What Does an Oil Field Injury Attorney Do?
If you have been involved in an accident whilst working in an oil field, you may need to seek help or representation.
You may not know this but there are specialized attorneys that work in oil field injury. Making sure that you get the best type of representation and lawyer is key to winning your case.
In this article, we will explain exactly what an oil field injury attorney does and how they can use their specialist knowledge to help fight your case.
Read on to get yourself acquainted with the information you need to begin the process to claim compensation or damages.
Oil Fields and American Jobs
The USA is one of the leading producers of oil in the world. It is also a field in which over 145,000 employees work in some capacity. Many of these employees are directly involved in the extraction of the gas and oil themselves.
Even though this is an industry where a large number of people work, things such as a lack of safety standards, professional training, and a negation of professional culpability occur.
There is a disturbing reality that oil field workers are up to 7 times more likely to suffer a fatality at work than other professions.
And this isn’t taking into consideration the number of people who are severely injured or hurt as a result of workplace accidents in the oil fields.
Oil field injury lawyers can assist individuals or individual’s families that have been affected by any accidents that weren’t their fault, by helping them seek appropriate compensation.
What Can an Oil Field Injury Attorney Do?
Oil field injury attorneys will specialize in the area of oil field accidents and be knowledgable in the different types of accidents that occur. They will be able to assess your case with a wealth of experience and advise you on the best course of action to take.
They will be able to recommend whether a settlement with the company or individuals can be reached without the need to go to trial. Or whether it is something that needs to be pursued in court.
The benefit of hiring an oil field injury lawyer is that they know exactly how an oil field company can behave after a workplace accident. Oil companies with their own legal team and medical staff might not be acting in the best interests of you or your family.
Oil companies often try to remove themselves from responsibility and deflect blame. They also hide evidence and pressure individuals into insufficient medical treatment. Sometimes they even try to terminate employment.
An oil field injury lawyer has the necessary experience to tackle this kind of behavior and treatment head-on. They are able to fight for the employee’s rights and settlement and hold the oil companies accountable for their lack of duty and care.
If your case does need to go to trial they can also hire appropriate medical experts and professional oil and gas expert witnesses to help strengthen your case.
Common Reasons and Types of Oil Field Workplace Injuries
Accidents don’t usually happen without a reason. Often an accumulation of factors or reasons will end up causing a workplace injury or fatality.
Things such as a lack of supervision, poorly maintained equipment, a lack of training, defective machinery, overworked employees, and flawed policies are all reasons that can attribute to people getting injured.
This is where an oil field attorney can step in and make sense of what exactly happened leading up to the accident
Due to the heavy machinery and heat that can be involved in oil extraction, unfortunately, severe injuries can occur.
Things such as traumatic brain injuries, severe lacerations, spinal cord injuries and paralysis, third-degree burns, crush injuries, and traumatic amputations are all injuries that have happened on an oil field.
With these types of injuries, you may be able to claim for loss of earnings, medical bills, pain and suffering, reduced quality of life, and other economic or non-economic damages.
What to Do First When An Accident Occurs
An oil field injury attorney’s job is to get to the bottom of a case or a claim and determine liability or an employee’s negligence. This will also be dependent on whether you have workers’ comp insurance.
If you have workers’ comp insurance and a co-worker or employer is at fault then you can only file a claim through a workers’ compensation claim.
There are other options that can be classed as a personal injury claim or wrongful death claim, but this will depend on your circumstances.
You will also have two years to file a lawsuit to be within the statute of limitations if your injury happened in Oklahoma or Texas. It is three years if it happened in New Mexico.
The main thing is that as soon as the accident happens, you seek medical attention. Then consult a lawyer who can advise you on the best steps going forward with your claim. Do not rely on the oil company to be transparent or act in your best interests.
Most importantly, do not sign any paperwork or statements from the oil company or receive any money before retaining an attorney.
Hiring an Oil Field Injury Attorney: Where Can I Find Out More?
We hope that you have found this article on hiring an oil field attorney helpful and informative.
If you have been involved in an accident in an oil field, you must seek legal advice as soon as you possibly can. Severe accidents can really affect the overall quality of your life and you need to be properly compensated. This is essential for you and your family’s future.
If you have any questions or queries about anything discussed in the article, why not contact us directly?