Workers on oil rigs wear gloves and other protective gear, but dangerous tools and moving machinery can still result in hand injuries and even amputation. If you suffered a hand injury on an offshore oil drilling rig in Texas, talk to a workplace injury attorney today. You may be entitled to compensation to help you and your family continue while you are unable to work. The oil drilling injury lawyers at The Queenan Law Firm discuss some of the most common hand injuries on offshore oil rigs.
Types of Common Hand Injuries from Offshore Oil Accidents
Working on an offshore oil rig means working with machinery, tools, and materials, all of which pose potential risks for workplace accidents. Something as simple as moving a heavy object can potentially mean accidents in the workplace. The following are some of the most common hand and finger injuries for oil workers.
Crushing Injuries
Handling and moving heavy items and machinery can result in injuries. If something is dropped on your hand or pins your hand against another object or inside the moving parts of a machine, your hand can easily be crushed. Many processes are handled with mechanical processes on an oil rig, but these processes sometimes require a human putting their hands near moving parts, which can result in crushing injuries.
Amputations
In some cases, crushing injuries are more serious, and the hand, a finger, or part of your hand is actually severed. These kinds of injuries can lead to reattachment if medical care comes quickly, but even with reattachment, you could face lifelong consequences from the injury.
Broken Bones
Falling or having your hand or finger crushed in an accident can result in broken bones. Breaking a bone in your hand can make it difficult to return to work while the injury heals. Broken bones should be taken seriously, and you should never put extra stress on the injury.
Burns
Working on an oil rig sometimes requires operating tools that use heat or give off sparks. Oil rigs also often have kitchens or galley and need workers in these departments and workers that handle electrical wiring and power – all of which can easily burn themselves on the job.
Cuts and Scrapes
These injuries seem mundane and common because they are. However, a cut or scrape can be a serious injury. It is easy to bump your hand against a sharp object or bang it while lifting or carrying another object. This can result in sometimes painful injuries.
Suing for Hand Injuries on an Offshore Oil Rig
If you were injured while at work on an offshore rig, you could be unable to return to work. Even mild injuries can prevent you from being able to return to work if the injury would interfere with your job duties. This may mean that you experience lost wages, high medical expenses, and pain and suffering that you need compensation for.
Typically when you are injured at work in Texas, you must file your case through workers’ compensation. However, maritime law typically allows offshore workers to sue for injuries after an on-the-job accident. This means you can usually claim full compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering instead of settling for partial damages through a workers’ comp. claim.
To get compensation, you must prove that the rig owner or your employer was responsible for your injuries through their negligence. Negligence is typically proven with evidence that the responsible party breached some duty they owed you. If your employer fails to supply proper safety gear or fails to otherwise keep you safe through proper training, they may be found negligent. A rig owner – if that is a different party than your employer – may also be responsible for premises liability injuries on the rig.
When you prove your injuries were caused by negligence, you must also prove the harms you suffered. This means demonstrating the total lost wages you suffered, any reduced future earning capacity, the medical expenses you faced because of the injury, and the value of your pain and suffering. A Plano, TX personal injury attorney can help you calculate these damages and prove them in court by using evidence such as bank statements, pay stubs, medical bills, and other hard evidence of your injuries and the effects you faced because of them.
Dallas Oil Rig Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one was injured while working on an offshore oil rig – or while performing any oil worker job – contact a Dallas personal injury lawyer at The Queenan Law Firm. Our attorneys represent victims of hand injuries and other serious injuries in the oil industry. To schedule a free consultation on your case, contact our law offices today at (817) 476-1797.