Injuries for oil workers can often be severe enough to force them to miss work. Serious accidents may even cause permanent injuries that make it impossible to return to work to support your family. If you were injured at work on an oil field in the Austin, Texas area, you may be able to file a lawsuit against your employer to claim damages to help support you and your family in your time of need.
For help with your case, contact The Queenan Law Firm today. Our Austin oil field injury attorneys represent injured workers and their families and fight to get them compensation for their injury claims. To schedule a free consultation on your case, contact our law offices today at (817) 476-1797.
Can I Sue for Oil Field Injuries in Austin?
To sue for your workplace injuries in Texas, you usually need to reject workers’ compensation coverage. When you start a new job in Texas, you are not required to use workers’ compensation, but you only have 5 days to opt-out. If you do not opt out, you may be unable to sue, and you will have to take your claim through workers’ compensation. If you opt out, you keep your right to sue and may be entitled to claim additional damages.
If you take your case through workers’ compensation, you usually get your medical expenses covered, but you may not be able to choose your doctor and may lose other benefits. For instance, lost wages are typically only covered in part, and you are usually barred from claiming pain and suffering damages.
If you waive workers’ compensation when you start your job, you keep your right to sue after an injury. This means you can take your case to court and claim full damages for any lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering you face.
If you were injured at work by someone other than your employer, you may be able to sue even if you did not opt out of workers’ comp. Workers’ comp. only blocks you from suing your employer for negligence, but if you were injured by a third party’s negligence, a defective piece of equipment, or your employer’s intentional harm, you may still be able to sue.
Common Oil Field Injuries
The injuries you suffered in your accident could range from mild to severe or even life-threatening. Many serious accidents lead to death, as well, and you may be seeking to file a wrongful death lawsuit rather than an injury lawsuit if you lost a spouse, a child, or a parent in an oil field injury. Our attorneys explain some of the most common injuries oil workers face and what damages these might entitle you to.
Burn Injuries
Oil explosions and blowouts are rare on oil rigs, but they can cause widespread disaster when they do occur. Many victims survive, but they may face serious burn injuries that require intensive medical treatment and skin grafts. The pain and suffering from these injuries is often some of the most intense pain you can experience, and the damage is often visible and causes long-term suffering, leading to substantial pain and suffering.
Head Injuries
Falling accidents are some of the most common accidents on oil rigs. Climbing high ladders, walking on slippery or uneven surfaces, or falling while carrying heavy equipment can each lead to serious head injuries if you fall. This can cause concussions or traumatic brain injuries that can lead to permanent effects, loss of motor function, cognitive difficulty, trouble remembering people or faces, and personality changes. The pain and suffering and cost of ongoing medical care for these kinds of injuries are often incredibly high.
Amputations
Many oil workers deal with heavy machinery and powerful tools in their jobs. These tools can lead to serious injuries if they are mishandled or if one of your coworkers is not properly trained in the operation or safety requirements. Assembling or operating a drill or other equipment can lead to your sleeve or pant leg getting caught in the moving parts, potentially pulling you in and amputating a limb. This permanent injury could make it hard to return to work and may lead to ongoing reduced earning capacity, which can be compensated in court.
Broken Bones and Crushing Injuries
Similar to how machinery can cause amputations in serious accidents, more fortunate victims may keep their limbs but face serious broken bones or crushing injuries. Even carrying and lifting heavy equipment or tools can lead to broken bones if the equipment falls on you or you fall under the equipment.
These injuries are by no means a full list of the potential injuries you could face on an oil rig. If you were injured in one of these ways or suffered other serious injuries working in an oil field, contact our law offices today.
Call Our Austin Oil Field Injury Lawyers Today
If you or a loved one was injured while working in an oil field in the Austin, Texas area, contact the Queenan Law Firm today. Our attorneys offer free consultations to help injury victims and their families understand their right to sue and the damages they may be entitled to. To schedule your free legal consult, contact our law offices today at (817) 476-1797.