Cole, Cole, Easley and Sciba Trial Attorneys can help you if you’ve been injured in an oilfield accident in Victoria. In an industry full of demanding jobs, drilling is one of the toughest. You’re dealing with massive equipment, heavy machinery, high-pressure systems, large trucks, chemicals, and conditions that can change quickly. When something goes wrong, the injuries can be serious. We can help you figure out what comes next. Set up a free consultation today.
When Should I Talk to a Lawyer?
Working near drilling in an oilfield already comes with plenty of challenges even before you’re injured in an accident. But once that happens, things start moving really fast, and that can be very overwhelming. At that point, it’s usually a good idea to talk to our team, where we can:
- Lay out your legal options and what rights you may have
- Look into what caused your accident
- Figure out who might or could be responsible
- Point you in the direction of important evidence before it disappears
- Handle the back-and-forth with employers, insurance companies, and others
No matter how experienced you are, drilling accidents happen in a split-second. Then all of sudden you’re left dealing with ongoing pain and a lot of questions about what comes next. That’s when our team steps in and makes things easier.
What Kind of Land Drilling Work Is Common Around Victoria?
Just because drilling work is dangerous doesn’t mean every accident is unavoidable. Most of the time, they don’t just happen out of nowhere. Instead, they happen when something gets overlooked or ignored. And that puts you and the rest of your coworkers at risk of injuries from:
- Equipment failures because machinery wasn’t properly inspected, maintained, or repaired.
- Blowouts and pressure-related accidents because warning signs were missed or pressure wasn’t properly controlled.
- Lifting accidents because loads weren’t secured, proper rigging procedures weren’t followed, or workers were rushed.
- Rig floor accidents because machinery wasn’t properly guarded or known hazards were ignored.
- Falls because proper fall protection wasn’t provided or safety procedures weren’t followed.
- Fires and explosions because leaks, equipment problems, or other hazards weren’t identified and addressed.
- Chemical or gas exposure because workers weren’t properly warned, trained, or protected.
So yes, while it’s true risks are part of the job, the claims process is there to make sure you’re not left paying for someone else’s carelessness. But it takes more than just something going wrong, it also takes solid information.
Information That Can Help You After a Drilling Accident
Right after a drilling accident, you’re probably not thinking about gathering evidence. You’re thinking about getting medical help and making sure you’re safe. That’s why before you try to do anything, you need to:
- Report the accident to someone in charge and get the medical care you need.
Everything else flows from that, so if you’re able, it’s a good time to get a few basic things like:
- Pictures/videos of the accident scene, equipment, unsafe conditions, and your injuries.
- Names and contact information for coworkers, supervisors, contractors, or anyone else who saw the accident or helped you after.
That gives you a starting point, but more things are going to start to come in as you move forward in the days/weeks after the accident. With that, it’s a good idea to also keep track of:
- Your medical records
- Any official incident or accident reports
- Notes about what you remember—where you were working, what you were doing specifically, any equipment you were using, who was there, and any potential issues you might have noticed
You don’t need to have everything before talking to us. We can help look for information you may not have access to, including incident reports, maintenance records, safety documents, inspection records, and other company records that really tell the story of what happened. And once you put it all together, it gives you a better idea of who might be responsible.
How Legal Responsibility Works in a Land Drilling Accident
Unfortunately, this is one of the most difficult parts of a drilling accident. Even if you think you know who was involved, there’s so many different moving parts at a typical oilfield jobsite that it throws everything up in the air.
At the end of the day, though, it comes back to a basic question: Did someone fail to take reasonable steps to keep you safe?
In other words, was somebody negligent and did that lead to your injuries? That narrows things down, which means legal responsibility usually falls on people like:
- Your employer, if it failed to provide a reasonably safe workplace, properly train workers, maintain equipment, or address known hazards.
- The drilling or production company, if it was responsible for the site or operations and failed to address a dangerous condition.
- Supervisors or managers, if they ignored safety concerns or allowed unsafe practices to continue.
- Contractors or subcontractors, if their actions contributed to your injury.
- Equipment manufacturers, if defective equipment or parts caused the accident.
- Maintenance companies, if equipment wasn’t properly inspected, repaired, or maintained.
- Trucking or transportation companies, if a vehicle or driver contributed to the accident.
Sometimes more than one company or person may have played a role. That’s why it’s important to look at the whole picture.
How Do I Get Financial Help For My Injuries After a Drilling Accident?
This is where your employer being a non-subscriber really comes into play. Texas is different from most states because private companies aren’t required to carry workers’ compensation insurance—though most do.
Your options are tied to whether you have access to workers’ comp benefits, but it’s not your only option. If you do have access to workers’ comp, you can file a claim and get benefits based on the policy.
But most of the time, drilling accidents and other oilfield injuries happen because of someone else’s negligence, and that means you have the same right to file a claim as you would if the accident happened outside of work. That means filing:
- An insurance claim outside of court
- A personal injury lawsuit
And similar to other accidents, the goal of the injury claim is to get financial support—called damages—that are tied to your:
- Medical expenses and future medical care needs
- Lost income and reduced earning ability
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Permanent disability or impairment
- Reduced quality of life
- Other losses related to your injuries
The bottom line is that you may have more than one option after a drilling accident. It just depends on the circumstances. But one way or the other, you don’t have to go through it alone.
Cole, Cole, Easley, and Sciba Helps Workers Injured in Land Drilling Accidents in Victoria, TX
A drilling accident can turn your life upside down. All of a sudden, you’re left facing serious injuries, ongoing problems, and questions about how you’ll move forward both at work and at home.
At Cole, Cole, Easley, and Sciba Trial Attorneys, we can help you. We’ll sit down and explain what your rights are, who might be responsible for your injuries, and what you can do to move forward. Set up a free consultation today.
