Oil rig explosion, oil field explosion injury lawsuit investigation

Oil rig, oil field explosions and injuries: Who’s affected?

Were you injured while working on an oil rig or in the oil field as a result of lack of safety equipment, poor maintenance, neglect, or other issues?

Working on an oil rig is a risky job involving heavy machinery and volatile substances. Oil field injuries and explosions are not uncommon. And while oil companies insist that this work is dangerous and some accidents are unavoidable, the fact is that the most common cause of oil rig explosions is negligence.

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and spill in April 2010, was both the largest and deadliest of its kind. A total of 11 people were killed, and 17 more were injured.

Many more such explosions occur without getting the same kind of media attention. Even when workers aren’t killed as a result, they are too often left injured and feeling like they don’t have options for holding those responsible accountable.

Thousands of Americans face these risks daily. Most years, there are upwards of 150 oil rig explosion injuries from offshore incidents, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).

Notably, offshore oil and gas worker fatalities are underreported, per WWNO public radio. BSEE’s reporting criteria is strict, eliminating nearly half of known offshore worker fatalities in the Gulf of Mexico from 2005 to 2019.

Workers who have been injured in an oil rig explosion caused by poor maintenance, neglect, or the like may be able to file a lawsuit and obtain compensation for their medical bills, lost work, and other damages.

Oil rig explosions often caused by neglect

Oil rig explosions can lead to workers being injured, hospitalized, or even killed, not to mention the incredible environmental impact of an oil spill. Oil companies try to claim that these kinds of incidents are simply unavoidable — such is the nature of dangerous work. But more often than not, these incidents can actually be traced back to patterns of neglect.

Causes of oil rig explosions include machinery malfunction, inadequate training, lack of safety equipment, workers with inadequate rest, OSHA violations, bad electrical wiring, poor maintenance, and more.

Workers injured in oil rig explosions may not realize that their injuries were preventable and that there are those who can be held accountable.

Risk of oil rig and oil field explosions

Each day, the threat of oil rig explosions affects thousands of Americans. Texas accounted for 44 out of the 69 oil rig fatalities in the U.S. in 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In Texas alone, oil jobs account for 13.9% of state’s total employment, per the Texas Oil and Gas Association.

There are typically between 1 and 4 explosions on offshore oil rigs each year, per the BSEE, along with dozens of annual fires. Oil rigs incidents are known for causing major oil spills with a significant environmental and health impact, but they can also cause serious or even fatal injuries from the explosion itself. 

Recent onshore and offshore oil rig explosions

In June 2019, Philadelphia Energy Solutions experienced a series of explosions that caused significant shock waves and debris in the surrounding area, resulting in five minor injuries, reports CNBC.

In February 2020, Marathon Petroleum in Carson, California — the West Coast’s largest oil refinery — experienced an explosion late one night, resulting in a fire, the LA Times reported. The fire occurred in a section of the plant that had previously been cited for workplace safety violations.

In December 2021, a fire at an Exxon Mobil Corp complex in Baytown, Texas, injured four people, leading to two hospitalizations, per Reuters. The fire was coupled with an explosive force that shook nearby buildings, according to reports from people in the area.

Join a free oil rig and oil field injury and explosion lawsuit investigation

If you were injured in an inshore or offshore rig explosion within the last three years and went to the hospital because of those injuries (not limited to overnight hospitalization), or if a loved one was killed under these circumstances, you may be able to join this oil rig and oil field injury and explosion lawsuit investigation and pursue compensation.

Fill out the free form on this page to see if you qualify.