Oil Rig Accidents
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Personal Injury Attorney in Abilene, Texas
Personal Injury Attorney Tara Gilmore-Low represents families and individuals in Abilene and across West Texas.
Oil Rig Accident & Drilling Rig Accident Attorneys in Abilene, Texas
If you were injured in an oil rig accident, as a result of another party’s reckless or negligent actions, contact The Low Law Firm today 325-455-1889. You may be entitled to compensation to help alleviate the financial burdens you face moving forward.
If you live in West Texas you know that few jobs are as dangerous as drilling for oil. An oil rig accident occurs frequently as oil field drilling has increased dramatically in the past few years. The reasons for this are simple: oil company greed, the corporate mentality of profits over safety, and the idea that speed equals money.
As allegations continue about the scarcity of oil resources, the prices of oil skyrocket. This means oil companies focus on profits over safety. They force employees to work large amounts of overtime, they cut safety corners and put worker safety on the backburner to increase speed and output. This leads to oil rig accidents.
Every oil field worker in West Texas knows the risks and rewards associated with oil field work. Unfortunately, far too many oil field workers have also been forced to experience the effects of the serious oil rig accident injuries that result when corporate greed dominates over safety.
In 2015 the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the fatal injury rate in the private mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector was 11.4 per 100,000 full-time workers. In that year, there were 120 oil rig accident fatalities. The severe lack of enforcement for safety procedures by oil companies, combined with the absence of stringent government inspections largely contributes to disastrous oil field accidents.
Common Causes of Oil Field Accidents
Accidents in oil fields can happen for a variety of reasons. In Texas, we see common traits that lead to life-altering injuries for victims. Some of the most common causes of oil field accidents in Abilene include:
- Failure by the oil company to implement and enforce safety protocols.
- Improper employee training.
- Rig blowouts.
- Pipeline explosions.
- Motor vehicle accidents.
- Drilling problems.
- Offshore helicopter crashes.
- Equipment leveling problems.
- Lack of supervision.
- Communication problems.
- Falling equipment.
- Slip and fall accidents.
- Gas compression stations.
- Fires and explosions.
- Improper shutdowns.
- Toxic fume exposure.
- Defective or poorly maintained machinery.
- Drug and alcohol a
- Worker exhaustion.
- Negligent operation of oil field equipment.
- Trench or mine collapse.
If you have sustained injuries in an oil field accident, it is crucial that you seek legal aid as soon as possible. You may be entitled to compensation to help alleviate the financial burdens you face moving forward. Contact our Abilene personal injury lawyers at Low Law Firm today to explore legal options available to you.
Accidents Caused by Heavy Equipment Failures
The oil and gas industries depend, in a large part, on heavy machinery. Drills, machines to pull pipes, mud mixing machinery, and various other machines are utilized daily. It is imperative that workers have dependable equipment to use on the job. When individuals are not properly trained, workers are overstressed, machines are not properly maintained, or careless safety inspections are implemented, it can result in a malfunction to the machinery. In other cases, design and manufacturing defects play a substantial role in an accident.
Victims who are injured on the job as a result of heavy equipment failure may be entitled to financial compensation from third-parties in addition to any workers’ compensation benefits they want to pursue. Depending on the nature and the cause of the workplace accident, victims may be entitled to recover compensation from one or more parties. Working with an oil rig accident attorney in Texas will ensure you have the best chances imaginable to collect compensation.
Accidents Involving Fires and Explosions
The nature of the oil and gas industries presents a large risk for workers being subjected to fires or explosions while on the work sites. Tanks, trucks, heavy production equipment, and oil wells can all release flammable gases and vapors that can quickly ignite due to static electricity, friction, heat, or open flames. Workers who perform duties around wells have to worry about pressure building up. A fire or an explosion can result in catastrophic injuries and can be fatal. Victims injured in fire or explosion accidents may be able to file legal claims against those responsible.
Accidents Involving Well Blowouts in Texas
Oil well blowouts occur when the uncontrolled release of natural gas or oil occurs during the drilling process. Quite often, well blowouts are caused by failures in pressure control systems within the well. This equipment is designed to reduce the risk of a blowout, yet they still continue to occur. Something as minor as an accidental spark or contact with an ignition source at the site of the accident can lead to a devastating blowout. Victims injured as a result of a blowout may be entitled to compensation for their injuries as well as the damages they endure.
Common Injuries sustained by Oil Rig Accident Workers
Being injured in an oil rig accident can have a devastating impact on a person’s life. In many instances, victims are left with life-altering injuries that require extensive medical treatment. The majority of victims sustain injuries that require long-term care and treatment. A large percentage of accidents force victims out of work indefinitely, leaving them with pain and suffering and permanent injuries that continue to impact their health and wellbeing indefinitely. Some of the most common injuries victims injured in oil field accidents sustain include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Death
- Chemical exposures, leading to lung and eye injuries
- Limb loss
- Chemical exposure injuries
- Neck injuries.
- Lung damages from fumes or punctures
- Disfigurements
- Permanent scarring
- Broking bones
- Skin injuries
- Eye damages or vision loss
- Hearing loss
- Paralysis
- Spinal cord injuries
- Burns
Many victims injured in oil field accidents are left to deal with overwhelming consequences. Individuals injured in oil rig accidents, including oil field transportation accidents, often suffer substantial injury and monetary loss. This includes not just physical injury but lost income, bills for prolonged medical treatment and therapy, as well as pain and suffering. Low Law Firm aggressively handles oil field accident and oil field transportation accident cases in Abilene and The Big Country. For this reason, it is imperative that victims reach out to a qualified personal injury attorney who can help them protect their legal rights and get the justice and compensation they deserve.
Legal Help After an Oil Field Accident in Abilene
Victims injured in gas and oil rig accidents are often left with serious injuries that require extensive medical treatment. The majority of victims suffer permanent impairments that continue to impact their abilities to perform various seemingly inconsequential tasks. Not only do these injuries make it extremely difficult for victims to engage in activities they enjoy, but they are often unable to work and left with overwhelming financial burdens. For this reason, it is crucial that victims reach out to an oil rig accident attorney at Low Law Firm as soon as possible to protect their legal rights.
Our personal injury attorneys in Abilene strive to help victims protect their legal rights and get the justice and compensation they need and deserve. Our attorneys provide victims with an array of services to ensure they are in the best possible position to get the justice they deserve. Some of the services our attorneys provide for oil field accident victims in Texas include:
Investigating the Accident: There are a variety of factors that can contribute to oil field accidents. The team at Low Law Firm understands the challenges victims face while trying to hold wrongdoers accountable. For this reason, our attorneys go to the scene of the accident and gather critical information in support of a victim’s claim. We take pictures, record videos, and work with experts who can provide critical insight as to how an accident occurred. Uncovering details surrounding each accident enables us to prove that those who caused harm to the victim should be held accountable.
Gathering Evidence to Support a Victim’s Claim: Not only do our oil rig accident attorneys go out to the scene of your Texas accident, but we gather evidence to help support your claim. We collect police reports, medical reports and statements, care plans, and other information that proves the extent of damages you are forced to endure as a result of your accident. Furthermore, we work with financial experts who can prove lost earning capacity based on a variety of factors. Our team investigates each oil company to see if they have a history of negligence, which can help bolster a victim’s claim.
Speaking with Witnesses: If there were other workers or bystanders around at the time of the accident, we will speak with them directly. Our team will gather testimony and statements from witnesses and depose third-parties to help uncover critical details surrounding your accident. We strive to prove the defendant is at fault–so we stop at nothing and leave no stone unturned while gathering evidence to help your claim.
Helping Victims Recover: Our team puts together solid legal claims on behalf of victims that enable us to fight to get them the maximum amount of compensation available. We use crucial evidence and information to demand full and fair settlements for victims. When we are unable to come to settlement agreements with the at-fault party, our team provides trusted and effective legal representation in a trial to ensure victims obtain the outcome they expect for their Texas oil field accident claim.
We at Low Law Firm understand the challenges victims are forced to deal with after being involved in a life-altering accident. For this reason, we strive to protect the legal rights of victims and help them get the maximum amount of compensation available. Contact our law firm today to see how our team can help you.
Recoverable Damages to Oil Rig Accident Victims
Victims who are injured in oil rig accidents often face overwhelming financial difficulties. Moving forward from these accidents can be extremely challenging if you do not have the resources you need. For this reason, we at Low Law Firm help our clients maximize their recoveries. Some of the damages our team helps victims collect compensation for include:
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Stacking medical bills
- Long-term care facilities and therapy costs
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of consortium
When victims lose their lives in these accidents, we help their families maximize their recoveries for wrongful death claims. We help surviving families recover lost benefits, compensation for funeral costs, and more. Contact our law firm today to see how we can help you.
Low Law Firm Can Help You
Not only do oil field accidents cause overwhelming mental and physical issues for victims, the associated financial burdens often have a tremendous impact on victims and their families. Thankfully, workers injured in oil field accidents have legal options available to them. Working with a knowledgeable and qualified oil field accident attorney in Texas will ensure you have the best chances of recovering.
Our team at Low Law Firm has decades of experience fighting to protect the legal rights of victims throughout Texas who have been harmed in oil rig accidents. Our team is passionate about protecting the legal rights of victims injured in oil rig accidents. We strive to help victims collect full and fair compensation to help them receive the medical treatment they need and tend to their financial burdens as they move forward. Low Law Firm offers free consultations and we earn no fee unless we prevail. Call us today for your free consultation at (325) 455-1889. While we are located in Abilene, we handle cases all over the state. Contact our personal injury attorneys to schedule a free case evaluation at your earliest convenience to explore legal options available for you.