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DRILLING · FRACKING · WELLSITE OPERATIONS

Oilfield Accidents

OVERVIEW

Oilfield work — drilling, well services, fracking, completions, and production operations — generates a disproportionate share of catastrophic worker injuries. Wellsites are layered with operators, drilling contractors, service companies, and equipment vendors, each with distinct duties and insurance coverage. Successful litigation depends on quickly identifying every entity on site, preserving downhole and surface data, and applying the master service agreements that govern indemnity and contribution between contractors.

01

Common Causes

  • Blowout and well-control failures
  • Defective or worn rig equipment
  • Inadequate H2S monitoring and response
  • Falls from height and dropped objects
  • Negligent contractor coordination
  • Hot work and ignition-source failures
02

Who Can Be Held Liable

  • The well operator
  • The drilling contractor
  • Service and equipment companies
  • Equipment manufacturers
  • Wellsite supervisors and consultants
03

Evidence We Preserve

  • Daily drilling reports and tour sheets
  • Mud-logging and downhole sensor data
  • BOP and well-control equipment certifications
  • Master service agreements and JSAs
  • Site safety meetings and pre-job briefings
  • Surveillance camera footage and personnel logs

Statutes of Limitation

Every state imposes a strict deadline to file suit. In some states, claims must be filed within one or two years of the injury or death. Once that deadline passes, the case is gone forever. Federal claims and claims against government entities can have even shorter notice requirements — sometimes as little as ninety days. Do not assume you have time.

Why Acting Quickly Matters

Critical evidence disappears in days, not weeks. Black-box data is overwritten. Surveillance footage is recycled. Witnesses move. Defendants and their insurers begin building their case the moment an incident occurs. The injured family deserves a litigation team moving just as fast.

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