Euless Oil Rig Injury Lawyers 

Representing Your Right to Compensation

Taking work in the oil/natural gas industry is pretty compelling when you see the size of the paycheck it brings in. The field can be incredibly lucrative; many people work in it for a handful of years to build savings that allow them to chase a different career later on without having to worry about money.

The reason the work pays so well isn’t just because it is tough, though that certainly is a factor. But an even bigger factor is just how dangerous these jobs are. Accidents on an oil rig are among the most catastrophic there are, and their locations can make it difficult to get immediate medical attention when something goes wrong.

Should you or a loved one have been injured in an oil rig accident, you may be entitled to some financial compensation for what you suffered.

What Types of Injuries are Common on an Oil Rig?

Oil rig injuries are all too common. While you can find statistics on exactly how common through the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, these statistics actually would help us very little. This is because a federal government investigation last year found that a shocking amount of oil rig fatalities went unreported, with nearly half of the fatalities from the Gulf of Mexico rigs over a fourteen-year period not reported.

What is easier for us to say in concrete terms is what type of injuries oil rig workers may have to deal with. Injuries that are common on oil rigs are:

• Fire: When you’re dealing with oil, it should be no surprise that fire is a major risk factor. Burns can leave people dealing with medical issues, as well as emotional issues relating to the physical disfigurement that can come with serious burns.
• Explosions: Explosions are another major risk factor. They can mangle limbs, cause blunt-force trauma, or shoot shrapnel out like a bullet. Explosions can also be the culprit behind many other injuries, such as when an explosion starts a fire or exposes dangerous chemicals. 
• Electrocution: Saltwater and many of the different chemicals that are required for the extraction process are corrosive. This means that they’ll slowly eat through wiring and other materials that are exposed to them. Doing a task as easy and second-nature as changing a lightbulb could result in a dangerous electric shock once the wiring has been corroded. 
• Falling: Falls can happen anywhere there is gravity, so it’s no surprise they are common on oil rigs as well. Falling from an elevated section of the rig is always a risk, and improper safety precautions on behalf of the company may make such accidents more likely to occur.
• Striking: While people can fall, so can objects. Objects may also be attached to chains that spin or any other number of situations. All of these represent a risk of being struck should an object fall or a collision occur.
• Catching: Clothing and tools can get caught on moving parts of the rig, which in turn could pull in hands and crush them in gears, belts, or any number of other mechanical contraptions. Catching injuries often result in the loss of fingers or function of the hand, which in turn means a loss of future earning capacity.
• Chemicals: Toxic chemicals are supposed to be handled with care. A failure to handle toxic chemicals appropriately or to provide safety equipment for handling them can result in short-term and long-term health impacts.
• Collapse: Rigs are man-made creations, which means they have limitations and flaws. Collapse is an ever-present threat in the same way sinking is an ever-present threat to a boat. Collapse can result in any number of injuries from the chaos or even wrongful death.

What Tactics Do Companies Use to Deny Workers Their Compensation?

We’ve already discussed the fact that many wrongful deaths that occurred on oil rigs were covered up. Unfortunately, this is far from the only underhanded tactic that these companies use to try to mitigate having to pay for the injuries they cause their workers.

Their goals are to keep as much money for themselves as possible. This means they will do things like try to limit the number of workers comp benefits an employee gets, record statements from the injured individual to use against them later, force them to sign documents that prevent recovery of damages, and force them to work with company doctors, or straight up blame the victim for the incident.

It’s vital that you seek representation before speaking with the company. You’ll have to speak to them a little, but try to limit it strictly to matters of fact and in as few words as possible until you have an attorney present.

What Damages Can I Claim Following an Oil Rig Accident?

Following an oil rig accident, you should be able to claim damages you are legally entitled to, such as medical bills, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, emotional distress, disfigurement, and disability.

If your loved one was killed in an oil rig accident, then you can pursue a wrongful death suit on their behalf. This would function the same way as an oil rig injury lawsuit, except that the injured party has to be represented by another individual because they didn’t survive their injuries. In this case, you should claim damages such as medical bills, lost wages, emotional distress, funeral costs, and mental anguish.

When Should I Contact an Oil Rig Injury Lawyer?

You should contact an oil rig injury lawyer as soon as you can after seeking medical treatment for your injuries. The company is going to try to speak to you quickly to prevent you from doing so. Don’t let them.

Give The Wolf of Law Street a call at (972) 573-4532 to speak about your case instead. We’ll help you determine the best course of action based on your unique circumstances, and we’ll fight to ensure you aren’t further victimized by the company that caused your injury in the first place. Contact us today!