Oilfield Accident Attorney in Rockwall

Oilfield Accidents & the Parties That May Be Liable

Your legal options depend on how the accident happened, who controlled the work, and whether another company contributed to your injuries. Contracts, maintenance duties, safety records, and workers’ compensation coverage may all affect the available claims.

Rig & Equipment Incidents

Oilfield rig injuries may involve falls from elevated surfaces, struck-by hazards, caught-between events, vehicle collisions, or failures involving drilling and production equipment. An investigation may examine the equipment’s design, manufacture, inspection, maintenance, and warnings, along with the conduct of any contractor responsible for servicing it.

Claims Against Third Parties

A third-party personal injury claim seeks compensation from someone other than the injured worker’s direct employer. Depending on the facts, a contractor, site owner, equipment manufacturer, maintenance provider, or vehicle operator may bear responsibility. Texas law may allow an injured worker to pursue this claim while receiving workers’ compensation benefits, although eligibility and recovery depend on the circumstances.

Burns, Explosions, & Chemical Exposure

Burn and explosion injuries may involve fuel, chemicals, pressurized systems, electrical sources, inadequate warnings, or unsafe worksite conditions. Determining responsibility can require records showing how hazardous materials were stored, how equipment was maintained, and which company directed the work.

Fatal Oilfield Accidents

A fatal incident can raise separate questions about death benefits and wrongful death claims. An evaluation may address the cause of death, eligible beneficiaries, lost financial support, and losses connected to the family relationship.

Workers’ Compensation & Third-Party Claims in Texas

Most private Texas employers aren’t required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. A non-subscriber employer doesn’t participate in the state workers’ compensation system. An employer’s coverage status can affect the benefits, defenses, and claims available after a work-related accident.

Under Texas Labor Code Section 417.001, an injured employee or legal beneficiary may generally pursue damages from a liable third party while also seeking workers’ compensation benefits. Subrogation rules may give the insurer a statutory right to seek repayment from a third-party recovery for benefits it paid.

Deadlines depend on the legal path and facts of the case. Texas generally applies a two-year filing period to personal injury lawsuits and lawsuits involving an injury that results in death, but exceptions may shorten or extend that period. Workers’ compensation guidance also generally requires an employee to report an injury to the employer within 30 days and file formal claim paperwork within one year.

Preserving Evidence After an Oilfield Accident

Evidence can clarify which companies were involved, what work was underway, and whether the equipment or site was unsafe. We locate witnesses, gather records, help clients obtain medical care, and address practical problems that arise after an accident.

Important steps and records may include:

• Medical care: Seek appropriate treatment and retain medical records, bills, work restrictions, and discharge instructions.
• Incident reporting: Report the injury through the required workplace channels and keep copies of available reports.
• Worksite evidence: Preserve photographs, videos, safety materials, training records, work orders, and equipment information.
• Witness details: Record names and contact information for coworkers and others who saw the accident or surrounding conditions.
• Income records: Keep pay statements, schedules, tax records, and documents showing missed work.
• Insurance communications: Understand the effect of releases and recorded statements before signing or providing them.