Texas is central to the nation’s oil industry, home to more drilling rigs than anywhere else in the country, with over 370 oil rigs—three times the number of the next largest drilling state, New Mexico. Although oil rigs are essential components of the energy industry, they also leave Texas oil rig employees and their families, unfortunately, familiar with the serious consequences of oil rig fires, explosions, and other drilling rig accidents.
If you or a close family member has suffered an oil rig accident in El Paso or the surrounding region, reach out to our El Paso personal injury attorneys at Cal Mundell Injury Law at (915) 250-0700 for experienced legal representation tailored to your specific needs.
Why Cal Mundell is the Right Choice for Your El Paso Oil Rig Accident Case
Lead attorney Cal Mundell is a native of Texas with deep roots in the El Paso area. With representation by Cal Mundell Injury Law, you can expect the following:
- A personalized strategy tailored to the unique circumstances of your injury and the economic and non-economic damages
- A legal approach that doesn’t rely on a one-size-fits-all strategy, which might not result in an optimal outcome
- A law firm that prioritizes results while always remaining deeply committed to compassion, professionalism, and legal excellence
- Unwavering legal representation at no upfront cost to you. Instead, your initial consultation is cost-free, and you pay no legal fees until after your attorney obtains your compensation
The aftermath of an oil rig accident can be overwhelming when it results in serious injuries requiring medical treatment and impeding the ability to return to work. Fortunately, Texas has robust workplace protections in place for Texas injury victims, including oil rig accident victims in El Paso. However, it’s critical to know your legal rights and options before dealing with insurance representatives.
What Types of Accidents Happen on El Paso Oil Rigs?
Oil rigs in Texas pose inherent dangers, including the use of heavy equipment, working at heights, and a highly flammable environment with volatile chemicals. It takes careful adherence to safety regulations and well-maintained equipment to minimize the risk to employees. Unfortunately, despite annual oil rig employer goals of zero safety incidents, Texas still leads the nation in oil rig injuries and deaths.
The most common types of oil rig accidents in El Paso and elsewhere in Texas include the following:
- Slip-and-fall accidents
- Falls from heights
- Struck-by accidents (struck by equipment, moving parts, and falling objects)
- Fires
- Explosions
- Toxic exposures
- Vehicle crashes
- Oil well blowouts
- Gas releases
- Crane accidents
- Entrapments and entanglements
- Electrocutions
Heavy equipment malfunctions, slippery surfaces, and failure to prepare for extreme weather conditions also escalate the risk of oil rig accidents and serious injuries.
What Types of Injuries Happen In El Paso Oil Rig Accidents?
Oil rig injuries in Texas range from mild, fully recoverable injuries to catastrophic injuries causing disability, disfigurement, impairment, or death. The most common oil rig injuries include the following:
- Burns
- Traumatic amputations
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Chemical burns
- Crush injuries
- Respiratory injuries
- Eye injuries
- Hearing loss
- Scarring and disfigurement
When oil rig employers fail to adhere to safety protocols and the result is an employee’s serious or catastrophic injury, an injury victim or their surviving close family members should know their legal rights and options for recovery. If an oil rig accident tragically leads to a fatality, our El Paso wrongful death attorneys can help surviving family members pursue the justice and compensation they deserve.
What to Do After an Oil Rig Accident In El Paso
It’s often challenging to take purposeful action after a serious injury. An injury victim could be unconscious or completely incapacitated, requiring someone else to take these critical actions on their behalf. After an oil rig accident, taking the following steps can be a critical part of your physical and financial recovery later:
- First, apply emergency first aid and call for emergency services
- Report the accident to your immediate supervisor and ask them to fill out an accident report
- Use a cell phone camera to photograph anything relevant to the accident, such as broken equipment or a fallen object
- Photograph any visible injuries
- Record the names of any eyewitnesses to the accident or add them to your contact list in your phone
- Use your phone to record what you remember about the moments leading up to the accident and the accident itself while it’s fresh in your mind
- Go directly to a hospital and undergo a complete medical assessment as well as treatment for your emergency injuries. Then, follow your doctor’s treatment instructions carefully
- Avoid talking about your injury or posting on social media
Finally, contact an experienced oil rig accident attorney in El Paso before giving a written or recorded statement to your employer, their attorney, or a representative from workers’ compensation. Then, direct all communication with workers’ compensation and other insurance representatives to your lawyer. Never accept an early settlement offer without speaking to your attorney.
What Are the Options for Financial Recovery After an El Paso Oil Rig Accident?
Most workplace accidents in El Paso are resolved through an employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ compensation pays for medical expenses and a portion of the injury victim’s lost earnings, based on their typical weekly income. It also provides temporary and permanent disability benefits depending on whether the disability is partial or total. Wrongful death benefits are available through workers’ compensation for the closest surviving family member after a fatal oil rig injury.
Depending on the circumstances of the oil rig accident, additional compensation may be available through a lawsuit. Although workers’ compensation insurance protects an employer against lawsuits, it does not prevent employees from filing lawsuits against third-party contractors.
Contractors and subcontractors are common on oil rigs, performing tasks such as electrical work, engineering, HAZMAT removal, excavation, hauling, and operating heavy equipment. A lawsuit against a negligent contractor who is at fault, or partly at fault, for an injury allows an oil rig injury victim in Texas to recover non-economic damages like compensation for pain and suffering and catastrophic injury damages, which aren’t available from workers’ compensation.
Contact Us About Your El Paso Oil Rig Accident
No injured oil rig worker in El Paso should have to take on a challenging legal endeavor while also dealing with serious injuries and a painful recovery period. However, they also shouldn’t have to leave their claim in the hands of an insurance company that prioritizes profits over payouts. Instead, contact Cal Mundell Injury Law for experienced legal representation by a Texas native who understands the severe impacts of a catastrophic oil rig accident.