Jacksboro Oil Rig & Drilling Injury Attorney

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Oil rig and drilling work near Jacksboro, Texas is some of the most dangerous work a person can do. Jack County sits in the heart of North Texas oil and gas country, and workers on those sites face serious risks every single day. If you or a family member suffered an injury on a drilling site, you need to understand your legal rights right now. The attorneys at Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys in Denton, Texas are ready to help injured oil and gas workers and their families pursue the compensation they deserve. Call us at (940) 800-2500 for a free consultation.

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Why Oil Rig and Drilling Injuries in Jacksboro Are So Serious

Oil rig and drilling injuries are among the most catastrophic workplace injuries in any industry. According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), oil and gas extraction workers face seven times the rate of serious injury compared to workers in all other industries. That number alone tells you everything you need to know about how dangerous these job sites really are.

Jacksboro is the county seat of Jack County, located about 60 miles northwest of Fort Worth along U.S. Highway 281. The region has a long history of oil and gas production, and active drilling and well-servicing operations continue in the area today. Workers travel these rural roads daily, often logging long hours under pressure to meet production schedules.

Worker fatalities in the oil and gas industry are largely concentrated in Texas, which is the top oil and gas producing state with the majority of active rotary rigs and oil and gas extraction workers in the country. That concentration means Texas workers, including those in Jack County, bear a disproportionate share of the industry’s dangers.

Common injuries on drilling sites include traumatic brain injuries from falling equipment, severe burn injuries from well blowouts and fires, crush injuries from heavy machinery, spinal cord damage from falls off platforms or derricks, and limb loss from caught-between accidents. These are not minor injuries. They change lives permanently. If you suffered any of these injuries near Jacksboro, the personal injury lawyers at Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys want to hear your story.

The financial toll is just as serious. Lost wages, long-term medical care, rehabilitation, and the inability to return to the same line of work can devastate a family. You should not have to absorb those costs alone when someone else’s negligence caused your injury.

The Most Common Causes of Oil Rig and Drilling Accidents in Jack County

Most oil rig accidents in the Jacksboro area do not happen by chance. They happen because someone cut a corner, skipped a safety step, or ignored a known hazard. Understanding what caused your accident is the first step toward knowing who is responsible.

Oil and gas workers may be exposed to a wide variety of rotating wellhead equipment, including top drives and Kelly drives, drawworks, pumps, compressors, catheads, hoist blocks, belt wheels, and conveyors, and can be injured if they are struck by or caught between unguarded machines. These are daily realities on a North Texas drilling site.

Workers are often required to access platforms and equipment located high above the ground, and OSHA requires fall protection to prevent falls from the mast, drilling platform, and other elevated equipment. When that protection is missing or defective, the result can be fatal.

Fires and explosions are another major cause of catastrophic injuries on oil and gas sites. Well blowouts, pressurized line failures, and ignition of flammable gases can cause severe burn injuries that require years of treatment. Workers who survive these events often face permanent disfigurement and disability.

All aspects of oil and gas well drilling and servicing operations, beyond site preparation, are covered by 29 CFR 1910, and when a serious hazard exists in the workplace that is not addressed by a specific OSHA standard, Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, known as the General Duty Clause, applies. This means employers have a broad legal obligation to keep workers safe, and violations of that obligation can support a negligence claim.

Transportation accidents are also a leading cause of death and injury. Workers and equipment travel long distances on rural roads in and around Jack County. Fatigue, speeding, and overloaded vehicles create serious risks on every trip to and from the well site.

Texas Workers’ Compensation and Non-Subscriber Employer Liability for Drilling Workers

Texas is the only state in the country that does not require most private employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. This fact has enormous consequences for oil and gas workers injured near Jacksboro. Whether your employer carries workers’ compensation coverage or not determines what legal options are available to you.

Under the Texas workers’ compensation system, administered by the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC), employers who subscribe to workers’ compensation insurance provide injured workers with medical benefits and lost wage replacement. In exchange, those employers are generally shielded from direct personal injury lawsuits by their employees, except in cases involving gross negligence.

However, many oil and gas employers in Texas choose not to carry workers’ compensation insurance. These employers are called “non-subscribers.” If your employer is a non-subscriber and you are injured on the job, you have the right to file a direct personal injury lawsuit against them. In that lawsuit, the employer cannot use the defenses of contributory negligence, assumed risk, or fellow servant negligence. That is a significant legal advantage for the injured worker.

You can check whether your employer has workers’ compensation coverage through the TDI-DWC employer coverage search tool on the Texas Department of Insurance website. Non-subscribers are required to report work-related injuries that result in more than one day of lost time to the DWC, as well as all work-related illnesses and deaths.

Even if your employer does carry workers’ compensation coverage, you may still have claims against third parties, such as equipment manufacturers, subcontractors, or site owners. Those third-party claims fall outside the workers’ compensation system and can result in full compensation for all of your damages. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys can review your situation and identify every available avenue for recovery. Call (940) 800-2500 today.

Federal OSHA Rules and Third-Party Claims That Apply to Jacksboro Drilling Injuries

Federal OSHA regulations set the minimum safety standards that all oil and gas employers must follow. When those standards are violated and a worker is injured, those violations can directly support a personal injury or wrongful death claim in Texas court.

Under the General Duty Clause, employers are required to provide workers with a safe workplace with no recognized hazards that cause or are likely to cause death or serious injury, including safeguarding employees from hazards related to drilling, well servicing, and oil and gas storage.

Site preparation for oil and gas well drilling and servicing is covered by 29 CFR 1926, while all other aspects of those operations fall under 29 CFR 1910. These are the two primary federal code sections that govern what your employer was legally required to do to keep you safe.

Third-party claims are especially important in oil and gas injury cases. Multiple companies typically operate on a single drilling site. You may have a claim against a subcontractor whose crew created the hazard that hurt you, against an equipment manufacturer whose product was defective, or against a site owner who failed to maintain safe conditions. These claims are separate from any workers’ compensation claim and are governed by Texas personal injury law.

The Texas Railroad Commission (TRC) also regulates oil and gas operations in the state, issuing permits and citing safety violations. TRC violation records can be valuable evidence in an injury claim. If a well operator was cited for safety violations before your accident, that history matters.

Wrongful death claims follow a different but related path. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 71.002, a person is liable for damages arising from an injury that causes an individual’s death if the injury was caused by that person’s or their agent’s wrongful act, neglect, carelessness, or default. This statute gives surviving family members a direct legal right to pursue compensation when a drilling accident takes a loved one’s life.

What to Do After an Oil Rig or Drilling Injury Near Jacksboro

The steps you take immediately after an oil rig or drilling injury directly affect your ability to recover compensation. Acting quickly and correctly protects your rights. Waiting or making mistakes in the early days can cost you your case.

Get medical treatment first. Even if you feel like you can push through, some serious injuries, including traumatic brain injuries and internal injuries, do not show obvious symptoms right away. A documented medical evaluation creates the record that links your injuries to the accident.

Report the injury to your supervisor or employer in writing as soon as possible. Under Texas law and OSHA rules, your employer has reporting obligations to the state and to their insurance carrier. You also have an obligation to report promptly, and failing to do so can complicate your claim.

Document everything you can. Take photographs of the accident scene, the equipment involved, and any visible injuries. Write down the names of any witnesses. Save any safety records, work orders, or communications related to the conditions that caused your accident. This evidence can be difficult to recover later once the job site has been cleaned up or equipment has been moved.

Do not sign any documents from your employer, an insurance company, or any other party without speaking to an attorney first. Oil and gas companies move fast after accidents. Their adjusters and lawyers are working to limit the company’s exposure from the moment the incident is reported.

Texas law gives you two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003(a). That deadline applies to wrongful death claims as well. Two years can pass faster than you think, especially when you are focused on recovery. Contact Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys at (940) 800-2500 as soon as possible. Our office serves clients in Denton, Jack County, and throughout North Texas, including those who work the fields along U.S. Highway 380 and the rural routes connecting Denton to Jacksboro.

FAQs About Jacksboro Oil Rig and Drilling Injury Claims

Can I sue my employer if I was injured on a drilling site near Jacksboro?

It depends on whether your employer carries workers’ compensation insurance. If your employer is a Texas workers’ compensation subscriber, you generally cannot sue them directly for a workplace injury, except in cases involving gross negligence. If your employer is a non-subscriber, meaning they opted out of the workers’ compensation system, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against them directly. In that lawsuit, the employer loses several common legal defenses, which puts you in a stronger position. You may also have claims against third parties, such as subcontractors or equipment manufacturers, regardless of your employer’s coverage status.

What is the deadline to file an oil rig injury claim in Texas?

Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003(a), the statute of limitations for personal injury and wrongful death claims in Texas is two years from the date of the injury or death. If you miss this deadline, you lose your right to recover compensation in court. There are very limited exceptions to this rule. Do not wait to speak with an attorney. The sooner you contact Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys, the more time we have to build your case and preserve critical evidence from the accident site.

Who can be held responsible for a drilling accident besides my employer?

Oil and gas drilling sites typically involve multiple companies operating at the same time. Depending on the facts of your case, potentially responsible parties can include the well operator, drilling contractors, well-servicing subcontractors, equipment manufacturers whose products were defective, chemical suppliers, and the landowner or leaseholder if unsafe site conditions contributed to your injury. Identifying all responsible parties is one of the most important parts of an oil rig injury case, because it determines how much total compensation may be available to you. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys will investigate your case fully to identify every party that may share responsibility.

What compensation can I recover after an oil rig injury in Jacksboro?

In a Texas personal injury claim, you can pursue compensation for past and future medical expenses, lost wages and loss of future earning capacity, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, and disfigurement. In wrongful death cases brought under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 71, surviving family members can also pursue compensation for loss of companionship, mental anguish, and pecuniary losses. The specific damages available in your case depend on the facts, the severity of your injuries, and the legal theories that apply. Each case is different, and past results in other cases do not guarantee the same outcome in yours.

Does it matter that OSHA cited my employer for safety violations after my accident?

Yes, OSHA citations after a drilling accident are important and can support your personal injury claim. A citation means a federal safety inspector found that your employer violated a specific safety standard. That violation can be used as evidence of negligence in a Texas civil lawsuit. The citation alone does not win your case, but it establishes that a recognized safety rule was broken and that the employer failed to protect workers. OSHA violations related to fall protection, unguarded machinery, hazardous energy control, or fire and explosion prevention are especially relevant in oil rig injury cases. An attorney can help you obtain and use this evidence effectively.

Content prepared by Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys, principal office located in Denton, Texas. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys is a Texas law firm. The attorneys at this firm are licensed to practice law in Texas. This page is attorney advertising. Past results described on this website do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Each case is unique and must be evaluated on its own facts and applicable law.

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