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Suffering an injury while working on an oil rig can mean you need time to recover from your injuries and get back on your feet before you can continue receiving a paycheck to support yourself and your family. In many cases, you may also be left with extensive injuries that require hospitalization or ongoing care. In the worst cases of oil fires and other disasters, you may have lost a loved one to an accident.
In any of these cases, it is important to consider talking to an oil worker injury attorney. The Odessa, Texas oil field injury attorneys at The Queenan Law Firm represent derrickhands, roughnecks, and other oil workers in injury lawsuits against their employers. Our attorneys also represent the surviving family of these injured workers and fight to get them the compensation they need to support themselves and their families. For help filing an oil injury lawsuit, contact The Queenan Law Firm today to schedule a free consultation. Our number is (817) 476-1797.
When Can I Sue for Injuries on an Oil Rig in Texas?
Texas law allows injured workers to file a lawsuit against their employer for injuries sustained in the workplace if they reject workers’ compensation coverage. In Texas, workers’ comp. is optional, and workers can choose within 5 days of starting a new job whether they want to keep or reject coverage. If you keep coverage, you may be required to file your case through workers’ compensation; but if you reject the coverage, you protect your right to file a lawsuit for injuries and may be entitled to additional damages.
If you did accept workers’ compensation, you may only receive partial damages for lost wages and medical expenses after a serious oil field injury. However, you are still able to sue in many cases where the injuries are caused by a third party, such as a co-worker or the manufacturer of a defective product. You may also be able to sue if someone intentionally injured you at work.
What is My Oil Field Injury Case Worth?
Determining how much your case is worth requires looking at the harm you suffered. In cases where you file through workers’ comp., the damages usually cover only 66 2/3% of your normal wages but fully cover your medical expenses. When filing a lawsuit, you may be entitled to 100% of the damages for lost wages, medical care, and additional damages like pain and suffering damages.
Damages are calculated by looking at the total financial harm you faced because of the injury. You can prove these amounts in court by producing things like medical bills, bank statements, and pay stubs to show what the medical treatments you received cost, what wages you received before the accident, and what financial harm you have suffered because of the injury.
Proving pain and suffering is much more complex. This usually depends first on the severity of your injury, with more severe injuries typically receiving sometimes tens or hundreds of times the damages from more minor injuries. Damages for pain and suffering can also come from your inability to participate in or enjoy certain activities you used to love.
Damages are very specific to your case and your situation, so it is difficult to calculate damages without having an attorney examine your whole case. Talk to a lawyer today for help understanding what your case might be worth, and never accept a settlement until you talk to a lawyer about how much you deserve for your injuries.
Suing for Wrongful Death for an Oil Worker in Texas
If your spouse, parent, or child was killed in an oil field accident, you may be entitled to file a wrongful death suit instead of a personal injury lawsuit. This entitles you to compensation to help cover the financial harm of losing a loved one, such as the wages and support they supplied your family, the lost inheritances they would have provided later in life, and any other lost value in investments or other assets that would have continued to grow in value over their life.
You can also sue for the value of any services or duties that your loved one can no longer provide. Things like lost companionship, lost counsel, lost security, and loss of consortium can provide you and your family with additional damages. Any household chores or services that your spouse or other loved one provided also have a monetary value that can be compensated.
Lastly, you may be entitled to damages you personally suffered because of the loss. This includes things like funeral and burial expenses, but also direct compensation for losing a loved one. Money can never replace the family member you lost, but it can help support your family and ensure you are taken care of. If your family deserves this kind of compensation, talk to an attorney about suing the oil rig or oil company that allowed your loved one’s accident to occur.
Call Today for a Free Consultation with Our Odessa Oil Worker Injury Lawyers
If you or a loved one was injured in an oil field accident, or if a loved one was killed in an oil fire or another disaster on an oil rig, contact The Queenan Law Firm today. Our attorneys represent injury victims and their families and fight to get them the compensation and support they need after a serious injury. To schedule a free consultation on your case, contact our Odessa oil field injury attorneys today at (817) 476-1797.