Caring For You and Your Family After A Serious Oilfield Accident
Oilfield workers often put in long hours and perform their jobs alongside dangerous equipment. A year-long investigative report by the Houston Chronicle found that safety standards and procedures have not been properly enforced at Texas oilfields for over 20 years, and that safety violations occurred in 78% of reported accidents, many of which could have been prevented with better equipment and procedures. The oilfield injury lawyers at Slack Davis Sanger have the resources, knowledge, and skills to advise accident victims and their families on the best approach to seeking damages for both short- and long-term losses.
Oilfield Injury Attorneys Who Will Stand Up to Powerful Oil Companies
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the fatal work injury rate for onshore and offshore oil and gas extraction workers is seven times higher than that of full-time employees in other fields. Unfortunately, worker deaths are on the rise, with a 27% increase reported between 2003 and 2013. Texas led the nation in oil and gas worker deaths from 2007 to 2011, with almost 200 fatalities. Of the deaths in the drilling and fracking industries across the country, 40% occurred in Texas.
Oil well sites are full of hazards, with multiple on-site companies setting up and taking down heavy equipment. The nature of this line of work involves coming into contact with materials and conditions linked with negative health outcomes, including hydrogen sulfide, silica, excessive noise, diesel particulates, and naturally occurring radioactive materials. Other threats putting workers at risk in the oil and gas industry include confined spaces, ergonomic hazards, handling high-pressure lines and machines, dealing with electrical energy, and dangers associated with wellhead equipment. Texas oilfield workers in particular are also exposed to dangers associated with working in the extreme heat.
The human toll of the recent oil boom has been significant in terms of injuries and deaths on the job. Slack Davis Sanger has experience in seeking favorable outcomes for injured clients and their families in the following types of accidents:
Transportation Accidents
Most oilfield deaths are related to transportation, especially when workers drive from one job site to another on unsafe rural roads. About four out of every 10 deaths on the job occur as a result of vehicle collisions. Employers are responsible for protecting workers by enforcing driver safety policies and developing work schedules to avoid dangers associated with driver fatigue. Victims of oilfield auto or truck accidents and their families can rely on the proven legal professionals at Slack Davis Sanger to pursue justice in these cases.
Contact With Objects and Equipment
Three out of five fatalities on oil well sites occur as a result of hazards associated with workers being struck by, caught in, or caught between moving vehicles or equipment, high-pressure lines, and falling equipment. Cranes, derricks, hoists, and other heavy equipment pose risks to workers on the job, as do other activities common in oilfields, such as moving pipes, site clearing, transporting heavy loads, and activities around pressurized lines. Proper use of protective equipment and materials, as well as adequate standards on operating equipment on job sites, can protect workers from the risk of injury. Oil and gas workers involved in an accident can depend on the wise counsel of the oilfield injury attorneys at Slack Davis Sanger to help determine who is at fault for these accidents and to help injured workers pursue a claim.
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Flammable gases and vapors pose risks to oilfield workers when they are released from tanks, shale shakers, trucks, generators, engines, wells, and other production or surface equipment. Fires and explosions can start when these materials come into contact with lightning, static, cigarettes, welding and cutting tools, open flames, electrical sources, and even hot surfaces. Employers can prevent catastrophic injuries to workers by conducting fire risk assessments, enforcing work safety guidelines, and adopting engineering controls. Oil and gas workers involved in accidents on the job related to fires and explosions can count on the attorneys at Slack Davis Sanger to advocate for their rights and seek just compensation for their losses.
Falls
Oil and gas workers often have to perform their job duties in locations high off the ground, which makes them more vulnerable to injuries associated with falls. Falls from drilling platforms, elevated equipment, or the mast can cause serious, life-threatening injuries. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires employers to provide fall protection to safeguard workers from these risks. In the event of a fall, injured oil field workers and their families trust the lawyers at Slack Davis Sanger to use their thorough understanding of workplace safety laws when representing client interests in a lawsuit.