Maison Law helps oil field workers that are injured in accidents throughout California.
It’s one of the most lucrative and important industries to the economy but working for an oil company is also pretty dangerous. It’s not hard to see why with the conditions and equipment in place, but when you factor in negligence, it changes the equation.
Our team can guide you through the claims process from start to finish. Set up a free consultation today to learn more.
California Oil Field Accident Injury Claims Process
Step 1
Call Us For A Free Consultation
Call us 24/7 with No Obligations.
Step 2
Describe Your Accident Details
We will then discuss your legal options and decide whether to move your case forward.
Step 3
Retain Maison Law w/ No Upfront Fees
We work on contingency. No attorney fees unless you win your case.
Step 4
Receive Your Compensation
We will fight for you to earn the highest possible payout for your damages.
Why Would I Need a Lawyer?
Working in an oil field is challenging—and dangerous. Whether you’re a contract worker, temp, or full-time employee, you’re exposed to hazards every day. Heavy machinery, high-pressure equipment, flammable chemicals, and extreme heat make even routine tasks risky. One misstep, faulty tool, or ignored safety protocol can lead to serious injuries—sometimes life-changing ones.
If you’re hurt, you don’t always need a lawyer—but having someone on your side can make a big difference. Our team can:
- Explain your legal options and what type of claim you may have.
- Investigate your accident and gather the evidence that strengthens your case.
- Handle insurance adjusters and corporate lawyers who may try to minimize your claim.
Some injuries are obvious right away, like burns, falls, or equipment accidents. Others, like chemical exposure, repetitive strain, or inhalation of hazardous substances, may take months or even years to appear. Either way, getting guidance early protects your rights–and makes it easier to build your claim.
What Do I Need For a Strong Claim After an Oil Field Accident?
No matter how experienced you are, an accident working in an oil field can happen in a flash. You could be checking a pipeline, climbing scaffolding, operating a pump, or moving heavy equipment one moment—and getting injured the next. At that point, your focus is understandably on health and safety. But it’s also about documenting what happened. Here’s what you’ll need to do that:
- Incident report – Write down the exact sequence of events, including date, time, location, and conditions. Ask your supervisor or employer for a copy of any report they file.
- Statements – Get names and contact information for anyone who saw the accident. Even a few reliable accounts can make your case much stronger.
- Medical records – Save every doctor’s note, test result, and treatment plan. These documents show a direct link between your injury and the accident.
- Pictures and videos – If you’re able, take pictures/videos of the scene, your injuries, and any equipment or safety gear involved. These can highlight unsafe conditions and how serious your injuries are. This is often powerful evidence for a jury and insurance company.
- Work records – Keep track of your pay stubs, schedules, and timesheets. These help calculate lost income and support your claim when it comes to the financial impact.
- Safety concerns – Make note of any hazards you saw prior to the accident, such as faulty tools, unmarked spills, or missing protective gear. This is incredibly important for showing a pattern of negligence.
- Emails, texts, or other messages – Save emails, texts, or written reports with supervisors, management, or insurance reps. This can show that you reported the accident and how it was handled (or mishandled.)
Obviously, it’s great if you’re able to get these things on your own. But most oil field accidents are pretty serious, which means you might be too hurt or the situation is too chaotic to gather a lot of these things. That’s where our team can pitch in and help you with getting everything together.
What Leads to Accidents at a California Oil Field?
Working in an oil field might be inherently dangerous, but what turns a random accident into a potential legal claim is negligence. That raises the stakes of what can happen to you in that environment, but it also highlights the various causes of an accident:
- Slips, trips, and falls – Even a small patch of oil on the ground, uneven terrain, ladders, or cluttered work areas can knock you off your feet. Carrying tools or equipment just makes it easier to lose your balance.
- Chemical, flame, or burn injuries – Fuels, gases, and other chemicals are everywhere on a drilling site or pipeline. A splash, a leak, or a stray spark can give you burns, damage your lungs, or even cause long-term health problems. It can also lead to explosions.
- Accidents with machinery – Pumps, drills, conveyors, and other heavy equipment are essential, but if something malfunctions—or if someone makes a mistake—they can crush, cut, or seriously injure you.
- Falls from heights – Working on rigs, platforms, or scaffolding without proper fall protection is dangerous. Even a short fall can be serious.
- Defective equipment – Sometimes it’s not you, it’s the tools. Broken or poorly maintained equipment, or safety gear that doesn’t work right, can cause injuries you don’t see coming.
- Poor safety oversight – Rushed jobs, missing warnings, ignored hazards, or lack of proper training can turn what should be a routine task into a serious accident.
Even injuries that seem minor at first can get worse if you don’t treat them right away. And if you wait too long to report what happened or document the scene, it can make it harder to hold the right people accountable later.
Who’s Responsible for Your Oil Field Accident?
When you get hurt on an oil field, it’s not always about who you work for—it’s about who had a duty to keep you safe and failed. This is what makes someone responsible for what happened–both legally and financially. But it also depends on what actually happened, and in an oil field, this can fall on different people or companies:
- Oil field owners or operators – They’re responsible for making sure the workplace is safe, equipment works properly, and workers get the training and protective gear they need.
- Managers or supervisors – If they ignore hazards, rush workers, or give unsafe instructions, they can share liability.
- Coworkers – Other people on the job have to act safely too. If someone’s careless or reckless behavior causes an accident, they could be held responsible.
- Equipment manufacturers – Sometimes accidents happen because a tool, piece of machinery, or safety gear is defective. The maker of that equipment can share responsibility.
- Government inspectors or agencies – Regulators are supposed to enforce safety rules. If inspections were skipped or safety violations ignored, liability can sometimes extend to them.
- Other contractors or property owners – Anyone whose negligence created unsafe conditions could be on the hook.
- Staffing agencies or subcontractors – If they didn’t provide proper oversight, training, or safety guidance, they might be responsible for what happened.
The key idea is simple: anyone who had control over your safety and failed to act could be liable for your injuries. Understanding liability helps you see who might be responsible for what happened, even before thinking about claims or lawsuits.
Accidents at...
What Options Do I Have for Filing a Claim After an Oil Field Accident?
Getting hurt on the job is stressful, and oil fields come with a lot of risks. You might be dealing with pain, missed work, and uncertainty about what to do next. The good news is, there are generally two main ways to handle it: workers’ compensation or a civil injury claim.
Workers' Compensation
If you’re a full-time employee of an oil company, workers’ comp is usually your first option. It’s designed to cover your medical bills and a portion of lost wages without having to prove anyone was at fault. It’s faster and less complicated than a lawsuit, but it can also be limited—you might not get full coverage for everything, like long-term pain or emotional distress.
Civil Personal Injury Claim
This is usually the path for contract workers or anyone whose injury wasn’t fully covered by workers’ comp. With a civil claim, you have to show that someone else’s negligence caused your injury, just like a car accident or slip-and-fall that happens outside of work. At that point, you can either file:
- An insurance claim
- A personal injury lawsuit
These kinds of claims can take longer and require more paperwork, but they also lead to fuller “damages” like:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Lost income or a loss of earning potential
- Repair/replacement costs for damaged gear, clothing, or equipment
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
- Wrongful death expenses in fatal accidents
The main difference between these two paths is fault. Workers’ comp doesn’t care who was at fault—you get coverage just for being hurt on the job. A civil claim, on the other hand, is all about proving someone else’s responsibility for what happened. Either way, the sooner you get documentation, medical care, and guidance, the stronger your case will be–and you’ll be better positioned to get what you need to recover.
What Our Clients Say
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. While contract workers usually aren’t eligible for workers’ comp, you can file a civil personal injury claim if you can show negligence caused your injury.
Many oil field injuries—like chemical exposure or repetitive strain—show symptoms later. Medical records and documentation from the time of the accident are key to proving your claim.
In most cases, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a civil personal injury claim in California. Claims against government agencies may have shorter deadlines. If you’re filing for workers’ comp, you have 30 days to report the accident and one year to file the claim.
It’s usually best to speak with us before giving detailed statements. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask certain questions that hurt your claim and protect their bottom line.
California follows a “comparative negligence” rule. Even if you’re partially responsible, you can still file a claim, but the amount could be reduced based on your share of fault.
Contact Maison Law If You’re Injured in an Oil Field Accident in California
Working in an oil field is hard enough without worrying about an accident and injuries. But for a lot of workers in California, this is exactly what can happen when their safety isn’t a priority.
When you’re hurt on the job, our team of California oil field accident lawyers at Maison Law will be there to help you through the next steps.
Get started today with a free consultation.
