Oil Field Accident Lawyers in Odessa, Texas
Working in the oil industry comes with unique risks and challenges. Workers spend their days in highly hazardous environments and in dangerous situations. While oil companies have a responsibility to provide their workers with safe working conditions and proper training, some oil companies cut corners to increase profits. When companies put profit over workers’ safety, oil field employees can suffer serious injuries or death. Workers can suffer burns from fire, disfigurement from explosions; they can suffer slips and falls on uneven surfaces or when they don’t have the proper equipment to keep them safe when working at heights. Other workers can suffer toxic chemical exposure. The transport of oil is also dangerous. Truckers and boaters who transport oil also run the risk of being injured in trucking or boating accidents related to oil field transportation.
If you or a loved one was hurt or killed on an oil field, you may have important rights under the law. Families may be entitled to seek damages for their medical expenses, lost wages, rehabilitation, and pain and suffering. Many employees are covered under worker’s compensation, though some employees may be entitled to seek damages through pursuing a personal injury lawsuit when third parties are involved or when workers are considered independent contractors on work sites. Navigating the claims process can sometimes be complex. Workers are sometimes improperly classified, so the first step the Odessa, Texas oil field accident lawyers at the Cooper Law Firm will take is to determine whether your employer has properly classified and covered you under worker’s compensation. The firm can also see what other legal avenues are available to you following an oil field accident. Our firm can then go on to estimate the value of your claim and seek out stakeholders who may be responsible for your injuries.
You may only have a limited amount of time to pursue a claim after an oil field accident. The Cooper Law Firm are oil field accident lawyers in Odessa, Texas who work closely with victims and families who have been hurt on the job. We are here for you.
Oil Field Truck Accident Attorney in Odessa, Texas
According to the Centers for Disease Control, between 2003 and 2013, the number of fatal oil field accidents increased by 27%. The Centers for Disease Control reports that two-thirds of all oil field injuries are the result of transportation accidents, when trucks or boats moving oil from one location to another are involved in crashes. So, while many people believe that the risk of working in an oil field comes from drilling the oil (and there are certainly risks associated with drilling), the people who are at the greatest risk are the oil field truck drivers.
Oil field truck drivers are responsible for moving around large equipment, for moving extracted materials to other sites, and for navigating the sometimes dangerous and unpaved roads of an oil field site. In addition to these added hazards, oil field truck drivers may face similar challenges that other truck drivers might face. They may suffer fatigue if they are asked to work long hours. Some drivers may not be medically fit to drive a truck in the oil field or they may be taking medication that could make them a danger to themselves or others. Driver negligence, like distracted driving or even drinking and driving can also contribute to accidents. Finally, oil field companies might cut corners to save money by failing to maintain their vehicles and trucks, or failing to properly train truck drivers when working around heavy equipment and in hazardous situations.
The culture of the oil field might encourage truck drivers to ignore federal hours of service laws. In the oil industry, oil companies are not always required to abide by federal hours of service laws. (These laws limit truck drivers to working only 11 hour shifts and require drivers to take regular breaks.) As a result, some oil field truck drivers might be asked to work longer days. This can lead to accidents and injuries.
If you or a loved one was hurt in a truck accident on the oil field, contact the Cooper Law Firm, oil field trucking accident lawyer in Odessa, Texas today. Our firm can review the circumstances of your crash, identify stakeholders, determine the value of your claim, and fight to help you get the best possible settlement under the law. You have rights if you were hurt driving a truck, or hurt by an oil field truck driver.
Is My Toxic Chemical Exposure the Result of My Time on the Oil Field in Odessa, Texas?
There are many different causes of oil field injuries. Accidents can lead to serious burn injuries, disfigurement, paralysis, and even death. Here are some common causes of oil field injuries:
- Oil Field Trucking Accidents
- Heavy Machinery Injuries
- Crushing Injuries from Heavy Machinery
- Improper Safety Training
- Fires
- Explosions
- Slip and Falls
- Toxic Chemical Exposure
While heavy machinery accidents, trips and falls, and fires often offer direct links between a person’s injury and the accident that caused it, toxic chemical exposure can be more difficult to investigate. Individuals may be ill for many months, unware that their sickness is linked to toxic chemical exposure. Others may feel fine for many years and then find that they have come down with cancer, or another illness. In some rare cases, workers have even brought home toxic chemicals on their clothing, which has made their family members sick.
Crude oil, solvents, drilling chemicals, and other toxic substances can cause respiratory problems, allergic reactions, rashes, chemical burns, cancer, and death. If you or a loved one has suffered symptoms of chemical exposure due to working in the oil field, you may have important rights under the law. The Cooper Law Firm are oil field injury lawyers in Odessa, Texas who work with victims and families to help them seek justice after they have been hurt in the field. Our firm leaves no stone unturned. Whether we’re working to identify the causes of your illness and link them to hazards on the job, or fight to hold stakeholders responsible for paying your medical bills when terrible oil field accidents happen, we can help.
Seek Justice Today
The oil industry is big business. According to ABC News, major companies in the oil industry can make as much as $50 billion in a single quarter. Yet, these companies have a responsibility to their workers. When workers get injured on oil field site due to unsafe conditions, machinery failure, or lack of training, oil companies could be held responsible for paying for victims’ medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Fighting a big oil company for a recovery can sound daunting. You may wonder what impact one individual can make. Fortunately, the law offers important protections to victims who have been hurt on the job. The Cooper Law Firm are oil field accident lawyers in Odessa, Texas who can estimate the value of your claim, determine your damages, identify stakeholders, and fight your case either inside or outside of court. You may only have a limited amount of time to make a claim under the law. Fight for your rights. Contact the Cooper Law Firm, oil field accident lawyers in Odessa, Texas today.
