Oilfield workers may have rights when unsafe equipment, poor training, or careless acts cause an injury. The type of claim depends on who caused the accident and which companies controlled the work. The laws governing these types of cases can be complex, making it difficult to know exactly what your rights are when it comes to Texas oilfield injuries.
Oilfield Dangers in the Permian Basin
The Midland-Odessa area is at the center of the Permian Basin. Workers travel between drilling sites on roads filled with sand haulers, water trucks, tankers, and crew vans. Routes like US 285 are narrow in places, and long work shifts can add to the danger.
In March 2026, Martin County produced more crude oil than any other Texas county. Midland, Upton, Loving, and Reagan counties followed. Webb County led the state in natural gas production, while Reeves and Midland counties ranked second and third. This crude oil and natural gas production came from 156,038 oil wells and 84,395 gas wells.
Texas Workplace Injury Data
Texas recorded 557 work-related deaths across all industries in 2024. Transportation incidents caused 242 deaths. Contact with equipment or other objects caused 91, and falls, slips, and trips caused 77.
According to the state’s fatal injury data, 26 deaths happened in support activities for oil and gas operations. This work can include drilling support, well servicing, and other tasks performed by outside crews. The number does not include every death that may have been connected to oilfield transportation or work performed under another industry category.
Causes of Serious Oilfield Injuries
Oilfield crews work around heavy tools, moving vehicles, raised platforms, flammable materials, and high-pressure equipment. OSHA reports that struck-by, caught-in, and caught-between events are the leading causes of deaths at well sites. Common hazards include:
- Falling pipes, tools, and pipe stands
- Top drives and iron roughnecks
- Unguarded or moving machinery
- High-pressure lines that break loose
- Truck and equipment crashes
- Falls from rigs, ladders, and platforms
- Well blowouts, fires, and explosions
- Electrical shocks
- Silica dust from fracking sand
- Defective or poorly maintained equipment
Hydrogen sulfide gas is another major danger. It may be present in oil and natural gas deposits. High levels can cause a worker to collapse within moments. The gas is also flammable and may lead to a fire or explosion.
Which Type of Claim Can a Worker File?
An oilfield accident may involve several businesses working at the same site. The company that pays the injured worker is not always the company that caused the harm. A personal injury claim may be possible when another business, contractor, driver, or equipment maker acted carelessly. A claim may involve:
- A site owner or well operator
- A drilling or well-service company
- An outside contractor
- A trucking company
- A maintenance crew
- A leased-equipment operator
- A defective machine or part manufacturer
More than one company may share fault. Important evidence may include work orders, safety records, equipment logs, contracts, truck data, witness statements, and site videos. Identifying who owned the equipment, controlled the work, and created the danger is a key part of an oilfield injury investigation.
What an Injury Claim Can Cover
A personal injury claim may seek compensation for medical care, lost income, reduced earning ability, physical pain, disability, and emotional harm. It may also cover future treatment or help that the worker will need because of a long-term injury.
If an oilfield accident is fatal, the worker’s surviving spouse, children, or parents may have a wrongful death claim. A separate survival claim may cover losses the worker suffered between the injury and death.
How Long Do Oilfield Workers Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Under the Texas statute of limitations, you must generally file a personal injury lawsuit within two years after the claim begins. A wrongful death lawsuit generally must be filed within two years after the person’s death. Exceptions may change these deadlines, so an injured worker or surviving family should speak with a personal injury attorney at Farah Law as soon as possible.
Sources:
1 https://www.rrc.texas.gov/news/texas-oil-and-gas-production-statistics-for-march-2026/
2 https://www.tdi.texas.gov/wc/safety/sis/documents/fataltables24.pdf
3. https://www.osha.gov/etools/oil-and-gas/general-safety/common-wellsite-incidents
4. https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?tab=1&code=CP&chapter=CP.71&artSec=71.004
5. https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?artSec=16.003&chapter=CP.16&code=CP&tab=2
