Maison Law helps contract workers injured at California Valero refineries through the claims process. These sites move fast, use heavy machinery, and leave little room for error. A slip, fall, or equipment failure can put you out of work for months. Contractors often face the toughest jobs with the fewest protections, and the fallout—medical bills, lost wages, blame—can hit you and your family quickly. We’re here to help. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Do I Need a Lawyer?
When there’s an accident at a Valero refinery, those that work for the company directly have access to workers’ compensation benefits. Contract workers, however, don’t always have that safety net. Instead, you’re left with needing to file a civil claim to recover and that comes with its own challenges, where you might be:
- Blamed unfairly for an accident caused by poor safety oversight.
- Pressured into taking a quick, low settlement from insurers.
- Told you don’t have options simply because you’re not a full-time employee.
Taking on Valero and its insurance companies isn’t easy. They have legal teams whose job is to limit payouts and protect the company’s reputation. Without guidance, contractors can get lost in a maze of rules, delays, and paperwork. Having Maison Law on your side changes that. We can:
- Investigate what really happened.
- Stand up against lowball settlement offers.
- Keep you informed every step of the way.
Most importantly, we give you space to focus on getting better while we handle the legal side of things.
Why Do Accidents Happen at Valero Refineries?
As a contractor, you’re often called in for the hardest jobs at the refinery—maintenance on high scaffolding, emergency repairs under a time crunch, or specialized work near volatile systems. And when something goes wrong, the impact usually lands on you. Accidents at Valero sites can stem from many things, but usually, they result in the following:
- Falls from elevation – Ladders, scaffolds, and elevated platforms that are part of daily work can quickly turn deadly without proper safety measures.
- Explosions and fires – A single spark, leak, or misstep in a refinery environment can trigger massive chain reactions.
- Toxic exposure – Chemicals and fumes are everywhere, and even short exposure can cause lasting health issues.
- Heavy equipment accidents – Forklifts, cranes, and trucks share the space with workers, sometimes with tragic results.
- Defective safety gear – A faulty harness or respirator can mean the difference between a close call and a serious injury.
- Slips and trips – Oil spills or cluttered walkways might seem minor but can send someone to the hospital in seconds.
As you can see, accidents inside a refinery rarely have a single cause. The truth is, responsibility can spread across multiple people and groups, especially if you’re a contract worker.
Who is Usually Responsible for a Valero Refinery Accident?
As a contract worker at a Valero refinery, you don’t have the same protections as full-time employees. Unlike workers’ comp, a civil claim requires proving that negligence caused your accident and injuries.
Even with training, production pressures often win out—corners get cut, warnings ignored, and safety sidelined. Negligence can come from many different people. In a complex workplace like this, multiple people can share responsibility for your injuries, including:
- Valero itself – As the refinery owner, they are legally responsible for providing a safe workplace.
- Management and supervisors – They oversee daily operations and are tasked with enforcing safety standards.
- Your employer – The staffing agency or contractor that you work for can also be responsible if they didn’t train you properly or didn’t provide you with the right supervision.
- Other contractors or subcontractors – Mistakes or shortcuts on their part can put everyone on site at risk.
- Equipment manufacturers – Faulty machinery, tools, or safety gear can contribute to accidents.
- Inspectors or regulators – Safety agencies can share liability if obvious hazards are missed.
Pinning down liability is often one of the hardest parts of a claim. Refineries are complex workplaces, and multiple companies are usually operating side by side. That’s why contractors benefit from having someone in their corner to untangle the web and hold the right parties accountable.
What Legal Options Do You Have After a Valero Injury?
When you’re hurt at a refinery, the next steps aren’t always obvious. While you have legal options, it can be hard to know what to do. You know you have to take care of your medical bills, lost income, and other things, but with everything else you’re going through, it can leave you feeling stuck. But the reality is, you can file a claim and recover damages. To do that, there’s two main options:
- Filing an insurance claim – This is usually the quicker option, but it’s handled by insurance companies whose goal is to pay as little as possible.
- Filing a personal injury lawsuit – A longer process, but one that lets you pursue the full range of your losses, from medical bills to time away from work.
Through either option, you may be able to recover for things like:
- Emergency room bills and follow-up care.
- Rehab and long-term medical treatment.
- Paychecks you’ve missed during recovery.
- Reduced earning potential if you can’t return to your usual work.
- The physical pain and emotional distress caused by the accident.
- Loss of enjoyment when daily life isn’t the same.
- Funeral and burial costs in tragic wrongful death cases.
In California, you generally have two years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit. That may sound like a lot of time, but waiting can cost you valuable evidence and weaken your claim. Acting quickly is one of the best ways to protect your future.
What Evidence Helps Strengthen Your Claim?
Whether you’re a contract worker or a full-time Valero employee, there’s never a good time to get hurt at work. But with a civil claim, it takes on added stress for a contract worker. Any civil claim is ultimately going to come down to evidence and proof. So if you want a strong claim, you’ll need to have the following:
- Incident reports – Whether created by Valero or written by you, incident reports document the basic facts of what happened.
- Supervisor and contractor names – Make note of the supervisors and contractors in charge that day, since identifying who was responsible is important.
- Witness information – Gather details from coworkers or other contractors who saw the accident to back up your story.
- Medical records – Keep all tests, diagnoses, and treatment notes to show how your injuries connect to the accident.
- Photos and videos – Capture images of the scene, equipment, or your injuries, since visuals can tell the story better than words.
- Pay records – Hold on to timesheets and pay stubs to document what you were earning and any income lost.
- Messages and emails – Save all written communication with supervisors, management, or insurance representatives to show how the accident was reported and handled.
Keeping everything in one folder—digital or physical—makes it easier to stay organized and protects your claim from being picked apart later.
Maison Law Stands With Contractors Injured at Valero Refineries in California
No contractor expects to get hurt on the job. You were just doing the work you were hired for, and now everything—from bills to your ability to work—can feel out of control. At Maison Law, we see you, your family, and the challenges you’re facing. We handle the legal side so you can focus on healing and getting back to work. If you’ve been injured at a Valero refinery, reach out for a free consultation.
