Us form.
Can I Sue My Employer After an Oilfield Injury?
After an oilfield accident, injured workers are able to file a personal injury lawsuit against any third parties and contractors that caused or contributed to the accident.
A personal injury lawsuit is the ONLY way that an injured worker is able to recover compensation for ALL of their injuries and losses, including past and future medical expenses, past and future lost wages, and past and future pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, and physical disfigurement.
Injured workers can also file workers’ compensation claim with their employer without having to prove fault. In the event an oilfield worker tragically dies due to their injuries, their surviving family members are also usually able to file a claim for workers’ compensation death benefits.
Workers Comp Benefits Don’t Cover Your Future Wages and Medical Bills
However, it’s important to understand that workers comp benefits won’t come close to covering an oilfield worker’s normal weekly wages, let alone future lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages you could recover by filing a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit against the companies that contributed to the accident or explosion.
While state workers’ compensation laws typically prevent injured workers and their families from suing their direct employers for a work-related injury or wrongful death, it is sometimes possible to take legal action if gross negligence on the part of the employer caused or contributed to an employee’s injury or death. Gross negligence includes acts of extreme carelessness, willful violations of safety standards, and deliberate acts of misconduct
Unfortunately, Texas is the only state in the nation that doesn’t require employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. If you were injured while working on a Texas oilfield, and your employer has not opted to obtain a policy, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against the company provided you’re able to prove that your employer’s negligence caused or contributed to your injury.
Common Defendants in Oilfield Accident Lawsuits
Even if you are legally barred from filing suit against your employer, you likely have valid claims against any third-party company or individual whose actions may have contributed to your injuries.
Some of the more common oilfield lawsuit defendants include:
Equipment Manufacturers
Defective or malfunctioning equipment is a common cause of oilfield accidents. If the equipment failure resulted from a design or manufacturing defect, the manufacturer may be held liable for any injuries you sustained.
Contractors and Subcontractors
Oilfield operations usually involve multiple contractors and subcontractors working together on a project. If a contractor or subcontractor’s negligence causes or contributes to an accident, they can be held liable for your injuries and damages.
Rig Owners and Manufactures
An explosion, collapse, or other accident is far more likely to occur when an oil rig is poorly designed, constructed, or maintained. If a drilling accident occurs due to a problem or issue with the rig, you may be able to pursue personal injury claims against the rig owner or manufacturer.
Property Owners
In some cases, the owner of the oilfield or surrounding property may be held responsible for an accident. Property owners have a duty to maintain a safe environment for workers and visitors. If hazardous conditions on the property, such as inadequate lighting, unsafe structures, or unmarked hazards, contribute to an oilfield accident, the property owner may be held liable for any damages incurred as a result of your injuries.
Potential Damages in an Oilfield Injury Lawsuit
If you or a loved one were hurt or tragically killed while working on an oilfield, filing a personal injury lawsuit against all responsible parties could allow you and your family to obtain compensation for all of your damages and losses, such as:
Medical Bills
You could receive compensation for the medical bills that have accumulated since the oilfield accident, as well as any you incur as the result of future treatment, including the cost of surgery, rehabilitative therapies, and medical equipment fees.
Lost Wages
While workers’ compensation will only pay a portion of the wages lost due to your injury, filing a lawsuit could allow you to obtain compensation for future lost wages if you are unable to return to work.
Permanent Disability/Impairment
If your oilfield injuries will prevent you from ever resuming the activities you enjoyed prior to the accident or explosion, or you are no longer able to care for yourself, you may be able to receive compensation for permanent disability or impairment.
Pain and Suffering
You may also be able to receive payment for your pain and suffering, including the emotional distress, mental anguish, and diminished quality of life, that resulted from your injuries. Generally, the more severe your injuries, the more you’ll receive for pain and suffering.
Loss of Consortium
If the injuries you sustained in an oilfield accident or explosion have deprived your spouse of companionship, affection, and other benefits that typically accompany a familial or intimate relationship, they may be entitled to damages for loss of consortium.
Wrongful Death
If your loved one died as a result of their oilfield injuries, as a survivor, you may be able to pursue compensation for damages incurred as a result of their wrongful death, including unpaid medical bills, loss of income, loss of inheritance, and funeral expenses.
Punitive Damages
You may be able to pursue punitive damages (“exemplary” damages in Texas) if an oilfield injury or death results from a willful act or omission or gross negligence. In addition to punishing companies for their wrongful conduct, these damages are also meant to make an example of the defendant and prevent the behavior from ever occurring again.
We Don’t Just Win for Injured Oilfield Workers. We Set Records.
Having successfully represented over 1,000 oilfield workers seriously injured, catastrophically burned, or tragically killed in connection with the worst oilfield accidents, well blowouts, and drilling rig explosions in history, our undefeated oilfield accident lawyers have acquired a deep understanding of the safety regulations governing the oil and gas industry, and we know how to leverage that knowledge to prove the company was at fault for our client’s injuries.
Their knowledge and experience have enabled our attorneys to remain undefeated in court, and oil companies know we won’t hesitate to go to trial if they refuse to pay our clients and their families the maximum compensation possible for ALL of their injuries and losses. As a result, many of our cases settle for record-setting amounts well ahead of trial.
In fact, in just the last five years alone, our Undefeated Oilfield Injury Lawyers have recovered:
- #1 Largest Oilfield Accident Settlement for an individual in US History
- #1 Largest Oilfield Burn Settlement for an individual in US History
- $100 million settlement on behalf of workers injured in a petrochemical explosion
- $62 million settlement on behalf of an oilfield burn victim
- $55 million settlement on behalf of an injured oilfield worker
Because of our success, our clients have the financial resources to access the best medical treatment available and continue to take care of and provide for themselves and their families for the rest of their lives.
To see what other injured oilfield victims and past clients say about their experience with our Oilfield Injury Lawyers, just visit our Client Testimonial page or our firm’s YouTube Channel.
Contact Our Undefeated Oilfield Accident Lawyers at 1-888-603-3636 or Click Here for a Free Consult
If you or a loved one were injured or tragically killed in an oilfield accident or explosion, contact our Undefeated Oilfield Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation at 1-888-603-3636, use the chat form on our website, or send us a confidential email through our Contact Form by clicking here.
We’ll answer your questions, explain your rights, and provide you with the information you need to decide what’s best for you and your family.
All consultations are free and 100% confidential, and you won’t pay us a dime unless we win your