Oilfield work puts employees around heavy machinery, elevated work areas, moving vehicles, pressure systems, hazardous materials, and crews from multiple companies. When something goes wrong, determining who was involved and which laws apply is not always straightforward.
Johnson & Biscone, P.A. has represented injured Oklahomans for more than 50 years, and our attorneys bring more than 100 years of combined legal experience to the firm. Joseph C. Biscone II has spent more than five decades handling workers’ compensation and personal injury matters, while Bryce B. Johnson has more than 30 years of personal injury experience. Our Oklahoma City oilfield accident attorneys help workers understand their options when a workplace incident involves workers’ compensation, negligence by another company, or both.
Common Causes of Oilfield Accidents
Oil and gas operations depend on equipment, coordinated crews, proper training, and safe work practices. A failure in any of these areas can put workers at risk.
Common causes of oilfield accidents include:
- Fires and explosions
- Falls from scaffolding or elevated work areas
- Falling tools, materials, or equipment
- Machinery or equipment failures
- Poorly maintained tools or components
- Hazardous chemical exposure
- Improper operation of machinery
- Inadequate training or supervision
- Defective products or equipment
- Vehicle accidents at or near a jobsite
- Negligence by another contractor or crew
Identifying how the incident happened is especially important on sites where several employers, contractors, equipment companies, or other businesses are working at the same time.
Serious Injuries From Oilfield Work
Industrial accidents can cause injuries that require surgery, rehabilitation, or extended time away from regular duties. Our attorneys assist people dealing with:
- Back, neck, and spinal injuries
- Brain and head injuries
- Burn injuries
- Broken bones
- Crush injuries
- Amputations
- Shoulder and joint damage
- Other conditions that result in lasting physical limitations
Medical records help document the diagnosis, course of treatment, work restrictions, and changes in a worker’s condition. Those details can become particularly important when recovery takes months or permanent limitations remain.
Workers’ Compensation and Third-Party Claims After an Oilfield Accident
A job-related injury and a negligence case against another company are not the same legal matter.
Workers’ Compensation
An employee hurt while performing job duties may qualify for workers’ compensation. These cases generally do not require an employee to prove that the employer caused the accident.
The process may involve medical treatment, temporary work restrictions, time away from the job, or disagreements about ongoing care. Our attorneys help injured workers understand their rights and respond when questions or disputes arise during the case.
Third-Party Negligence
Another business may share responsibility for an oilfield incident. For example, a contractor could create a dangerous condition, a maintenance company could perform faulty repairs, or defective equipment could contribute to what happened.
Possible third parties include:
- General contractors
- Subcontractors
- Other companies working at the site
- Equipment manufacturers
- Maintenance and repair companies
- Vehicle drivers or transportation businesses
One accident can therefore lead to both a workers’ compensation matter and a separate negligence case. Johnson & Biscone has handled oilfield cases involving both types of legal action.
What if Equipment Failed?
Heavy machinery, tools, pressure systems, and specialized components are part of everyday oilfield operations. When a piece of equipment breaks or malfunctions, investigators may need to look beyond the worker’s employer.
A defective component, manufacturing problem, inadequate warning, or improper repair could point to responsibility elsewhere. Our product liability attorneys can examine who manufactured, distributed, serviced, or repaired the equipment.
Physical evidence is especially valuable in these situations. When possible, damaged machinery or components should be preserved rather than altered or discarded before they can be examined.
What to Do After an Oilfield Accident
After urgent medical needs are handled, preserving basic information about the incident can help establish what happened. Oilfield sites change quickly. Equipment gets moved, crews leave, and operations may resume soon afterward.
Depending on the circumstances, consider taking these steps:
- Report the incident through the appropriate workplace procedure.
- Explain clearly to medical providers how you were hurt.
- Write down the names of witnesses and their employers.
- Photograph the location or equipment when it is safe to do so.
- Keep copies of incident reports, work restrictions, and medical paperwork.
- Follow the treatment plan given by your medical provider.
- Avoid making assumptions about fault before the circumstances have been investigated.
Photos, witness information, company records, safety documentation, and equipment evidence can all help establish the conditions that existed when the incident occurred.
Why Choose Johnson & Biscone for an Oilfield Accident Claim in Oklahoma City?
Oilfield cases often require experience with both workplace injury law and personal injury litigation. Our legal team brings that combination to each case.
Joseph C. Biscone II has represented injured Oklahoma workers for more than 50 years. His background includes extensive workers’ compensation work, professional recognition, teaching, and involvement in continuing legal education. Emily Biscone also represents injured workers and handles workers’ compensation matters, while James J. Biscone practices in both personal injury and workers’ compensation. Bryce B. Johnson adds more than three decades of personal injury and trial experience.
Our clients also work directly with attorneys. A legal assistant may handle initial questions when you call, but one of our lawyers becomes involved early and meets with you directly. That hands-on approach is useful when several companies were present at the jobsite or responsibility is disputed.
Oilfield Accident Case Results
Johnson & Biscone has represented workers in significant cases involving drilling operations, natural gas facilities, contractor negligence, falling objects, and serious jobsite injuries.
Our oilfield accident case results include:
- $2 million settlement: An insulation company employee suffered serious injuries after falling from scaffolding at a natural gas processing facility. The case involved allegations concerning the general contractor’s management of the work area during system testing.
- $1.1 million settlement: An oilfield worker was seriously hurt in a drilling accident involving allegations of inadequate supervision. Our firm handled both the workers’ compensation matter and the related negligence case.
- $1 million settlement: A derrick hand suffered a serious head injury when a piece of steel fell from the crow’s nest area of a drilling well after a third party had welded the steel.
Previous results do not guarantee future case outcomes. They do, however, reflect the types of complex oilfield matters our attorneys have handled. Every case depends on its own facts, injuries, evidence, and applicable law.
FAQs About Oilfield Accident Claims
Speak With an Oklahoma City Oilfield Accident Attorney
When an oilfield accident involves several companies, damaged equipment, or questions about responsibility, determining the right legal path may require a closer investigation. Johnson & Biscone, P.A. represents injured workers and families in Oklahoma City, Edmond, Norman, and communities throughout Oklahoma. Call (405) 232-6490 or contact us for a free case review with our legal team.
