Oil rig work is among the most physically demanding and dangerous jobs on the Gulf Coast. When something goes wrong, the decisions made in the hours immediately following the accident have a direct impact on your health, your claim, and what you ultimately recover.
At The Maritime Injury Law Firm, George Vourvoulias has represented injured offshore and oil rig workers in Texas and throughout the Gulf Coast for over 20 years. Here is exactly what to do if you are hurt on a Texas oil rig.
Step 1: Secure Your Safety First
Check yourself for injuries and, if you can move without making your condition worse, get to a safe location. Depending on the nature of the accident, a full rig evacuation may be necessary. If moving could worsen your injury, stay where you are and have someone nearby call for emergency help immediately. Your physical condition in the minutes after an accident affects everything that follows.
Step 2: Call Emergency Services
Call emergency services yourself or have someone nearby do it as soon as possible. Beyond the immediate medical response, emergency personnel generate documentation, reports, and records that become part of the foundation of your legal claim. That paper trail starts here.
Step 3: Document the Scene
If you are physically able, photograph everything. Your injuries, other victims’ injuries, property damage, faulty or missing equipment, and anything else that contributed to the accident. Get names and contact information from witnesses while everyone is still on site. Write down your own account of what happened while the details are clear. Memory degrades quickly, and accounts given weeks later carry less weight than those recorded immediately after the incident.
Step 4: Report the Accident to Your Employer in Writing
Notify your supervisor as soon as possible, even if your injuries seem minor at first. Complete a full incident report that covers the events leading up to the accident, a detailed description of your injuries, and the level of pain you are experiencing. Keep a copy for yourself. What gets documented in that initial report can affect how your employer and their insurer characterize your injuries later.
Step 5: Get Independent Medical Attention
Seek medical care even if you believe your injuries are minor. Some injuries, particularly spinal and neurological damage, do not present their full picture immediately after trauma. Delaying care gives the employer’s insurer a basis to argue that your injuries were not serious or were caused by something unrelated to the accident.
One thing many workers don’t realize: you have the right to see your own doctor, not just the company-designated physician. Company doctors are paid, directly or indirectly, by the same employer that is now your legal adversary. Their assessments of your condition directly affect what your employer owes you. Keep records of every appointment and every bill.
Step 6: Contact a Maritime Attorney Before Talking to the Adjuster
After a serious oil rig injury in Texas, your employer’s insurance adjuster will likely contact you within days, sometimes within 24 hours. That early offer is rarely a fair reflection of what your case is worth. The full picture of your damages, future medical costs, lost earning capacity, and long-term prognosis is not established yet. Settling before those numbers exist is the only way to close your claim for less than it deserves.
George Vourvoulias has spent over two decades handling maritime and offshore injury cases across Texas and the Gulf Coast. Contact him before you sign anything. The offer will wait. Your rights will not.
Frequently Asked Questions About Texas Oil Rig Accidents
Does the Jones Act cover Texas oil rig workers?
It depends on your role. The Jones Act applies to seamen, meaning workers who spend a significant portion of their time aboard a vessel in navigation. Many offshore drilling platforms qualify as vessels under federal maritime law, which means the crew members working on them may be protected. Workers who don’t qualify as seamen may be covered under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act or the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, depending on the location and nature of their work.
What if the company doctor says my injuries are minor?
A company doctor’s assessment is not the final word. You have the legal right to an independent physician, and getting one early is one of the most consequential decisions you can make after an offshore injury. An independent evaluation can document injuries the company doctor minimized, challenge a premature return-to-work clearance, and provide expert testimony not tainted by a financial relationship with your employer.
Can I be fired for reporting a Texas oil rig injury?
Retaliation against a worker for reporting a workplace injury is illegal under federal law. If your employer threatens your job, demotes you, or otherwise penalizes you for filing a claim, that conduct creates separate legal liability. Document any retaliation immediately and contact an attorney.
What compensation can I recover after a Texas oil rig accident?
Depending on which laws apply to your situation, you may be entitled to recover lost wages and future earning capacity, all medical expenses past and future, pain and suffering and mental anguish, maintenance and cure if you qualify as a seaman, and wrongful death damages if you have lost a family member. Unlike Texas workers’ compensation, Jones Act recovery includes pain and suffering and is not subject to weekly benefit caps.
How long do I have to file a claim after a Texas oil rig accident?
Jones Act claims carry a three-year statute of limitations. Claims under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act may be subject to different deadlines depending on which state’s law applies. The practical reality is that evidence disappears fast on a working rig. Waiting significantly reduces your ability to build a strong case.
What if I was partially at fault for the accident?
You can still recover. The Jones Act uses a comparative fault system, meaning your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault but not eliminated. Employers and their insurers routinely overstate worker fault to limit their exposure. Do not accept a characterization of the accident without speaking to an attorney first.
George Vourvoulias represents injured oil rig and offshore workers throughout Texas and the Gulf Coast. Call (504) 584-6300, free and confidential, 24/7.
