The oilfields of Texas fuel an economy but they also carry serious risks for the men and women who work them. From Permian Basin operations to the pipelines crisscrossing Texas’ major metropolitan areas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, oilfield workers face some of the most dangerous conditions of any industry in the country and when something goes wrong, the consequences are rarely minor. In fact, statistics show that oilfield workers face a fatality rate seven times higher than the national average. When an accident occurs, injured workers deserve more than sympathy. They deserve accountability, justice, and a clear understanding of the legal compensation available to them.
The Reality of Oilfield Injuries in Texas
Oilfield accidents are rarely random. They are most often the result of systemic safety failures and an industry that runs on razor-thin turnarounds and relentless production pressure. When every hour of downtime costs money, companies are constantly pushing the envelope: cutting corners on training, rushing equipment back into service before it’s been properly maintained and tested, and ignoring OSHA regulations to keep the operation moving. Workers are often the ones who pay the price, and the injuries that result can be life-altering.
Crush Injuries
Among the most frequently reported severe injuries in the oilfield, crush injuries occur when workers are caught between heavy machinery, pipes, or casing at dangerous pinch points. The result is often broken bones, catastrophic injuries like amputations, or permanent nerve damage — injuries that can end a career or a normal life overnight.
Falls from Height
Derricks, rigs, and ladders are everyday work environments for oilfield workers, but they become deadly when employers fail to provide proper fall-protection equipment or maintain stable platforms. Falls are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord damage in the industry.
Fires and Explosions
Blowouts, gas releases, and malfunctioning equipment can turn a job site into an inferno with little warning. According to a CDC report analyzing OSHA data, explosions account for roughly 15% of oilfield fatalities, and survivors frequently face catastrophic burn injuries and permanent respiratory damage that require years of medical treatment.
Transportation Accidents
Statistically, getting to and from the job site is the single deadliest hazard facing Texas oilfield workers; responsible for the majority of all oilfield fatalities. A significant number of those deaths occur on US-285, a highway that runs through the West Texas oilfields, serving as a primary artery for Class A trucks hauling fuel, sand, water, and supplies to drilling operations. Locals have nicknamed it the Death Highway, and for good reason — with increased production due to new technologies traffic on 285 has surged with them, and so does the death toll. Add driver fatigue from grueling shift schedules and the sheer volume of heavy commercial traffic, and the danger becomes impossible to ignore. For oilfield workers, the commute itself can be as life-threatening as anything that happens on the rig.
Toxic Chemical Exposure
Hydrogen sulfide, benzene, and other hazardous chemicals are a routine presence on oilfield sites — and a serious threat. Hydrogen sulfide can cause immediate incapacitation or death at high concentrations, while prolonged exposure to benzene and similar substances is linked to leukemia, organ failure, and other devastating long-term conditions.
When a worker is hurt because of someone else’s failure, Texas law provides paths to justice.
Understanding Your Rights: Workers’ Comp vs. Personal Injury
The path to legal compensation in Texas is unique and often confusing. Your options depend largely on who employed you and who was at fault.
Texas is the only state that does not require most private employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. As of 2024, approximately 24% of Texas employers are non-subscribers. If your employer carries workers’ comp, you can receive benefits covering medical bills and a portion of lost wages if you have been injured on the job but you cannot sue your employer directly for pain and suffering. The Only Exception: In Texas, if an employee dies due to an employer’s “gross negligence,” the surviving family may still be able to sue for punitive damages.
If your employer has opted out, you have the right to sue them directly for full damages if their negligence caused your injury.
Even when workers’ compensation is available, it rarely tells the whole story. Oilfield operations involve a complex web of operators, contractors, subcontractors, and equipment manufacturers. If any of those third parties caused or contributed to your injury, you can pursue a personal injury lawsuit against them regardless of your workers’ comp status. These claims can recover far more — including loss of future earning capacity, physical pain and mental anguish, and damages for disfigurement and permanent impairment. Most oilfield cases hinge on proving negligence: inadequate training, poor equipment maintenance, or a careless or deliberate failure to follow safety standards in order to speed up production.
Steps to Take After an Oilfield Injury
Your actions in the days immediately following an oilfield injury can make or break your case. Seek medical attention immediately and document every symptom, even ones that seem minor at first. Report the injury to your supervisor and ensure it is recorded in writing. If it is safe to do so, photograph or video the scene, the equipment involved, and your injuries. Collect names and contact information for any co-workers or contractors who witnessed what happened. And before you sign any documents or give a recorded statement to an insurance adjuster, speak with an attorney.
Companies and their insurers move quickly after serious accidents. They have legal teams protecting their interests from day one, often within mere hours. You should too.
How O’Hare and Koch Law Firm Can Help Injured Oilfield Workers
At O’Hare and Koch Law Firm, we represent injured workers throughout Texas from our offices in Dallas and Carrollton. We’ve recovered millions for clients across Texas by holding negligent parties accountable. We understand the oil and gas industry, the contractor relationships that define it, and the tactics businesses and their insurance companies use to minimize or deny claims. Whether your case involves a non-subscriber employer claim or a third-party personal injury lawsuit, our attorneys fight to ensure you and your family receive the full compensation you deserve: including medical expenses, lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, pain and suffering, and wrongful death damages when a worker does not survive.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an oilfield accident in North Texas or anywhere else in Texas, contact O’Hare and Koch Law Firm today for a free consultation. There are no fees unless we win your case.
