The injury rate for oil workers is one of the highest in the country compared to other jobs. If you or a loved one works at an oil field, you could face on-the-job injuries from your employer’s negligence, dangerous conditions, faulty safety gear, and poor training. These injuries may entitle you to compensation through a negligence lawsuit.
Talk to an attorney if you work in the oil industry because there are rules you should learn to help protect your right to sue after an injury. If you were injured, contact The Queenan Law Firm’s Houston oil field injury lawyers today to schedule a free consultation on your case. Our attorneys represent injury victims and their families. To set up your free consultation, contact our law offices today at (817) 476-1797.
Common Causes of Accidents at Oil Fields
In the Texas oil industry, there are dozens of safety regulations employers must follow. These rules govern things like workplace conditions, training requirements, safety gear requirements, and other important safety concerns. If your employer permits unsafe practices at the oil field or fails to train and equip workers properly, they could be held liable for injuries you sustain.
One of the most common things that lead to oil worker injuries is negligent training or hiring. If your employer hires a dangerous worker or fails to properly train your co-workers (in a language they can understand), then your employer may be liable for any harms the co-worker causes at work. Negligent or dangerous drivers, crane operators, derrickhands, or roughnecks can cause serious injuries to those around them if they improperly manage equipment.
Most injuries on oil fields occur because of slip and fall injuries or falls from high heights. The risk of falling is always higher if the conditions in your workplace are dangerous. Your employer is responsible for ensuring that the oil field and any residential quarters or other areas are safe and free of hidden dangers that could injure you. Falls are also likely in the course of your duties if you need to climb ladders or reach other high places. Your supervisor should ensure that someone is spotting you on a ladder and ensure that you have proper safety gear, like a hard hat and any safety lines or harnesses you can take advantage of.
Other injuries are caused by equipment problems. Surprisingly, transportation dangers from dangerous or unmaintained trucks and vehicles are a common cause of injury. Additionally, if heavy machinery or the drills and parts of the rig itself are not properly cared for, you could face serious injuries when trying to make the equipment work properly.
Other problems on an oil rig may come from drug use, alcohol use, and working exceptionally long hours. These problems can make co-workers unnecessarily dangerous and cause serious accidents. If your employer fails to screen for these issues or allows overworked and over-tired workers to continue their shifts, your employer could be putting that worker and others around them at serious risk for injuries.
Suing for Injuries after an Oil Rig Injury or Oil Drilling Accident
After an oil field injury, it is important to talk to an attorney about your right to sue. Texas law allows workers to reject workers’ compensation and preserve their right to sue. However, if you accepted the workers’ compensation benefits offered at your job, you may have given up your right to sue. Talk to a lawyer when you start your job, and again after an injury to ensure that you properly protect your right to sue for injuries after a workplace accident.
If you were seriously injured, workers’ comp. might limit the damages you can receive. This program typically pays a fraction of your lost wages and covers related medical expenses after an injury, but a lawsuit may allow you to claim full damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and, in the event of a loved one’s death lost wages, funeral and burial expenses, and other damages.
To receive these damages, you must file a lawsuit in court and prove the case against your employer. Your attorney can help you prove that your employer violated some duty they owed you, which led to your injuries. The duty your employer violated can be related to their common law duties as the owner of the property on which you work, their duties as an employer (e.g., safety gear and training), or other duties. You must also prove that their errors actually caused your injuries, and you must prove the full extent of your damages by providing things like medical bills, pay stubs, and bank statements.
Our Houston Attorneys for Land-Based Oil Worker Injuries Offers Free Consultations
If you or a loved one was seriously injured in an accident while working in the oil industry, call the Houston oil field injury lawyers at The Queenan Law Firm today. Our attorneys represent derrickhands, roustabouts, and other injured oil workers in cases against their employers. To schedule a free consultation on your case, contact our law offices today at (817) 476-1797.