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Some jobs are important but very dangerous, and workers and employers must take precautions to ensure safety. If employers fail to make the work environment as safe as possible, they might be held responsible for accidents and injuries suffered by workers. Oil field workers are at a particularly high risk of injuries and deserve fair compensation from those responsible.
If you are injured while working in an oil field, call for help immediately. Between hazardous chemicals and heavy machinery, oil field accidents can be very dangerous, and your injuries might require immediate medical care. When you are ready, call a lawyer about taking legal action. Your damages might be worth substantial compensation, including economic losses, and non-economic injuries like pain and suffering. The evidence we might need to support these claims may come from your employer’s records, your medical records, and even from coworkers who witnessed the accident firsthand.
Speak to our oil field accident attorneys about a free, private case review by calling The Queenan Law Firm at (817) 476-1797.
What to Do if You Are Injured in an Oil Field Accident in San Angelo, TX?
Accidents in oil fields are known for being severe. Some workers are very seriously injured, while others do not survive their injuries. If you work in an oil field and become injured in an accident, call for help immediately and get emergency medical attention. Your workplace should have safety protocols in place for when someone gets hurt. Even if you believe your injuries are not serious and you can continue working, err on the side of caution. Report the incident and any injuries to your employer and get medical attention.
Make sure the accident and your injuries are reported to your employer as soon as possible. First, you need to create a paper trail. If your injuries and the accident are not properly documented, it might be difficult for our oil field accident lawyers to prove your claims. It is hard to prove your employer is responsible for the accident if there is no record of the accident. Second, you need a paper trail for Workers’ Compensation purposes. You may elect to have your injuries covered this way, and there must be some record of the accident. However, you have 5 days to refuse Workers’ Compensation, and you should talk to an attorney about it immediately.
Consider preserving any evidence that you can, if possible. This might mean snapping pictures of the accident area right after you are injured. You never know what kind of evidence might be preserved in your photos. Pictures of defective or damaged machinery, insufficient safety gear, and the general area where you were hurt might help you build a strong claim for damages.
Damages Available in San Angelo, TX Oil Field Accident Cases
Damages in oil field accident cases are often quite high. You might be surprised at how much financial compensation your claims are worth. Not only should you claim the money you spend as a direct result of the accident, but you may also claim painful yet subjective personal experiences.
Non-Economic Injuries
Injuries that do not cost money but still significantly impact your day-to-day life may be considered non-economic damages. While these things might not cost you money, they may still be financially compensated, as this is often the only way courts can remedy these problems.
First, consider your professional life. Working in oil fields and within the oil industry often requires specialized skills, training, and knowledge. Many people build a professional reputation within the industry that helps them obtain and maintain employment. After a bad accident, your professional reputation might be seriously tarnished, and you may claim this as part of your damages. The same goes for embarrassment and humiliation, as being injured in front of all your coworkers can be humiliating.
Injuries in these cases are often very harsh, and many victims live with permanent complications, scarring, disabilities, or disfigurements. Dealing with these unpleasant changes in your body and learning how to live your life under these conditions can be emotionally painful and distressing. You deserve fair compensation.
Economic Injuries
Your monetary costs may be added to your claims for economic damages. Medical bills are often a major contributor to these damages as injuries tend to be severe, and treatment is often extensive and costly. You might need emergency surgery, physical therapy, mobility aids, treatment for burns and chemical exposure, and more. Keep track of your hospital bills and spending, as we need this information for your case.
You should also claim the value of lost income and wages. If you cannot return to work because of the accident, you will likely start losing income. The longer you are out of work, the more income you might lose. Some victims are so severely hurt that they can never work again, and they might lose a lifetime of wages. As such, these damages may be extremely important and valuable.
Evidence We Can Use to Build Your Oil Field Accident Case in San Angelo, TX
Proving your claims requires evidence. Finding and obtaining evidence can be tricky, and you should discuss evidence with your lawyer right away.
Business and Medical Records
Much evidence might come from certain kinds of records. Records about your work may help us prove how your employer is responsible. For example, if you were injured by malfunctioning machinery, your employer might have records about how often the machines are inspected and repaired. If records indicate that the machines have not been inspected for a long time or that your employer knew they were in bad shape but still did nothing, we might have some very strong evidence on our hands.
Similarly, we should obtain copies of your medical records from the hospitals that treated you. These records can help us prove just how seriously you were injured and how much your treatment cost. They might also shed light on your quality of life moving forward.
Eyewitnesses and Experts
Some of your coworkers might have watched the accident happen. If so, we need them to testify about what they saw. Their testimony can help us prove what went wrong and how the defendant is responsible. The more coworkers who saw the accident, the better.
We might need experts to review certain elements of the case and help us explain them in court. For example, if machinery malfunctions, we need someone with expert scientific knowledge about how the machines are supposed to work. Industry insiders can also testify about safety standards imposed throughout the oil field industry and whether the safety protocols at your work met those standards.
Call Our San Angelo, TX Oil Field Accident Lawyer
Talk to our oil field accident lawyers about a free, confidential case assessment by calling The Queenan Law Firm at (817) 476-1797.