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(406) 315-3737Working in oil fields on oil rigs can be a lucrative career, but it also comes with serious risks. Injuries are common, and the outcome can be catastrophic or even fatal.
Pursuing legal action following one of these accidents is possible, and when you are hurt in an oil field or on an oil rig, a dedicated workplace injury lawyer is here to help. A legal team with extensive courtroom experience can advise you of your options, evaluate the strength of your case, and manage your lawsuit for you. Let a Great Falls oil field and oil rig accident lawyer help you maximize your compensation.
Many oilfield accidents occur as the result of negligence on the part of the injured person’s employer. In these scenarios, workers’ compensation laws prevent them from filing a personal injury lawsuit against the company they work for, their supervisors, or any coworkers who might have been at fault.
That said, it is not uncommon for multiple negligent parties to share the responsibility for these accidents, and the law does not shield everyone from personal injury litigation.
A Great Falls attorney can help someone injured in an oil field or oil rig accident seek justice when third parties are to blame for an injury. These lawsuits could target a number of people, including vendors, independent contractors, or even passersby.
To recover financial compensation, an injured person will need to establish they were hurt by a careless, reckless, or intentional act by someone who owed them a duty of care, meaning that person had a duty to act responsibly and keep everyone around them safe, but they did not do so.
Injuries can happen under many different circumstances in the oil industry, and understanding the cause of these incidents can be an important step toward getting fair compensation from the responsible party.
One of the most common causes of injuries in an oil field is a fall. These incidents can occur in different ways. Slipping or tripping and falling on flat ground can lead to serious injuries like bone fractures or joint sprains.
Falling from a great height is even more dangerous. Often, this business requires workers to be high above the ground, and a fall can cause catastrophic or even fatal wounds.
Heavy machinery is commonly used in this line of work. Safety protocols designed to avoid a dangerous accident are not always enough to prevent a worker from being caught in these machines. Crushing injuries can occur when a person is caught between a mobile piece of machinery and a fixed object, like a wall.
While less common than other types of accidents, explosions are a serious threat in an oil field due to the high concentration of combustible material. The risk is especially high given the presence of highly pressurized gas that can explode due to a single spark.
A lawyer in Great Falls who has experience with oil field and oil rig accidents can help collect evidence to determine liability for an injury.
These accidents can cause life-altering injuries with significant physical, emotional, and financial costs. A civil lawsuit can lead to damages that address each of these hardships. Some types of compensation a Great Falls oil field accident attorney could pursue include the following:
Expensive medical care frequently follows a major injury. In addition to the need for emergency hospitalization or surgery, those hurt in oil rig accidents frequently require ongoing treatment for months or years following the incident. It can be possible to recover a monetary award based on past and future medical expenses.
Sustaining an injury that makes it impossible to work can have a sudden impact on a worker’s ability to support themselves financially. This loss of income can be compounded by unexpected medical expenses related to an oilfield accident. Successfully pursuing a lawsuit can lead to compensation for both past and future lost wages.
The pain of a serious injury can be difficult to bear for most people. In some cases, such as nerve damage, this pain might never go away. Because the accident would not have occurred when someone else was not negligent, compensation could be available.
Due to the presence of heavy machinery and harmful materials, many of these accidents involve disfiguring injuries. While there is no way to place an objective dollar value on these wounds, an attorney can show a jury how they impact a person’s mental as well as physical health.
When you are hurt on the job, you should act quickly. You might have a viable personal injury claim, but identifying the appropriate defendant is not always easy. Contact a Great Falls oil field and oil rig accident lawyer today to discuss your options.