Ohio Oil and Gas Accident Lawyer

Ohio Oil and Gas Accidents

Ohio has a thriving oil and gas industry. Every year, more than a thousand wells throughout the state produce thousands of barrels of oil and hundreds of thousands of cubic feet of natural gas. Yet production from Ohio’s Marcellus and Utica Shales can come at the expense of your and other workers’ health and safety.

Depending on your position, you may be outdoors for a significant portion of your job. Not only will you have to work through difficult conditions, you’re also likely to encounter a great deal of equipment, machinery, and heavy vehicles. You may work indoors surrounded by complex and potentially dangerous equipment.

Whatever your specific job within the oil and gas industry entails, you face several health and safety risks while you work. If anything goes wrong, you could suffer serious injuries.

If you work within the oil and gas industry and were hurt on the job, contact our experienced work injury attorneys at Kisling, Nestico & Redick right away.

We have years of experience handling workers’ compensation, third-party liability, and personal injury claims. Let us review your situation and advise you on the best route toward receiving the compensation you deserve in accordance with the law.

Call us at 1-800-HURT-NOW, or contact us for a free and confidential case consultation.

Ohio Oil and Gas Industry

Ohio has produced more than 1 billion barrels of oil and 9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas since 1860 and according to the American Petroleum Institute, the state supports 375,000 oil and gas-related jobs.

Since 2005, the oil and gas industry has focused on shale gas and tight oil from low permeability rock. This has resulted in increased extraction from the Marcellus Foundation in eastern Ohio, Washington County in southern Ohio, Lake and Ashtabula County in the north, and Guernsey County in western Ohio.

Production in Ohio’s section of the Utica Shale has also increased, particularly in Erie County as well as in Pickaway County and Meigs County in the south.

Oil and Gas Industry Accidents

The potential risk for accidents and injuries within the oil and gas industry depends on several factors, including the worksite or facility, the type of work being performed, the equipment and vehicles used, and more. While some positions may be relatively safe, other workers face significant hazards daily.

Tthe most common types of injuries and fatal accidents stem from:

• Transportation accidents
• Struck by objects or pieces of equipment
• Getting caught in equipment
• Falls
• Blowouts, explosions, fires
• Crane accidents
• Rig collapses
• Equipment failures
• Chemical exposure
• Electric shock and electrocution

Common Oil and Gas Industry Worker Injuries

The injuries you may suffer from on the job vary greatly. Minor injuries like small lacerations and bruises are common. Unfortunately, more severe injuries are also typical, including:

• Broken bones
• Burns
• Chemical burns
• Neck and back injuries
• Spinal cord injuries, including paralysis
• Traumatic brain injuries, including concussions

Many of these injuries can vary in severity. For example, while a concussion is serious, many people recover from one in a few months. However, a traumatic brain injury can be debilitating and cause a permanent disability.

If you were injured at work, your pursuit of compensation will be influenced not only by the type of injury you suffer from, but also its severity and the amount of time it is likely to impact your life and ability to work.

Some of the common machinery used in the oil and gas industry include:

• Dozers
• Backhoes
• Boom trucks
• Cranes
• Bucket trucks
• Riggers
• Heavy haul tractors
• Knuckle booms
• Water trucks
• Vacuum trucks
• Telehandlers
• Track equipment
• Fuel trucks

Oil & Gas Workers’ Compensation Claim

Ohio requires employers to provide workers’ compensation insurance to all of their employees, no matter where the employee was hired or the duration of their employment. If you are injured while on the job, your first stop for compensation is your workers’ comp coverage.

You must notify your employer, typically through a supervisor, of your injury as soon as possible and then file a workers’ comp claim with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC). Within 28 days of submitting your form, you will be told whether your claim was allowed or denied.

Once your claim is allowed, you will likely work with your employer’s managed care organization to obtain medical treatment that will be paid for by the workers’ compensation insurance. However, you may also have a right to other workers’ compensation benefits, including temporary partial or total disability or permanent partial or total disability benefits.

If your claim is denied or you believe you are not receiving the type or amount of benefits you deserve, contact our experienced work injury attorneys right away. We will thoroughly review the situation, advise you of your rights, and work with your employer and the BWC to get you the benefits you are entitled to under the law.

Our attorneys at Kisling, Nestico & Redick are also here to represent you if you disagree with how the managed care organization is handling your treatment. Under workers’ comp, your employer has some control over the physicians you see and the treatments you receive. Call us immediately if you believe you are being denied necessary and appropriate care.

Oil & Gas: Third-Party Claims

When you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, you are prohibited from suing your employer. This means if your injury was caused by a negligent coworker or something that was your employer’s responsibility, your only option for financial recovery is through workers’ comp.

However, this is not the case if a third party was careless or reckless and caused you harm. If a worker from another business or a pedestrian who came onto your work site was negligent and led to your current injuries, you are entitled to file a personal injury claim against that individual or their employer.

Oil & Gas Injury Compensation

Through a successful oil and gas personal injury claim, you may be able to receive:

• Medical expenses
• Loss of income
• Disability
• Disfigurement
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Loss of consortium

Additionally, if you’re the surviving spouse or child of someone who died due to an oil and gas-related accident, you may be eligible to receive wrongful death benefits.

How Our Ohio Work Injury Lawyers Can Help

If you are an oil or gas worker and you were injured while on the job, do not hesitate to pursue compensation. You are protected under the law, and workplace injuries are not your burden alone.

If you are not sure of what to do or how to get help, contact us at Kisling, Nestico & Redick right away. We will help you through the process of filing and pursuing a workers’ compensation claim.

We are also available to represent you during a workers’ compensation dispute or a third-party claim. With offices in Columbus, Cleveland, Akron, and all around Ohio, our priority is to help workers like yourself obtain the medical care and compensation you are entitled to under the law.

Contact us or call us at 1-800-HURT-NOW to schedule your initial consultation.