How Do Oilfield Accidents Happen?
Most oilfield workers are fully aware that they are in a dangerous line of work and take extra steps daily to ensure their safety. However, even the most cautious workers cannot prevent all accidents. When oilfield workers are injured, the accidents that cause their injuries are typically not their fault but, rather, are due to the negligence or irresponsibility of those in leadership.
Some of the most common types of oilfield accidents include:
- Explosionsand Fires: Explosions and fires are common oilfield hazards, but workers should be protected by proper precautions. Flammable and combustible materials should be properly contained, and all employees should be trained in everyday and emergency procedures to prevent unexpected explosions and fires from occurring.
- Exposure to Harmful Chemicals: Employers must limit employee exposure to harmful substances, including chemicals. This includes conducting proper training in chemical handling, as well as providing workers with adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), such as respiratory gear and eye protection.
- 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 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 can lead to severe falls.
- Falling Objects: Workers at great heights may drop a tool, or a piece of equipment may deconstruct, falling on another employee. A professional investigation of the incident may reveal that there were missing preventative measures against an incident, such as improperly secured tools, poorly maintained equipment, or missing netting that could have caught wayward items.
- Malfunctioning Equipment: Oilfield owners often procrastinate when it comes to inspecting or servicing equipment—and the unaddressed wear and tear may expose workers to harmful, combustible, or flammable materials. These incidents are often traced back to the ownership or board levels.
- Gas Truck Accidents: The gas trucks that serve 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 cause serious accidents, leading to 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.
Types of Injuries Commonly Associated with Oilfield Accidents
Due to the serious nature of oilfield accidents, workers tend to sustain devastating, life-changing injuries when they are harmed on the job.
Some of the most common oilfield accident-related injuries include:
In the most tragic of cases, workers are killed due to on-the-job accidents. In such instances, Arnold & Itkin stands as an advocate for widowed spouses, children left behind, and other family members who have suffered unimaginable losses.
Who Is Liable for an Oilfield Accident?
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 to each industry; when a Louisiana oilfield fails to meet those standards, and you are injured as a result, you may be entitled to compensation from the responsible party or parties.
Depending on the specifics of your situation, the following parties (or others) could be liable for your oilfield accident-related damages:
- Your employer
- Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance provider
- The manufacturer of a defective piece of equipment or faulty machinery
- A fellow employee
- Another negligent third party
Arnold & Itkin can thoroughly investigate your oilfield accident and work to identify who should have prevented your accident and how much accountability they should face to make things right. While our Louisiana oilfield accident attorneys can’t change what happened, we can demand justice from the liable person or party.
Working to Hold Negligent Oil and Gas Companies Accountable
Using heavy machinery to drill for a volatile substance will always be dangerous. 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 accidentin early 2018 due to falling equipment.
Regardless of the type of equipment or machinery involved in an oilfield accident, each piece of equipment used to extract, transport, and store oil has one thing in common: it is owned and maintained by an oil and/or gas company. An explosion is often the result of a company failing to properly maintain its equipment. This can result in workers suffering severe burns and other injuries, which, in turn, leads to expensive medical bills, temporary or permanent disability, lost wages, emotional pain and suffering, and other damages. In the most severe cases, these tragedies can even result in fatalities.
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 and training to help workers reduce or avoid benzene exposure. At Arnold & Itkin, we strongly believe that they must be held accountable for this.
Our Louisiana oilfield injury lawyers have a history of winning cases against an array of oil and gas companies, such as:
Why Choose Arnold & Itkin’s Oilfield Accident Lawyers?
Arnold & Itkin knows the struggle injured oilfield workers face. The pressure to provide and the physical limitations of accident-related injuries puts workers in an impossible situation. Our Louisiana oilfield accident attorneys know the methods utilized by oil companies that 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 that have neglected to protect the well-being 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.
A Long History of Standing Up for Oilfield Workers
Oil and gas excavation companies have earned a reputation of exploiting the hard work of derrick operators, truck drivers, and roughnecks while putting them at serious personal risk. Our Louisiana oilfield accident attorneys continuously strive to be the advocates that workers need when their employers fail to provide safety on the work site. It is our mission to hold oil companies accountable and give workers access to medical care, money, and anything else they need to rebuild their lives.
Louisiana has one of the most active oil and gas industries in the nation, from extraction and drilling to transportation to and from shore. As oil drilling in the Gulf and in neighboring states increases, history teaches us that more oilfield workers will suffer grievous injuries—including loss of limb, severe burns, toxic exposure, and other life-altering injuries.
At Arnold & Itkin, we have a history of standing up for the rights of oilfield workers throughout Louisiana and nationwide. We are committed to being a voice for the voiceless and protecting the rights of hardworking people who are involved in life-changing accidents through no fault of their own.
If you suffered an injury or if your loved one passed away due to an oilfield accident in Louisiana, speak with our lawyers by calling (888) 493-1629 or contact us online. We offer completely free consultations.
