- Texas is the top crude oil and natural gas-producing state in the nation. In 2020, Texas accounted for 43% of the nation’s crude oil production and 26% of its marketed natural gas production.
- The 31 petroleum refineries in Texas can process almost 5.9 million barrels of crude oil per calendar day, which was 31% of the nation’s refining capacity as of January 2020.
- Texas leads the nation in wind-powered generation and produced about 28% of all U.S. wind-powered electricity in 2020. Wind power surpassed the state’s nuclear generation for the first time in 2014 and produced more than twice as much electricity as the state’s two nuclear power plants combined in 2020.
- Texas produces more electricity than any other state, generating almost twice as much as Florida, the second-highest electricity-producing state.
- Texas is the largest energy-producing and energy-consuming state in the nation. The industrial sector, including its refineries and petrochemical plants, accounts for half of the energy consumed in the state.
BIG PRODUCTION LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC INJURIES OR DEATH
Drilling oil is dangerous. Fatal and injurious oilfield accidents in Texas are all too common. In fact, the oil and gas industry has some of the highest rates of work-related accidents. Even though OSHA is the authority that penalizes company violations leading to injuries and fatalities, it is arguably not in the oil and gas workers’ corner. OSHA investigates oilfield accidents and may find company violations and impose fines and penalties. Usually, the big oil and gas companies contest OSHA’s findings, and many times for the sake of hazard abatement, OSHA will reduce fines and sometimes dismiss penalties altogether. BIG Oil and BIG government work together to regulate worker safety and document accidents in the oil and gas industry. What is left unseen are the negotiations between corporate and the government to resolve settlement instead of restoring victims.
The more pressure there is to supply fuels for exports, the greater the temptation to skip steps, rush production and circumvent safety measures. The 2016 film, Deepwater Horizon, is a dramatization of such a horror when offshore drilling rig was pressured to timely fill orders and cut costs that lead to an explosive, devastating disaster resulting in deaths and the worst oil spill in American history.
TEXAS TRIBUNE: “From 2008 through 2017, 1,566 workers perished trying to extract oil and gas in America. About as many U.S. troops died fighting in Afghanistan during that period.”
You need someone in your corner looking out for your and pathing the way for safer standers for workers. At McKay Law we fight together to improve the lives of our clients’ and to make a difference for the rest of the industry.
THE MOST COMMON OILFIELD INJURIES IN TEXAS
Workers in the oil & gas industry are subjected to extremely dangerous oil field worksite conditions, where cutting corners on safety, oversight, and maintenance can pose real risks of serious injury or death. Oil field accident can cause devastating and life-threatening injuries. McKay Law lawyers work hard to make sure that injured workers and their families are properly compensated for their current and future needs.
- HEAD AND BRAIN INJURIES: concussions, traumatic brain injuries, skull and facial fractures, and facial lacerations.
- NECK AND BACK INJURIES: Spinal cord injuries, severed spinal cords, pinched nerves, herniated, bulging or ruptured discs, broken vertebrae, whiplash, and paralysis.
- BONE INJURIES: Broken bones, hairline fractures, compound fractures, and dislocated bones or joints.
- LIMB AND EXTREMITY INJURIES: partial amputation; total amputation; crushed limbs; and temporary or permanent damage to the functionality of arms, legs, feet, hands, fingers, or toes.
- SOFT TISSUE INJURIES: Tearing of muscles, tendons, and ligaments, sprains and strains.
- BURNS: first degree burns, second-degree burns (partial-thickness burns), third-degree burns (full-thickness burns), blistering and scarring.
- SKIN INJURIES: lacerations, chemical burns, frostbite, cuts, punctures, and bruises.
Workers who suffer any of these injuries may be entitled to compensation by their employer or other responsible parties. An oil field accident lawyer at McKay Law can help you determine who is responsible for your injuries and how much compensation you deserve. We rely on aggressive legal strategies in oil field accidents which is crucial in making sure that are clients’ needs – today and in the future – are covered.
To learn more about our experience in oil field accident/pipeline explosion related matters, we invite you to contact McKay Law:
Contact our Oil Rig Accident and Explosion Lawyers for a Free Consult at 903-999-BOLD or (903) 999-2653 and [email protected]
