Texas Oilfield Accident Lawyers
Serving Clients Nationwide from Our Texas Offices in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, and San Antonio
As America attempts to curb its dependence on foreign oil, more efforts are being made to produce these valuable goods domestically. This means a booming oil and gas industry, one that provides hundreds of thousands of jobs in the U.S. In 2016, 178,500 people worked in the oil and gas extraction industry alone. But these rich resources come at a cost — the business of extraction is a dangerous one, killing and injuring hundreds of workers every year.
At Thomas J. Henry, our Texas oilfield accident lawyers are dedicated to providing injured workers and their families with the legal representation they deserve.
Oilfield Accident Injuries
Due to the sheer amount of drilling occurring and thousands of workers across the country, oilfield accidents are simply bound to happen. Many of these accidents, however, are the result of negligence. As a worker, oil and gas companies are responsible for following proper safety procedures to keep you safe on the job. Oilfield accidents occur when employers cut corners and put profit before your safety and well being. Oilfield accidents can leave workers with injuries that last them their entire life. These debilitating work injuries include:
- Burn injuries
- Broken bones
- Dismemberment
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Neck and spinal cord injuries
Unfortunately, oilfield accidents can cause fatal injuries, too. In 2015, there were 120 deaths in the oil and gas industry. The families of fallen gas and oil workers deserve compensation and justice if their loved ones died as a result of a negligent individual or company.
Recent Oilfield Accidents Across the Country
Oilfield incidents oftentimes make national news due to the severity and scope of the tragedy. Here are a few of the major oilfield accidents across the country that resulted in significant loss of life and injury:
- November 2014 — Weld County, Colorado, oilfield explosion
- Two deaths
- Two injuries
- June 2006 — Raleigh, Mississippi, oilfield explosion
- Three deaths
- One injury
- December 2014 – Coal County, Oklahoma, oil rig fire
- Two deaths
- Two injuries
- April 2013 — West, Texas, oil well blowout
- Two deaths
- Two injuries
- April 2014 — Loving County, Texas, oilfield explosion
- Two deaths
- Nine injuries
Oilfield Injury and Death Statistics
The following statistics regarding the oil and gas industry are provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):
- A total of 120 fatal work injuries occurred in the oil and gas extraction industry in 2015.
- In 2015, the oil and gas extraction industry had the third-highest rate of fatal workplace injuries (behind the agriculture, forestry, and fishing injury, and the transportation and warehousing industry)
- Texas Oil and gas workers suffered 36 fatal workplace injuries in 2015.
Common Causes of Fatal Oilfield Injuries
There is a multitude of hazards that pose injury and death risks to workers at an oilfield. For this reason, it is paramount that employers and foremen follow occupational safety regulations and enforce safety protocols:
- Transportation incidents
- Slips and falls
- Exposure to harmful chemicals or materials
- Contact with objects and equipment
- Fires and explosions
What Is Hydro-Fracking?
Hydro-fracking is a highly controversial drilling technique that is revolutionizing the drilling process, allowing companies to pump gas where they were unable to before — through shale rock formations.
As these natural gas rigs are popping up all over Texas and beyond, so are debates concerning their safety. Proponents say hydro-fracking could increase the nation’s gross domestic energy product, provide more domestic jobs, and decrease our nation’s dependency on foreign oil. Those opposed say the practice could pollute our air and water, subject workers and communities to toxic chemicals and substances, and cause earthquakes.
- “Fracking” is a drilling technology that involves fracturing ground rock in order to remove natural gas.
- “Hydro-fracking” or high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing is when drillers inject water and chemicals into rock in order to break it. Once the high pressure breaks the rock, sand, and other proppants (chemicals) are injected to hold the cracks open so the gas can flow out (hydraulicfracturing.com).
- This has opened up the possibility of drilling wells horizontally. Previously, drilling through shale formations was thought to be unproductive.
Hydraulic fracturing is no different than other extraction techniques in that it can still pose significant harm if proper safety procedures are not followed. The increased popularity of this form of drilling has opened oil and gas workers to additional risks and hazards associated with the industry.
Texas’s Eagle Ford Shale Play
In South Texas, the hot spot for hydro-fracking is the Eagle Ford Shale formation, or “play.” More than 24 oil and gas companies are utilizing the Eagle Ford Shale play, which spans across 30 Texas counties. According to the Eagle Ford Shale play website:
- The Eagle Ford Shale is located in South Texas.
- The formation produces from various depths between 4,000 and 12,000 feet.
- The Eagle Ford Shale takes its name from the town of Eagle Ford, Texas.
- The Eagle Ford benefits from “high liquids yields across much of the play.”
Accidents and Injuries in The Eagle Ford Shale Region
The Eagle Ford Shale formation has provided many jobs for residents in South Texas but sometimes at a fatal cost. According to the San Antonio Express-News, since 2009:
- At least 14 workers in the oil and gas industry have been killed while on the job in this oil-rich area.
- Workers have been fatally crushed, burned by explosions, and struck by equipment while working in the area.
- In addition, accidents on the roadways have increased as a result of the boom in the Eagle Ford Shale drilling areas.
- In 2014, there were 3,658 serious traffic crashes in the Eagle Ford Shale region, resulting in 272 deaths (TxDOT). Both of these numbers were increases compared to the previous year.
- Drivers in the region have to contend with heavier traffic, a high volume of heavy trucks, and oftentimes damaged roads.
Shale drilling companies are experiencing another boom on the heels of the recent, beneficial OPEC deal, which will only increase the number of traffic crashes and fatalities in the region as rigs return to the area.
If you were injured or a loved one was killed while working in the Eagle Ford Shale region or at any other oilfield across the United States, our attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends to review your case. Whether injured in an oilfield explosion, a fall at a refinery or hit by a tanker truck, Thomas J. Henry has the resources and team of experienced lawyers necessary to take on large oil and gas companies. Contact our offices to set up a free consultation.
Expert Witnesses for Your Oilfield Accident Lawsuit
Finding and retaining the right expert witness can be crucial to your oilfield injury case. Expert witnesses provide expertise and specialized knowledge that an average person may not have. Expert reports and testimony from these additional witnesses in trials and arbitration are an important part of advancing your case.
At Thomas J. Henry, we have spent years finding only the best expert witnesses from across the country. Each witness is thoroughly examined and questioned prior to ever participating in your case. If you have sustained an injury on an oilfield, experts in your case may include:
- Welding experts
- Process safety management experts
- Safety equipment experts
- Hazardous chemical experts
- OSHA consultants
- Accident reconstruction experts
- Engineering experts
- Confined space permit experts
- Occupational and environmental health experts
Expert witnesses help provide detailed information about your oilfield injury. In every workplace accident case, we employ an array of experts that will help our clients receive the compensation they deserve for their pain and suffering.
Injured on An Oilfield? Contact Thomas J. Henry
If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury while working on an oilfield, contact Thomas J. Henry Injury Attorneys immediately. Our oilfield injury lawyers in Texas are backed by the legal and financial resources necessary to take on large oil companies and achieve the compensation you deserve. At Thomas J. Henry, we ensure that our clients are informed throughout the entire legal process while they focus on recovering from their injuries.
Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Contact us today for a free legal consultation.
Contact us for a free case review
Your Oilfield Accident Questions Answered
We have straight answers to difficult questions to help you make critical decisions, navigate legal process and help you get justice.
Following an oilfield accident, there are always more questions than answers. At Thomas J. Henry, we’re here to answer any questions you have about your injury case.
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.
Why
choose
us?
We help clients across the U.S. with all types of injury cases, including vehicle accidents, slip and falls, wrongful death, product recalls, pharmaceutical cases, mass tort, and more.
Thomas J. Henry offers a “No Fee Promise.” We work on a contingency fee basis which means you do not pay our firm any fees unless and until we win your case. Learn more.
If you’ve been hurt, you may have a damaged vehicle or be unable to work. We can help get you a rental car if your vehicle is damaged and even advance money on qualified cases.
We are committed to your complete recovery. We will work with you to ensure you receive the necessary medical treatment and support for your healing journey.
If you’ve been hurt, you may not be able to come into our offices to speak to an attorney. Don’t worry, we will come to you wherever you are – at home, work, or hospital.
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