Oil refineries pose serious injury risks for workers. Exposure to dangerous fumes and chemicals over years of working in harsh, stuffy conditions can cause health problems. In addition, the everyday risk of serious injury from fire or explosions, or from other accidents, is always a potential danger.
If you or a loved one was injured at an oil refinery in Midland, Texas, contact the Queenan Law Firm today. Our Midland oil refinery accident attorneys offer free consultations to help injury victims and their families understand what their case might be worth, how to file it, and how the case will proceed. To schedule your free consultation, contact our law offices today at (817) 476-1797.
What is My Texas Oil Refinery Injury Case Worth?
Every personal injury case is unique, and the value of the case depends on the harms you suffered. When you file a lawsuit for an oil refinery accident, you can claim the cost of any harms you face because of the accident. This commonly includes compensation for “economic” damages and “noneconomic” damages.
Economic damages are damages that involve financial harm and can be calculated from evidence of how much the harms cost. Any money you paid or costs you incurred because of your injury can be claimed as economic damages. The cost of medical treatment for your injuries, the wages you miss while you are recovering, any damage to personal items lost in the accident, money paid for childcare during your recovery, and other expenses you faced because of the injury can all be claimed. If a member of your family was killed in an oil refinery disaster, the damages might involve things like the cost of a funeral and burial, lost wages, investments, inheritances, and more. The cost of their end of life medical treatment and other economic damages may also be available.
In addition, you may be entitled to certain damages that cannot be easily valued. The cost of the physical pain and mental suffering you face cannot be easily calculated, but it can be claimed as part of an injury lawsuit. The same is true for emotional suffering damages or the damages for the death of a loved one, lost companionship, and more.
Calculating the value of your case means using bills and evidence of the expenses, plus the testimony you can provide about noneconomic injuries, to value your case and, sometimes, compare it to other similar cases. Talk to a lawyer to see what your case might be worth.
How to File for an Oil Refinery Accident Case in TX
If you were seriously injured while working at an oil refinery, you may be entitled to file a lawsuit for your injuries. Many workers must file through workers’ compensation instead of a court of law, but some situations might entitle you to file your case as an injury lawsuit instead of a workers’ comp. claim. When you do this, you may be entitled to additional damages compared to if you accepted those benefits or an injury settlement.
When you take your case to court, you can claim the full value of any damages you face. With claims through insurance, workers’ benefits, or other systems, you may receive only partial damages for medical expenses and lost wages. Moreover, you are usually not allowed to claim damages for pain and suffering or emotional distress. In a lawsuit, you can claim the full value of these damages instead.
When filing a lawsuit, your lawyer submits paperwork to the court detailing the legal complaint you have and the outline of your case. This means stating the names of the responsible parties, how to contact them, why they were responsible for the accident, what they did to cause your injuries, and what damages you face. Your attorney can create these documents for you, file them with the court, serve copies to your employer or the company that runs the refinery, and get the case filed properly.
It is important to start working with an attorney early. This ensures you have enough time to research your case to include all relevant parties and that you get your case filed before the time limit runs out or evidence is lost or destroyed.
What is the Process for an Injury Case After an Oil Refinery Accident?
Your case will start with your lawyer and the defendant’s lawyers working back and forth to refine their claims and defenses. Then, both parties will exchange evidence and perform depositions to gather more information about the case. If the case proceeds to trial, it will usually take months or over a year before the jury is empaneled and the trial begins. The trial will often last one or more days, and then the jury decides the case. Your attorney can help you understand the specifics of each step and guide you through the process.
Our Midland, TX Oil Refinery Injury Lawyers Offer Free Consultations
The Queenan Law Firm’s Midland oil refinery injury attorneys are available for free consultations on oil injury cases. Our lawyers represent oil industry workers and their families and fight to get them the compensation they need after a serious accident. If you are injured and out of work, the damages you receive could be essential for supporting yourself and your family. To schedule your free, no obligations consultation, contact our law offices today at (817) 476-1797.