Oil tanker spills have created some of the worst natural disasters in history. These spills can cause immediate danger to the workers on those oil tankers and other vessels involved in an accident, but they can also cause injuries to people who are nearby, swimmers that enter the water too soon after the spill, and even people who eat contaminated seafood. If you or a loved one faced any injuries because of an oil tanker accident or oil tanker spill, contact The Queenan Law Firm today. Our Houston oil disaster injury attorneys offer free consultations on oil injury cases.
Types of Injuries from Oil Tanker Accidents and Oil Spills
There are multiple injuries that can happen to people after an oil tanker accident. These injuries vary depending on what part of the oil spill you were involved in, with many injuries affecting oil workers and oil barge workers during and immediately after the accident. Other injuries are common for people exposed to oil during the cleanup efforts or those who come into contact with contaminated water or wildlife after the accident. Our workplace injury lawyers in Dallas explain some of these common injuries:
Chemical Exposure
By far the most common injury after an oil spill comes from exposure to the oil and other chemicals. Crude oil is dangerous to handle and can cause many problems, making this a type of chemical spill accident. Inhaling the fumes from crude oil can make you dizzy or nauseous, especially if you are not in a well-ventilated area. Touching the oil directly can irritate your skin, potentially causing rashes and swelling. If you get oil in your eyes, you can face serious irritation. Lastly, ingesting any oil can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and upset stomach.
If you are exposed to oil for a long period of time, the exposure can create worse issues. Studies have shown that workers involved in oil spill cleanups can suffer alterations to their body chemistry after long-term exposure. This can cause potential health problems for your liver, kidneys, blood chemistry, and more.
If you eat seafood contaminated with crude oil, you can also ingest it and suffer long-term effects from continuous exposure. This means that even those who live near the site of an oil spill can be affected if they eat contaminated seafood. Oil can also linger in harmful amounts for years to come, causing potential problems for bathers and fisherman in the contaminated waters. However, fortunately, even large oil spills have seen healthy waters return after years of oil cleanup activities and dispersion.
Boat Accident Injuries
If you work on an oil tanker or oil barge, you could face potentially fatal workplace injuries during the boat accident. Tankers may simply spill if they are not properly sealed and secured, but the hull of a tanker is quite strong and protects against breaches and spills. For an accident to cause enough damage to puncture an oil tanker, the collision must be quite strong. These kinds of accidents can cause serious injuries for passengers and crew aboard the tanker or the other vessel, including brain trauma, back injuries, broken bones, and more. If you are thrown overboard, you could face drowning injuries.
Burn Injuries
Oil and water do not mix, and crude oil from an oil spill can float on top of the water, dispersing and spreading for miles. This oil is still flammable, and it can burn uncontrollably for hours until the oil is depleted. If you are trapped in a fire during an oil spill, you can suffer traumatic burn injuries and could need serious medical care if you survive the disaster.
Suing for Oil Spill Injuries in Texas
In any case where someone is responsible for your injuries, you may be entitled to take your case to court to file a lawsuit against the negligent parties. Someone is considered at-fault for your injuries if they failed to use the proper care or skill that the situation required, leading to your injuries. When these people are directly responsible for contaminating your water or injuring you, you can often get a court to order them to pay you damages for the harms you suffered.
If you were injured because of an oil spill, you may be able to claim compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. These damages can include payments for current and past harms you face while you recover from your injuries. In addition, you can claim damages for the ongoing costs of medical treatment or reduced earning capacity. The pain and suffering may be difficult to put a price on, but Texas law puts no caps or limitations on these damages.
You may also file a lawsuit for the wrongful death of a family member if a loved one was killed in an oil tanker accident or oil spill disaster.
Call Our Texas Oil Injury Attorneys for a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one was injured in an oil spill, or if you lost a loved one, call an Arlington TX personal injury lawyer at The Queenan Law Firm today. Our attorneys handle injury lawsuits on behalf of victims in Dallas, Houston, and throughout Texas. To set up a free consultation, contact our attorneys today at (817) 476-1797.