The oil industry is vital to the Texas economy. However, if you’ve worked on an oil rig off the coast of San Antonio, TX, you know they can be a dangerous place. If you were injured in an oil rig accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation. An experienced San Antonio oil rig accident lawyer at George Salinas Injury Lawyers can help you fight to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and more.
Our lawyers have over 110 years of experience between us. Over the years, we’ve helped our clients win hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts.
Oil rig accident claims are more complex than your typical workers’ comp claim. Getting legal advice can make a world of difference. Contact our law offices in San Antonio, Texas, at (210) 225-0909 to schedule a free consultation today.
Why Should I Hire George Salinas Injury Lawyers After an Oil Rig Accident in San Antonio?
When you work on an offshore oil rig, you risk your health and safety every day. After you’re injured, you should be fairly compensated. Our San Antonio personal injury lawyers know just how difficult it can be to recover that fair compensation.
Our awards include Texas Lawyer’s Southwest Top Verdicts & Settlements Award for 2020 and 2021 Top 20 Personal Injury Settlements in Texas. Members of our legal team have also been recognized by Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
When you hire us, our attorneys can:
- Help you understand which state, federal, and maritime laws apply in your case
- Handle all paperwork and file your claim for compensation
- Determine the fair value of your injury claim
- Represent you at any hearings
- Protect you if your doctor tries to push you to return to work before you’ve recovered
- Negotiate with the insurance companies on your behalf
Our San Antonio personal injury attorneys have the experience and resources to handle even the most complex workplace accident claim. After an accident, contact our team right away for the legal advice you deserve.
How Do I Recover Compensation If I Was Injured on an Offshore Oil Rig?
When someone is injured on the job in Texas, they typically file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. Oil rig accident cases are different. Because oil rigs operate off the coast of Texas, Texas state laws don’t protect injured workers.
Most injured oil rig workers aren’t covered by The Jones Act, either. To recover compensation under the Jones Act, the worker must:
- Spend more than 30% of their time aboard the vessel and contribute to its operation
- Play a substantial role in the operation of the vessel
- Have a direct connection to the vessel
Because many oil rig workers cannot satisfy any of these criteria, they must look to different federal laws to recover compensation after an accident.
Two different federal laws exist to protect injured oil workers:
- The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act
- The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
Our San Antonio oil field injury lawyers can help you understand your legal rights under each of these federal laws.
Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act
Most maritime workers are eligible for benefits under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA).
To qualify for benefits, you must:
- Work on, near, or adjacent to navigable water
- Work in a position where maritime duties comprise at least some of your work
You can qualify to receive benefits under the LHWCA even if you are not formally classified as a “seaman” for Jones Act purposes.
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
Not all oil rigs are located on, near adjacent to “navigable water” at all times.
LHWCA benefits are typically only available if your workplace injuries occurred on:
- The navigable waters of the United States
- Docks
- Piers
- Wharves
- Terminals
- Shipping areas
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act protects workers who are injured while working on “submerged lands lying seaward and outside of the area of lands beneath navigable waters.” This is precisely where many oil rigs are located.
In other words, you’ll likely be entitled to benefits even if you don’t qualify under the LHWCA.
How Much Money Can I Recover By Filing an Oil Rig Accident Claim?
Your case value depends on various factors, such as:
- The nature of your injuries
- Your average wages prior to the accident
- The duration of your recovery
- The cost of your medical treatment and rehabilitation
The value of your personal injury claim depends heavily on the severity of your injuries. If you cannot work at all during recovery, you’ll receive more money than if you can continue to perform light duty.
What Types of Compensatory Damages Are Available to Oil Rig Accident Victims?
Benefits under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation and Outer Continental Shelf Lands Acts are similar to those offered under Texas workers’ compensation laws.
If your injuries were job-related, you may be entitled to benefits for:
- All reasonable and necessary medical expenses
- Temporary total disability (TTD)
- Temporary partial disability (TPD)
- Permanent total disability (PTD)
- Permanent partial disability (PPD)
- Mileage and transportation expenses while seeking medical care
- Vocational retraining if you will be unable to return to your previous work
- Attorney’s fees and costs
These benefits are typically more generous than your average Texas workers’ compensation benefits.
Under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, you may also be entitled to punitive damages. These damages are awarded to punish oil companies and employers who have violated safety regulations and put their employees in danger.
Our Oil Rig Accident Attorneys Will Fight To Recover Compensation for All of Your Injuries
Falls from heights, explosions, and other types of oil rig accidents can cause lasting injuries.
At George Salinas Injury Lawyers, our maritime accident attorneys often represent victims who have suffered:
- Broken bones
- Back injuries
- Eye and facial injuries
- Nerve damage
- Head and neck injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Concussions
- Burns
- Organ damage and internal injuries
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
After sustaining a serious injury, it’s important to seek legal guidance. Scheduling a free case review with an experienced attorney is the first step toward recovering fair compensation. To learn more about how our San Antonio oil field accident lawyers can help, call for a free consultation today.
What Causes Most Oil Rig Accidents in San Antonio, Texas?
Our oil field injury attorneys handle all types of oil rig accident claims in San Antonio, including those involving:
- Falls from elevated platforms and heights
- Failure to provide proper safety equipment, including fall protection
- Fires and explosions
- Slip and fall accidents
- Defective tools and work equipment
- Dangerous premises
- Negligent hiring practices, including failure to properly screen oil field workers
- Failure to properly supervise and train oil rig workers
- Workplace violence
Would you like to have an experienced oil rig accident attorney review your case? Call our personal injury law firm in San Antonio to arrange your free case evaluation today. We’ll do everything in our power to help you fight for the fair compensation you deserve.
Am I Required To Prove Negligence to Recover Benefits for My Oil Rig Accident Injuries?
Like workers’ compensation, federal maritime laws do not require the injured worker to establish negligence to recover damages. That doesn’t mean you will automatically receive fair benefits.
Injured maritime workers often face many challenges, including:
- Claims that your injuries were not work-related
- Challenges to whether your medical bills were “reasonable and necessary”
- Difficulty proving the extent of your disability
- Challenges to your average weekly wages prior to the disability
- Claims that your injuries were pre-existing
Our lawyers at George Salinas Injury Lawyers are here to help you navigate these and other challenges that you might face. Just give us a call to schedule a free initial consultation today.
How Much Time Do I Have To File a Claim After an Oil Rig Accident in San Antonio, TX?
Under state law, victims typically have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. Different deadlines may apply depending on the federal maritime laws that apply in your case. Under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the deadline of the adjacent state applies. So, the typical two-year statute of limitations is the deadline for filing a claim.
Under the LHWCA, you must report your injury within 30 days. If you wait longer, you could risk losing your right to benefits. The statute of limitations for filing a formal claim for benefits is one year from the date of the accident.
Cases involving occupational illnesses are subject to a different deadline. You’ll typically have two years from the date that you learn, or reasonably should have learned, that you suffer from a job-related illness to file a claim.
Call an Experienced San Antonio Oil Rig Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation
You shouldn’t have to fight for fair compensation if you were injured in an oil field accident. Unfortunately, you might have to. An experienced San Antonio oil rig accident attorney at George Salinas Injury Lawyers can handle the legal issues while you recover. To learn more, you can contact our law offices for a free case review.
George Salinas Injury Lawyers
6243 I-10 Ste. 955, San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 225-0909
Open 24 hours
