San Angelo Oil Field Accident Attorney

The Permian Basin of West Texas has attracted a lot of exploration among oil and gas producers in recent years. This has led to an influx of workers coming to work here in San Angelo. While the growth of this industry in our area has helped boost our economy, it has come at a cost, endangering the lives of workers and residents. After all, oil and gas operations are not one to cut corners in. Doing so comes with a high cost. Unfortunately, each San Angelo oilfield accident lawyer on our team has witnessed this firsthand in helping victims who’ve suffered harm due to negligence within this industry.

While we can’t turn back the hand of time and make it where the oil field accident that injured you or claimed your family member’s life never happened, we can help pick up the pieces from where matters currently stand. That includes holding those responsible for ensuring your safety accountable for not doing so.

The first step toward getting a lawyer from our office, Barrera Law Group LLC, to work on your case is scheduling an initial consultation. So, reach out to us by email or phone to discuss your injury incident or your loved one’s wrongful death so we can discuss the next best steps for you to take.

West Texas Oil and Gas Industry Statistics

According to the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO) and their 2023 State of Energy Report, oil production in Texas in 2022 was the highest among all states at 1.83 billion barrels. This marks a significant increase over the 1.54 million barrels produced in 2018.

Data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that there were 470 oil and gas worker deaths between 2017 and 2019 in Texas. At least 56 of them resulted from automobile accidents.

Occupational safety statistics regularly list the oil and gas industry as one of the most dangerous. If oil and gas exploration here in San Angelo and in other parts of West Texas continues to grow, it’s likely that there will not only continue to be motor vehicle crashes, like oil-carrying tanker truck accidents but also other types of incidents resulting in injuries.

Incidents That Injure Oil Field Workers in San Angelo, TX

While auto accidents between two vehicles or heavy equipment and an inanimate object or with a person certainly have the potential to threaten workers’ and residents’ lives, those employed on oilfields often get hurt in some of the following ways:

• Because they become entrapped in tight spaces, leading them to inhale toxic substances
• They suffer a slip and fall
• Tools strike them from overhead
• They get their limbs caught in machinery, causing them to become severed and leading to amputation
• Fires occur
• An oil rig collapses

While the examples above are the most common causes of oil field worker injuries, they’re not the only ones. There’s no shortage of circumstances under which a worker, vendor, or area resident may suffer injuries, resulting in life-altering consequences, if not death.

No matter the way you got hurt, consider reaching out to us, Barrera Law Group LLC, to discuss what happened. We’ll ask you some questions to better understand if someone else’s negligence caused you harm and if that appears to be the case.

Do I File a Workers’ Compensation or Third-Party Claim After Suffering an Oilfield Injury in West Texas

The Lone Star State is one of very few that doesn’t require employers to secure workers’ compensation coverage so employees can receive compensated medical care and reimbursement of their lost wages.

If you get hurt on the job and your employer has workers’ compensation coverage, that may be your best option for getting your accident-related costs paid. However, the truth is that many who work in the oil and gas business in oil fields are just independent contractors, a defectively manufactured product harmed them, or the injuries they suffered are so serious that you need to request more money than what workers’ comp can offer. In cases like these, filing a third-party lawsuit may be warranted.

A third-party claim works very differently from a workers’ compensation claim, as the same filing procedures and deadlines don’t apply. For example, when filing the former, you must show that someone else’s actions harmed you, and, generally speaking, there’s no cap on the compensation you can recover. In contrast, you must be able to show that your accident happened on the job, and recovery is limited in workers’ compensation cases.

What You Can Expect When Working with a San Angelo Oilfield Accident Lawyer

During your initial consultation with an attorney you’re considering having to handle your case, you’ll want to bring:

• Any evidence you may have already compiled, like an incident or police report or photographs or video footage of what happened
• Medical records capturing the extent of your injuries
• Pay stubs showing lost wages
• Anything else that you think may be able to help them understand what happened and what your losses are

This will help the lawyer you’re speaking with better understand whether negligence occurred, where liability lies, the best type of legal action you can take, and how much you can recover by filing a claim or lawsuit.

However, it may be necessary for them to conduct a further investigation, including performing a reconstruction or consulting with expert witnesses and requesting additional evidence.

Should you and the lawyer you meet with decide to work together, you can expect them to keep you can expect them to check with you about whether you’re continuing to receive treatment for your injuries and to keep you apprised of the status of your case when there’s information to impart, such as when they’re preparing to send it to the insurance adjuster demanding payment or before taking your case to trial.

Where To Get Support If You Were Hurt Working in San Angelo Oilfields

Here at Barrera Law Group, we bring to the table years of experience handling workplace injury cases and other types of legal matters that cause serious harm, including loss of life. We have a successful track record of securing top-dollar settlements on behalf of our clients and want to do the same for you if you’re entitled to compensation per Texas law.

Contact us to schedule a sit-down with a San Angelo oilfield accident lawyer. We’ll go over your rights to take legal action and advise you of the next steps to take from there. That consultation is free of charge, and you won’t owe us anything unless we take on your case and secure a settlement award for you. So, with nothing to lose, reach out now.