San Antonio oil field injury lawyer

Crosley Law focuses its practice on serious injury claims, including those involving oil- and gas-related injuries.

We rigorously investigate oil and gas field and truck crashes and demand accountability from negligent drivers, trucking companies, maintenance companies, oil and gas companies, and other entities when their negligence plays a role in your accident. We have handled many cases involving oil field injuries to rig workers, roustabouts, as well as injuries caused by heavy trucks, tankers, and frack sand haulers.

We use cutting-edge strategies to investigate our clients’ accidents and the severe injuries that result—assessing electronic data, sifting through corporate documents, consulting with experts, and interviewing witnesses. Crosley Law sets itself apart by being willing to go deeper, work harder, and bring in whatever experts are necessary to get the best possible settlements and jury verdicts for our clients.

Although our firm is based in San Antonio, we frequently handle oil truck and oil field injury claims throughout Texas, and we work closely with crash investigators on the ground throughout the state. That means we can get someone out to investigate rapidly, whether the injury occurs in a San Antonio oil field, or hundreds of miles away in the Permian Basin.

Oil and natural gas fields are incredibly hazardous places. When you work on or visit an oil field, you’re exposed to dangerous equipment, rough terrain, and harmful chemicals.

While an oil boom provides jobs and economic stability for many communities, it also creates challenges and hazards. Our roads become filled with heavy equipment, trucks, and workers who flock to our communities during a boom. And when those workers get to the fields, they work under dangerous conditions and sometimes suffer serious injuries. Data from OSHA shows that oil and gas workers have some of the highest rates of severe injuries among all professions in the United States.

Texas’ history is deeply intertwined with the oil and gas industry. Near San Antonio, the Eagle Ford Shale formation contains immense amounts of oil and gas-rich marine shale. Although the pace of production in the Eagle Ford Shale region has slowed since 2015, it remains the second most active oil and gas drilling basin in the United States, and production is projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels within the next few years.

The Permian Basin, which spreads across West Texas and New Mexico, is the United States’ largest shale oil region, producing more than 5 million barrels per day—nearly half of the nation’s total production. The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects that output to increase even more in the next few years, up to 5.7 million barrels per day by 2023.

Historically, the rates of car crashes in Texas have strongly correlated with oil and gas prices, particularly in and around oil fields. Increased oil and gas production contributes to Texas car crashes in many ways, including the following:

• Heavier truck traffic as 18-wheelers carry crude, machinery, sand, water, and other supplies to and from the fields.
• Many Texas roads were not designed for their current truck volumes. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, traffic along U.S. 285 between Pecos and the New Mexico state line increased an incredible 500% in just one decade, between 2010 and 2020.
• Trucking companies often encourage drivers to work long hours and break safety regulations.
• There aren’t enough experienced truck drivers to meet the industry’s demands, which means companies often hire inexperienced drivers instead.
• Oil and gas production can cause sinkholes that damage roadways.

Many times, multiple factors contribute to a crash, which leads to multiple defendants and insurance companies becoming involved in any claims that follow.

Whether your injury was caused by a truck driver, equipment operator at a work site, or any other circumstance, liability in oil field injury cases is often extremely complicated, with many potentially liable parties. For example, you may have a case against one or more of the following:

• A truck driver who violates the rules of the road.
• A trucking company that failed to properly screen or train its drivers or pressured them to violate safety regulations.
• Maintenance companies who did not properly inspect and maintain oil field equipment or trucks as required by law.
• Equipment manufacturers that sold defective parts or machinery.
• The oil or gas company, supervisors, contractors, or other employers or individuals who were negligent in maintaining a safe work environment.
• A property owner or manager.

If your direct employer was at least partially responsible for your injury, you may or may not be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against them in Texas, depending on whether they provide sufficient workers compensation insurance. However, you may still have a personal injury case against other negligent parties.

That said, successfully proving negligence and obtaining fair compensation after an oil field accident is no simple matter. You will need extensive evidence regarding the accident itself, much of which may be difficult to obtain, or even intentionally withheld by a responsible party. You will need significant medical evidence as well, particularly if you have a traumatic brain injury or other severe injuries.

Most oil field workers and family members have no idea where to even begin. That’s where an experienced San Antonio oil field law firm, such as Crosley Law, steps in.

Assuming your employer has not provided workers compensation benefits, oilfield workers are eligible to file a personal injury claim against the negligent parties economic and non-economic damages. This includes things like:

• Medical bills (such as hospital bills, surgery, physical therapy, etc.)
• Lost wages and reduced future earning capacity
• Home healthcare expenses
• Cost of household services
• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Loss of enjoyment of life

Because oilfield accidents often result in serious and fatal injuries, oil and gas companies, contractors, trucking companies, and other potentially negligent parties are required to maintain significant liability insurance coverage. However, they also fight these claims aggressively. Their insurance company will work hard to pay out as little as possible.

Working with an experienced oil field accident attorney gives injured oilfield workers and truck crash victims the best chance of getting truly fair compensation.

If your direct employer provides you with workers compensation insurance, you will not be able to file a lawsuit against them. Your workers compensation benefits will pay for your medical expenses, as well as a portion of your lost wages, regardless of who caused the accident.

However, workers compensation does not prevent injured oil field workers from filing a lawsuit against other negligent parties, such as a trucking company or subcontractor other than their direct employer. You may be able to pursue personal injury claims against these parties in order to obtain additional compensation, including non-economic damages and the remaining portion of your lost wages.

At Crosley Law, our attorneys will carefully evaluate your circumstances and work hard to identify any and all claims you are eligible to make, in order to help you obtain maximum compensation for your injuries.