Louisiana Drilling Rig Accident Law Firm Serving Baton Rouge & Beyond
- Acadia Parish
- Ascension Parish
- Bossier Parish
- Caddo Parish
- DeSoto Parish
- Iberville Parish
- Jackson Parish
- Lincoln Parish
- Plaquemines Parish
- Red River Parish
- Sabine Parish
- Webster Parish
Taking on Cases Against Large Companies in the Oil & Gas Industry
What Our Louisiana Oilfield Accident Law Firm Helps With
Using heavy machinery to drill for a volatile substance will always be dangerous. As a result, workers at derricks must be protected in every possible way by those who profit from their hard work. While explosions may happen when the complicated equipment used to extract oil malfunctions, transporting the substance with pipelines and trucks can prove to be an equally dangerous job.
A 23-year-old man was killed in a Louisiana oilfield accident in early 2018 due to falling equipment.
However, each piece of equipment used to extract, transport, and store oil have one thing in common: they are owned and maintained by oil and gas companies. An explosion is often the result of a company failing to properly maintain its own equipment. This results in burn injuries to workers, causing expensive medical bills or even death in the most catastrophic instances. Another hazard that oil workers face is toxic exposure. Studies have repeatedly shown that fracking exposes workers to dangerous levels of benzene, a colorless gas linked to damage to the nervous system, kidney, liver, and immune system. Benzene has also been linked to cancer. Oilfield workers are exposed to this gas multiple times every hour—each time a hatch is opened. Often, employers fail to provide proper safety equipment—they must be held accountable for this.
Dangers Faced by Oilfield Workers
Most oilfield engineers and technicians are fully aware that they are in a dangerous line of work and take extra steps daily to ensure safety; however, the accident that causes their injury is not often caused at their level, but by the negligence or irresponsibility of those in leadership.
- Explosions, fires, exposure to chemicals: It’s easy to imagine that workers on an oilfield may be exposed to these kinds of elements, but they are supposed to be securely contained. When workers come into contact with dangerous chemicals or a combustion, it is likely because these materials are out of place, and this may be due to poor planning or management.
- Slips and falls: Simple clumsiness may not be the root cause of significant slip and fall accidents. When workers slip, it may be that the surfaces are slippery and improperly marked in order to warn employees. If workers fall, it may be due to improper measures in place to guard against the fall: for instance, missing guardrails or harnesses for workers at great heights.
- Falling objects: Workers at great heights may drop a tool, or a piece of equipment may deconstruct, falling on another employee, causing brain or spine trauma. A professional investigation of the incident may reveal that there were missing preventative measures against an incident such as this: the tools in workers at great highest should have been secured, the equipment was out of date, or a netting should have been installed to catch wayward items.
- Malfunctioning equipment: Oilfield owners often procrastinate renovation of equipment, and the imminent wear and tear may expose workers to harmful, combustible, or flammable materials. These are often traced back to the ownership or board levels.
- Gas truck accidents: The gas trucks that serve the oilfields place workers and anyone near them at risk. These vehicles aren't just dangerous because of their size and weight—they're dangerous because the workers behind their wheel are often overworked and exhausted. Additionally, some of Louisiana's smaller roads were built before oilfields existed. These tiny roads start carrying traffic that they were never designed to handle. Companies must hire experienced drivers, make sure their workers are rested, maintain vehicles, and never rush drivers to make it to and from wells.
- Pipeline accidents: Pipelines are a crucial part of any oilfield operation. They can quickly transport crude oil and safely send pressurized natural gas to plants for processing. Yet, if not maintained or handled properly, pipelines can have serious accidents that cause life-altering injuries to workers. A burst pipeline can create a powerful explosion, a raging fire, or a blast of pressure that can cause significant trauma to workers.
OSHA And Louisiana Oilfield SAFETY RULES
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the nation’s leading regulatory association designed to monitor and enforce the maintenance of safe working environments. OSHA has a specific set of standards tailored for each industry, and when your Louisiana oilfield fails to meet those standards, and you are injured as a result, you may be entitled to compensation from the party or parties responsible.
Arnold & Itkin can thoroughly investigate your oilfield accident and work to identify should have prevented your accident and how much accountability they should face to make things right. While our Louisiana land rig attorneys can change what happened, we can demand justice from the parties who should have.
Get a Free Consultation with an Louisiana Oilfield Lawyer
Arnold & Itkin knows the struggle injured oilfield workers face. The pressure to provide and the physical pressure of your injuries puts workers in an impossible situation. Our Louisiana oilfield accident attorneys know the methods utilized by oil companies which try to avoid paying for the disasters they have created. In fact, we have used our experience to win billions of dollars in victories over companies which have neglected to protect the wellbeing of the people who have made them successful. When the crew of the Deepwater Horizon needed our attorneys, we won them the recovery they deserved.
If you have been involved in a Louisiana oilfield accident or have any questions, call us at (888) 493-1629. If we take your case, you pay no upfront costs and pay nothing unless we win.