Cole, Cole, Easley and Sciba Trial Attorneys can help you after you’ve been injured at work in an oilfield in Victoria or the surrounding area. It’s not hard to see how an accident can happen in this type of work, but it still brings up a lot of questions. One of the biggest centers on who’s responsible, and with so many different companies working on-site, that makes it a bit confusing. We can help you figure everything out. Set up a free consultation today.
How Do I Know Which Companies May Be Responsible for My Injuries?
It’s never ideal getting injured on the job, even in an environment as dangerous and demanding as an oilfield. But it’s something that can happen easily, especially when there’s negligence or carelessness.
The good news with that, relatively speaking, is that negligence is what actually tells you who’s responsible for your injuries. The problem, though, is that it comes down to what actually happened. That means responsibility usually gets spread around among:
- Your employer, if it knew about a hazard and didn’t fix it, didn’t properly train you, or didn’t keep the equipment you were using in safe working condition.
- The drilling or production company, if it was in charge of the site or part of the work and didn’t deal with a dangerous condition.
- A contractor or subcontractor, if something that company did—or didn’t do—helped cause the accident.
- An equipment company, if the equipment you were using was defective or had a problem that led to the accident.
- A maintenance company, if equipment wasn’t properly checked, repaired, or maintained.
- A trucking or transportation company, if a truck, driver, or something else involving transportation was part of what went wrong.
- A supervisor or another worker, if something they did—or failed to do—helped lead to the accident.
This is why the situation is so important. For example, your employer may have failed to train you properly, while a contractor created an unsafe condition and another company was responsible for maintaining the equipment you were using.
If all of those things came together and led to your injuries, more than one company might be responsible for what happened to you. That might sound straightforward, but in real life, it takes more than just knowledge, it takes information.
Why Information is So Important When Multiple Companies are Responsible For Your Oilfield Injuries
When several companies are involved in an accident that leaves you injured, the details of what happened really matter. And the best way to get to the heart of things is to gather information—only after you report the accident to someone in charge and get medical help for your injuries. From there, the best thing you can do initially is try to get:
- Pictures or videos of the scene, equipment, and surrounding area
- Names and contact information for coworkers, supervisors, contractors, subcontractors, or anyone else who saw what happened
That’s usually enough to get things started. From there, your main focus should be on taking care of yourself and getting the further medical treatment you need at hospital. As you go through the days and weeks after the accident, though, it’s a good idea to keep track of things like:
- A timeline of what you were doing, what went wrong, and which companies or people were involved
- Medical records showing your injuries and treatment
- More pictures or videos of the jobsite, equipment, unsafe conditions, or your injuries
- Pay stubs, timesheets, schedules, or other records showing the work you’ve missed
- Anything you remember being wrong before the accident, like damaged equipment, missing guards, leaks, poor lighting, or another safety issue
- Texts, emails, or other messages with your employer, supervisor, contractors, or anyone else about the accident or problems leading up to it
That covers what you have control over, but it’s not solely on you. It’s usually internal company records and information that really pinpoint things, like:
- Incident reports
- Safety records
- Maintenance and inspection records
- Surveillance footage
- Contracts between companies
That’s where our team can really be beneficial. We can track down these records and put them together to paint a fuller picture of what happened to you, who’s responsible for it, and what you can do about it from there.
Cole, Cole, Easley and Sciba Can Make the Aftermath of an Oilfield Accident Easier
Working in an oilfield can be dangerous even when everyone is doing what they’re supposed to do. But sometimes, an accident happens because someone didn’t. And when several companies are working at the same site, figuring out who was responsible can get complicated quickly.
That’s one situation where getting a lawyer can make sense. Our team at Cole, Cole, Easley and Sciba can make things easier for you by:
- Explaining your rights and the options that may apply to your situation
- Looking into what happened and what led to the accident
- Figuring out what each company was responsible for
- Looking at whether more than one company or person may have contributed to your injuries
- Gathering safety records, maintenance records, incident reports, and other information
- Handling the talks with insurance companies and the other companies involved
- Helping you understand your claim and what comes next
When several companies are involved, that can take some digging. But it’s an important part of understanding where your claim stands and moving forward. To get started, set up a free consultation today.
