How Common Are Texas Oil Rig Accidents?
Working in the oilfield is frequently mentioned as one of the most hazardous jobs. As oil and gas exploration expanded from an average of 800 operating drilling rigs in the 1990s to about 1,300 by 2003, the worker fatality rate increased, with over 400 employees dying on the job during that time period. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC0 concluded that in those four years, the annual fatality rate reached 30.5 per 100,000 employees.
In addition to a concerning high worker mortality rate in the oil and gas sector, workers may suffer life-changing injuries. Every month at least 20 employees were admitted to a hospital or lost a body part while on the job in 2016. Oilfield employees can also get serious burns and fractures, among other problems. According to the Department of Labor, employers may underreport injuries by as much as 60 percent. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s former director claimed that a culture of not reporting these incidents in the oil and gas sector is widespread, so many more employees are most likely hurt or injured on the job. As the largest oil producing state, Texas accounts for a significant number of injuries and deaths every year, though the state is not the highest on that list.
If you or a loved one was killed on an oil rig, you may feel powerless to take on a powerful multinational corporation. Texas Personal Injury Lawyers has many years of expertise seeking compensation for workers and their families whose lives were irrevocably altered as a result of an oilfield catastrophe. Our lawyers will employ a thorough knowledge of the complicated set of rules and regulations in the oil and gas sector with empathy for your circumstance to secure a fair settlement in your personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.
Top Causes Of Offshore Oil Rig Accidents
During a seven-year time period, the oil and gas extraction sector in the United States (onshore and offshore combined) had a fatality rate seven times greater than that of all U.S. employees.
The offshore oil industry is important to our nation’s economy and provides numerous jobs for Texans, but this statistic also emphasizes the risks of the profession. Every day, maritime employees confront hazards from poor working conditions to faulty equipment.
The most common reasons for offshore oil rig accidents are:
- Transportation Incidents
The CDC reports that transportation incidents were the most common cause of death. Oil rig employees rely on airplanes to reach their worksites, but mechanical difficulties and inclement weather conditions may render it hazardous.
- Objects And Equipment Accidents
Heavy equipment is an occupational hazard for workers in this sector, who are frequently exposed to it. Employees that are inadequately trained put themselves and others in danger when controlling machines.
- Gas Field Explosions And Fires
Accidents are probably owing to the fact that the ship is packed with combustible goods. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion resulted in the loss of 11 lives. A methane bubble became a catalyst for the occurrence, causing a blowout and resulting in a gas and oil explosion. Gas and oil explosions can be extremely damaging.
- Exposure To Dangerous Substances
Workers are exposed to a variety of hazardous materials and fumes on a daily basis, such as drilling fluid, solvents, and production chemicals. Toxic chemicals may cause debilitating ailments, fatal diseases, and wrongful death.
- Slips And Falls
In order to prevent accidents, site managers have a responsibility to keep walkways dry. However, businesses frequently attempt to cut corners by requiring employees to work quickly and inexpensively.
The 5 Most Frequent Oil Rig Accident Injuries
Oil and gas are extremely lucrative and hazardous professions. Tough, specialist work necessitates the need for strong, specialized workers who should be highly valued for their distinct labor talents; nevertheless, this isn’t always the case. Due to the fast-paced nature of the job and the absence of protections for efficiency, offshore rig accidents are all too frequent.
Oil rigs are frequently involved in fires and explosions, which causes burn injuries from burns and explosions to be extremely prevalent.
When breakers aren’t kept properly, equipment is allowed to become out of date, or fire safety inspections are insufficient because worker protection isn’t valued, a fire or burn injury is practically certain. Burns can be disfiguring and may result in limb loss or restricted range of motion, as occurs with scarring that tightens or binds skin together.
When it comes to safety, you deserve more than simply the appearance of protection. If a fire incident has injured you on an oil rig, contact a legal professional to evaluate whether the response was adequate. A burn caused by negligence or unchecked for too long is considered a consequence, not an accident. If your injury was neglected or inadequately treated, the additional harm was done and longer rehabilitation time may be grounds for compensation.
- Transportation Accidents
Lifting heavy machinery or equipment, whether with or without adequate support like a back brace or belt, can lead to damage to one’s back or neck.
You could be injured if you are required to move something fast, such as strains that get worse each time you move, or herniated discs that may lead to long-term disability. If you had more time to employ a floor jack or dolly or to locate a coworker who could assist you with the burden, your harm may have been avoided.
You may have been set up for a workplace injury if you didn’t account for the time it takes to transport heavy things securely. Depending on the severity of the accident, you may be looking at invasive operations, excruciating rehabilitation, and even a lifetime of pain and/or disability. These consequences are factors that a lawyer may bring up in requesting for the care you’ll require in the future.
- Occupational Exposure
Exposure to hazardous chemicals, gases, or materials at work might harm your lungs, eyes, skin, and/or brain.
Crude oil, drilling fluids, and chemical solvents are all potentially harmful chemicals on an offshore oil rig. Allergic reactions, rashes, chemical burns, respiratory issues (including asthma attacks), and even asphyxiation may be caused by ingesting or coming into contact with these compounds. An interruption to one’s breathing capacity might cause brain damage rapidly.
When working with chemicals, as an oil rig employee, you should be equipped with gas masks and protective equipment at all times. It is not acceptable to expect a staff member to breathe hazardous fumes.
- Amputations, Lacerations, And Crushing Incidents
A major laceration (deep tissue cut or tear), an amputated finger/toe/limb, or a crushing injury to the head, limb, or body is traumatic. These injuries can be severe, and they may prevent you from ever working a manual labor job again, whether it’s due to working with hydraulic equipment or being struck by a falling instrument (a scenario we’ve specifically depicted for a $14 million settlement).
According to EHS Today (Environment, Health, and Safety), “hand and finger injuries account for nearly 50% of incidents in the oil and gas sector,” with some facilities reporting up to 80% of all recorded events. A hand injury, in particular, might have a significant impact on an individual’s life outside of work, including his or her ability to drive, dial a phone, eat with utensils, type, write, and/or sign documents.
A fall from a height of six feet, for example, can result in broken bones or head injuries. To prevent these injuries at all times is essential, but if and when they do happen, the worker deserves every help possible to recover and adapt after the fact. Such assistance might include:
- Financial and emotional aid surrounding surgery
- Physical therapy
- Implanting or utilizing an artificial limb
- After such a significant loss, retraining or acquiring a new skill is necessary—learning to brush one’s teeth with a non-dominant hand, for example, might take time, patience, and care.
On an oil rig, a lot can go wrong. An employee may be struck by lightning, drown, of suffer a head injury and may not receive timely medical treatment.
After the employee returns to land, things may go wrong. One example is a post-injury or post-surgical infection. Another is “dry drowning,” which occurs when water goes down the mouth and/or nose without reaching the lungs, causing a spasm that makes the airway shut up.
Stress may induce a heart attack or stroke, both of which can be caused by the strain of an oil rig job. While your loved one’s employer may not consider his or her death a job-related fatality, an experienced lawyer might be able to demonstrate a link to a legal threshold. This would assist a deceased employee’s surviving family members in the event of wrongful death.
Talk To An Oil Rig Accident Lawyer
Please contact Texas Personal Injury Lawyers at (888) 997-2148 if you or a family member was injured on an oil rig and need legal assistance, included help with medical expenses. At Texas Oil Rig Injury Lawyers, we have extensive experience dealing with maritime injuries and oil site justice, and we’ll give you a free case evaluation.
Call us at (888) 997-2148 now to schedule a free consultation today.
We take cases on a contingency fee basis and there are no costs unless we win, and the consultation is completely FREE. Contact us to learn what Texas Personal Injury Lawyers can accomplish for you.