Help & Information
We have straight answers to difficult questions to help you navigate legal process and secure financial compensation.
At Thomas J. Henry Law, we want to ensure all injured victims are informed and knowledgeable about their rights. The legal process can be complicated, confusing, and overwhelming, especially when you are also dealing with the aftermath of an accident or injury.
Thomas J. Henry Law has prepared the following Infographics, FAQs, Videos, and Personal Injury Legal Guides to assist you on your road to recovery. If you wish to speak directly with an attorney, contact our offices now for a FREE Case Consultation – we are available 24/7, nights and weekends.
Your questions answered
How Does the “No Win No Fee” Promise Work?
The Thomas J. Henry “No Win No Fee” promise works as part of a contingency fee agreement. Instead of receiving payments from clients, we recoup fees and expenses from the final settlement or verdict our clients receive.
This allows us to start working on your case as soon as you hire us, ensuring that your case is handled with the urgency it deserves. It also means you can focus on getting better rather than cutting us a check.
The percentage we collect may vary depending on the complexity of your case, but you will be kept informed so you know what we are collecting before your case is closed.
Even better, you owe us nothing if we don’t win your case! Because our fees are collected as a percentage of your settlement or verdict, we do not collect anything unless and until you get your recovery. This means there is no risk to hiring a qualified attorney to handle your case!
Do I Have to Pay to Speak with an Injury Attorney?
Thomas J. Henry Law offers free case reviews so that you can better understand your legal options. This means you pay nothing for your first consultation. Additionally, Thomas J. Henry Law works on a contingency fee basis meaning that if you do choose to hire us, you pay us nothing unless and until we win your case.
To learn more about what it takes to speak with an injury attorney about your claim here.
Do I Need a Personal Injury Attorney Help Me Settle My Case?
Insurance companies will attempt to pay out as little as possible when resolving an injury claim. When an individual pursues compensation from an insurance company without the aid of an attorney, the insurance company may see the lack of representation as an opportunity to lowball the injured victim as there is no immediate risk of trial or legal recourse.
By hiring a competent attorney who has a reputation for achieving large verdicts in the courtroom, you are sending a message to the insurer. It will provide the insurance company with extra incentive to offer a fair settlement the first time.
If that first offer is not fair, an experienced personal attorney will have the resources and the knowledge to negotiate with the insurance company in pursuit of a better offer.
What is a Contingency Fee?
In a contingency fee arrangement, an attorney agrees to accept a fixed percentage of your recovery as payment. This means that if you win your case, your attorney will collect their fees and expenses from the money awarded to you. However, if you lose your case, your attorney will collect nothing.
Most lawyers prefer not to work on contingency cases for two reasons:
- There is a risk the firm will be paid nothing
- Any payment is delayed until money is collected from the opposing party
Generally, a lawyer who accepts contingency fee cases:
- Regularly represents clients who lack the financial resources to pay hourly attorney’s fees (as is often the case for personal injury victims).
- Is more selective about the cases they accept.
- Is very confident in their ability to win the cases they choose to handle.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?
The cost associated with hiring a personal injury attorney and how payment is collected may vary from firm to firm. At Thomas J. Henry, we work on a contingency fee basis. This means that we don’t charge our clients a penny unless and until we win their case.
Working on a contingency fee basis allows clients access to resources and legal representation they might otherwise struggle to afford. The more serious a case is, the more money it costs to take to trial. This is because complex litigation tends to take longer to resolve and the entities involved fight harder.
This is especially true if your lawsuit is against a large company, as would be the case in a trucking accident or on-the-job injury. Such companies employ teams of lawyers and have seemingly unlimited financial resources. You need an attorney who has the same. Thomas J. Henry employs a team of more than 100 attorneys and has the money to fight your case out to the end.
Finally, by collecting any fees and expenses after a verdict or settlement is secured, Thomas J. Henry can help ensure his clients are able to focus on healing. “The client’s job is to heal. We will handle the rest,” says Thomas J. Henry.
How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
In Texas, a personal injury case is only worth what a jury is willing to award you. This is why you need an attorney who can not only prove the economic damages you have sustained due to your accident, but can also demonstrate the value of non-economic damages you may have sustained, such as pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of consortium.
Learn more about how to estimate the value of your personal injury claim here.
Do I Need to Hire an Attorney for My Oilfield Accident?
When it comes to oilfield related injuries and deaths, it is best to hire an attorney as soon as possible.
Oilfield injury litigation is extremely complex, and oil and gas extraction job sites are very hectic when active. Hiring an attorney as soon as an injury or death occurs will help ensure that important material evidence is secured.
Not only will your oilfield injury attorney file a temporary restraining order to preserve evidence, but your attorney will also hire industry and Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) experts to investigate the job site for any potential safety violations.
Safety violations often include:
- Poorly maintained equipment
- Failure to provide adequate fall protection
- Failure to meet hazard communication standards
- Failure to provide adequate respiratory protection
- General transportation safety violations
- Failure to meet general machinery and machine guard requirements
- Failure to control hazardous energy
How Can an Expert Witness Help in My Oilfield Lawsuit?
Not only are experts essential in finding and retaining evidence at the scene, but they can also provide expert analysis of their findings and expert testimony during trial and arbitration.
Thomas J. Henry has spent years finding and building professional relationships with the best expert witnesses from all across the country. Expert witnesses that could benefit your oilfield lawsuit include:
- Welding experts
- Process safety management experts
- Safety equipment experts
- Hazardous chemical experts
- State and Federal OSHA consultants and inspectors
- Accident reconstruction experts
- Engineering experts
- Confined space permit experts
- Environment health experts
A Loved One Died as a Result of an Oilfield Accident. What Can I Do?
It is no secret that oil and gas extraction is a high-risk industry. According to a recent analysis by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), oil and gas extraction workers are killed on the job at a rate seven times greater than the average U.S. workers.
While we all hope that our loved ones will return from work safe from harm, the unfortunate truth is those workplace accidents, injuries, and deaths do happen – and while nothing can ever remedy the pain of losing a loved one, holding those responsible for the death of a loved one can help provide stability for your family in what is most certainly a turbulent time.
What are the Most Common Types of Oilfield Accidents?
Workers on an oilfield are exposed to a wide variety of hazards. Some common examples of oilfield accidents include:
- Oil well blowouts
- Explosions and fires
- Transportation accidents involving the transport of workers to and from the field
- Slips and falls due to slick surfaces
- Struck/caught in machinery or equipment
- Exposure to harmful chemicals or other materials
- Defective, faulty, or poorly maintained drilling equipment and machinery
These accidents can cause life-altering and debilitating injuries, including burns, brain injuries, broken bones, spinal cord and back injuries, eye injuries. Unfortunately, the oil and gas extraction industry is no stranger to fatal injuries as well — 120 workers were killed on the job in 2015. The mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry as a whole had the third-largest fatal work injury rate in the United States in 2015.
What Types of Oilfield Jobs can Lead to Accidents and Injuries?
Every drilling site is manned by several crews, each composed of several different types of workers depending on the site and the type of rig.
Roustabouts, floorhands, or roughnecks perform much of the basic, labor-intensive maintenance and drilling tasks. These workers maintain and keep the drilling area clean, remove hazards, and move equipment around the rig for other workers to use. A lot of the grunt work required at an oil rig is taken care of by roustabouts so the other workers can extract oil efficiently.
A motorhand or motorman is responsible for maintaining the engines that power the drilling equipment and other machinery at the drilling site. Oil rigs may have diesel engines, electric engines, or both. These workers also supervise roustabouts, test equipment for safety, operate with the oil rig boilers, assist with the drill pipe, and help other crew members as needed.
Derrickhands, derrickmen, or derrick operators guide the uppermost section of the drill as it is lowered and raised from the wellbore, known as tripping. These employees are often stationed on a platform high above the ground above the rig in order to head the tripping process. Derrickhands also assist with the mixing and operation of the mud system, helping drillers, and various upkeep on drilling equipment.
A rig operator or driller supervises crew members of an oil rig, specializing in resolving or troubleshooting problems if they arise. They also monitor the work area for safety issues and maintains safety policies. Drillers are tasked with training crew members on safety procedures, conducting drills for blowout prevention, performing equipment maintenance checks, and other personnel-focused management. These oil workers are often assisting with the operation of drill controls and other equipment.
A toolpusher, or oil rig manager, is the supervisor of the oil rig and responsible for all other personnel on-site. These managers oversee drillers, derrickhands, motorhands, and roustabouts and provide leadership, important training, and problem-solving in regards to employees and oil rig operation. Toolpushers manage the installation of rigs, make sure government and environmental laws are followed, and coordinate the workers in several crews.
Other oilfield occupations include petroleum engineers, pipeline walkers, pipefitters, and pipelayers.
Due to the nature of the job, every worker involved on the oilfield at some point or another could be involved in an incident, depending upon what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. Supervisors and even owners of facilities can be seriously injured or lose their life, depending upon who’s on that property, who’s conducting work, and whether it’s being done safely. When drilling operations are being done unsafely and outside the prescribed safety regulations, workers are put at grave risk of injury or worse.