From 2008 to 2017 a total of 1,566 Americans lost their lives from injuries in the oil field industry. We’re so glad that your oil field injuries weren’t fatal and that you’re reading this article here today.
However, while your injuries may not appear severe, they still can have a major impact on the way you live. If you don’t take the right steps today, you could wind up receiving less compensation than you deserve.
Thankfully, we’ve created this guide for oil field workers just like you. Hard-working individuals that were hurt on the job, and deserve compensation. Read on to find out when to hire an attorney to help with your oil field injury.
Common Oil field Injuries
Many different types of oil field injuries occur each year. Here’s a shortlist of the different types of injuries that an attorney can help with:
Oil field injury cases are often complex. That’s why it’s a good idea to have an attorney on your side. They’ll work to guarantee you receive the maximum compensation available.
Let’s take a closer look at the common injuries, and how they can impact your life.
Head and Brain Injuries
Did you hit your head, or was your head hit by something at work? If so, you may be dealing with a concussion. Other head injuries include facial lacerations, skull fractures, and facial fractures.
If you have a brain or head injury, you could have permanent disfiguration. You may also find yourself dealing with emotional complications from the injury. Luckily, with the help of an attorney, you can work towards getting a fair payment for your damages.
Neck and Back Injuries
Other injuries an attorney can be helpful with are neck and back injuries. For instance, if you injure your spinal cord, or pinch a nerve, you could have chronic pain.
Having chronic pain can make it difficult to work, or enjoy any of life’s simple pleasures. In some cases, spinal cord injuries will also require extensive surgeries and rehabilitation. Having a lawyer in your corner fighting for you means you’ll have a better chance of receiving the best care.
Bone Injuries and Dislocations
Moving on we come to the bone injuries. Bone injuries include broken bones, hairline fractures, and shattered bones. If you dislocate one of your bones or joints, this also counts as a bone injury.
Having a bone injury can permanently affect your ability to work. Unfortunately, certain bone injuries can prevent you from returning to the same job.
You may also never be able to return to a physically demanding job moving forward. Luckily, an oil field injury attorney can help you get compensation for living expenses.
Limbs and Extremities
When someone experiences an amputation or a crushed limb, this is a limb and extremity injury. The damage can be temporary or permanent, and it affects your ability to move your arms, legs, or feet. Other extremity injuries can involve the inability to move your toes and fingers.
Can you imagine how different your life would be if you couldn’t move your fingers? Or what if you completely lost one of your arms in a workplace amputation accident?
It’s easy to see why you’d want to get the most compensation possible to help you adjust to your new life.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Next we have soft tissue injuries, and these would be injuries such as a sprain or a strain. Here are a few more types of soft tissue injuries:
Now, you might not think of a soft tissue injury as being a serious injury. However, soft tissue injuries can be long-lasting and life interrupting. A simple strain can develop into something more serious over time.
Burns and Skin Injuries
Finally we come to burns and skin injuries. Burns include any first-degree, second-degree, or third-degree burn. If there’s any blistering and scarring, then you’re dealing with permanent damage.
Your skin may never heal completely, and you deserve compensation for your loss. This holds for other skin injuries like chemical burns, frostbite, bruises, and punctures.
Remember, you’re not a trained medical professional. Even if you think your injury is mild, it could affect you for the rest of your life.
No matter what your injury is, contact a reputable oil field injury lawyer. Explain your injuries to the lawyer and ask them whether or not they think you have a case.
Battling Insurance Companies
When you get hurt at work, you have to understand one important thing. Insurance companies don’t have your best interest at heart. Instead, the insurance company has one goal. Their goal is to spend as little money as possible for resolving your claim.
Even if you have a personal insurance company, their main goal is also money motivated. Luckily, an experienced lawyer will be able to help you battle insurance companies.
One of the first things your lawyer is likely to tell you is to not talk to the insurance companies directly. Instead, you can use your attorney as a buffer between you and the insurance company.
Simply let the insurance company know that you have a lawyer. Instruct the insurance company to contact your lawyer before speaking with you. This way your lawyer will be able to negotiate the claim so that you have the best recovery possible.
Workers Compensation and Legal Claims
Did you receive a worker’s compensation claim for your injury? If yes, that doesn’t mean you’ve given up your rights to hire an attorney.
A personal injury claim is different than a worker’s compensation claim. A successful personal injury trial could help you get more money than just workers’ compensation. For instance, your lawyer may be able to get you compensation for any pain and suffering you’ve endured.
Get the Money You Deserve
Now you know the truth about when to hire a lawyer to help with oil field injuries. Anytime you’re hurt on the job, reaching out for legal help is a solid idea.
We hope that our article will inspire you to find an attorney who will fight for you. For more articles like this one, go ahead and check out the rest of this site.
