Oilfield Accidents Your Neighbors. Your Advocates.

Oilfield Accident Attorneys in Pasadena, TX

Name: SJ Injury Attorneys
Address: 6021 Fairmont Pkwy, Suite 140, Pasadena, TX, 77505
Telephone: (936) 297-7972

Standing Up for Injured Well-Servicing Crews, Roughnecks & Their Families

Oilfield work is some of the most physically demanding and most dangerous work in Texas. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, oil and gas extraction workers face a fatal injury rate of 9.8 per 100,000 full-time workers, more than double the 3.8 rate for private industry overall. Texas, home to the largest share of the nation's drilling activity, also carries the largest share of the human cost. According to CDC/NIOSH's Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction database, Texas has accounted for as much as 44% of the industry's fatalities nationwide in a given year, with the Permian Basin alone responsible for roughly a third of all deaths studied between 2014 and 2019.

If you or someone you love has been injured, or killed, working on a Texas oilfield near Pasadena, we can help you understand your rights and what comes next. SJ Injury Attorneys helps after oilfield trucking accidents, falls, well blowouts, explosions, and other catastrophic incidents that endanger workers and claim their lives.

No matter what stage of the job you were working when you got hurt, drilling, servicing, or hauling, the sooner we look into what happened, the better. Call (936) 297-7972 today.

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case results

Our Neighbors. Their Outcomes.

$11,000,000 Chemical Plant Injury

Settlement recovered for a client who sustained severe injuries while working a turnaround at a chemical plant in Pasadena, TX
$10,000,000 Shoulder, Neck & Back Injury

Settlement recovered for a client who sustained shoulder, neck, and lower back injuries while working a turnaround at a chemical plant in Pasadena, TX
$5,000,000 Lower Back Injury

Settlement recovered for a client who sustained lower back injuries while working a turnaround at a chemical plant in Pasadena, TX
$3,500,000 Back and Leg Injuries

Recovered for three patrons of a McAllen restaurant who were struck by a car. Injuries ranged from a broken leg to soft tissue low back injuries which required surgery
$3,000,000 Fatal Rear-End Collision

Recovered in a wrongful death case. The client’s spouse was tragically killed in a rear-end accident on Highway 146 in Seabrook, TX
$2,000,000 Catastrophic Hand Injury

Settlement for a client who sustained a degloving injury of his left hand while working at a machine shop in Houston, Texas
$1,400,000 18-wheeler Collision

Recovered for a client who was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler on Highway 225 in Pasadena, Texas. The client sustained low back injuries which required low back surgery
$1,400,000 Serious Back Injury

Recovered for a client who was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler on Highway 225 in Pasadena, Texas. The client suffered lower back injuries requiring surgery
$1,200,000 Neck Injury

Recovered for a client who sustained injuries at a refinery when debris fell on his head. The client’s injuries required neck surgery.
$964,000 Neck and Soft Tissue Injuries

Recovered for clients who were rear-ended by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 10 near Channelview, TX. One client suffered neck injuries that required surgery and the passenger sustained soft tissue injuries.
$865,000 Slip and Fall Injury

After a three-day trial, a judge awarded $865,000 to our client. Our client suffered multiple fractures to her leg as a result of a slip and fall at work.
$800,000 Leg Fractures Injury

Injured worker from Spring, Texas suffered multiple fractures to her leg. After a three day trial the judge awarded her $800,000. Attorney fees and expenses were $340,000.
$750,000 Back and Neck Injury

Settlement recovered for a client who was rear-ended by a box truck on U.S. Hwy. 59 in Houston, Texas. Client required a series of three epidural steroid injections to his lower back and neck.
$685,000 Back and Soft Tissue Injuries

Recovered for clients who were struck by an 18-wheeler when the truck driver made a wide right turn. One client required microdiscectomy surgery and the other sustained soft tissue injuries.
$565,000 Herniated Disc Injury

18-wheeler ran a stop sign and struck my client's vehicle at a low rate of speed. The client aggravated a prior neck injury and suffered a herniated disc in her low back, which required surgery. The case was settled for $565,000.
$550,000 Falling Debris Injury

$550K recovered for a worker who was injured at a refinery after tools and debris fell on him from a 30-foot platform.
$500,000 Lower Back Injury

Recovered for a client who was rear-ended by a pickup truck in Baytown, Texas. The client required minor back surgery.
$485,000 Neck and Spine Injury

Recovered for a client who was “T-boned” after a company pick-up truck ran a red light on Spencer Highway in Pasadena, Texas. The client sustained neck injuries that required surgery.
$400,000 Pipeline Explosion Injury

Recovered for a client injured when a pipeline exploded in Robertson County, Texas. The client required rotator cuff surgery.
$355,000 Cervical Disc Injury

Client was rear-ended on a Houston freeway causing herniated disc in his neck. We forced the insurance company to pay $355,000.
$350,000 Workplace Fall Injury

Recovered for a warehouse worker who fell from a 10-foot platform. The employee suffered multiple facial fractures.
$240,000 Herniated Disc Injury

Client was rear-ended by a company pickup truck. She sustained a herniated disc to her low back which will require surgery. Client declined surgery and the case settled for $240,000. After attorney fees and expenses the client received $120,000.
$195,000 Herniated Lower Back Disc Injury

Successfully negotiated a $195,000 settlement on behalf of a young man rear-ended by a tractor-trailer on IH 45. Client sustained a herniated disc to his low back which required surgery.
$175,000 Herniated Disc Injury

A client’s vehicle was struck in the rear by an 18 wheeler on I-10 in Houston, Texas. The client suffered herniated discs to his neck but refused surgery. The case settled for $175,000.
Confidential Soft Tissue Injuries

Personal injury client struck cargo dropped from a semi-truck forcing the client's vehicle into another vehicle. Client sustained soft tissue injuries.

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Leading Causes of Oilfield Accidents

Oilfield work sites combine heavy machinery, high pressure, flammable materials, and long hours, often in remote locations far from the nearest hospital. Even the most experienced and cautious workers may be put at risk if equipment is poorly maintained or employers and site operators fail to implement proper training and safety measures.

According to CDC/NIOSH data, the leading causes of oilfield worker deaths include:

Motor vehicle crashes. The single leading cause of oilfield fatalities nationwide, often linked to long rural commutes, grueling shift schedules that leave little room for rest, and the pressure to keep equipment and materials moving quickly.
Struck-by and caught-in incidents. Material handling with cranes, forklifts, and winch trucks is consistently one of the most common causes of on-site fatalities.
Falls from height, including falls from derricks, platforms, and tanks.
Explosions and fires, caused by the ignition of flammable gases and vapors common at well sites.
Toxic gas exposure, including hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and hydrocarbon vapor inhalation, which NIOSH has specifically studied as a cause of oilfield worker deaths.
Confined space incidents, particularly during tank inspection or cleaning.

Who's Most at Risk

CDC/NIOSH data shows that well-servicing company employees make up the largest share of oilfield fatalities, followed by drilling contractors. If you work for a servicing company, a drilling contractor, or as a contract laborer on a well site, you're statistically among the workers facing the greatest risk on any given job.

Oilfield Safety in Texas

Two different agencies play a role in Texas oilfield safety. The Railroad Commission of Texas regulates oil and gas operations themselves, well permitting, pipeline integrity, and environmental compliance, but it doesn't oversee worker safety directly. That responsibility falls to OSHA, the federal agency responsible for workplace safety standards.

When an accident happens, evidence from either agency's records can become important to an oilfield injury claim.

Liability for Pasadena Oilfield Accidents

Oilfield sites often involve multiple companies working side by side: the well operator, one or more drilling or servicing contractors, and various equipment and trucking companies. When an accident happens, more than one of these companies may share responsibility. Because Texas doesn't require private employers to carry workers' compensation insurance, your specific rights depend heavily on your employer's coverage status and who else's negligence may have contributed to the accident. This overlaps closely with the same non-subscriber and third-party claim issues we handle in other industrial accident cases.

Injuries These Accidents Cause

Oilfield accidents can cause some of the most severe injuries we see, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, severe burns, amputations, and multiple broken bones. Many of these qualify as catastrophic injuries requiring extensive, often lifelong, medical care.

If a Loved One Was Killed in an Oilfield Accident

If a family member died in an oilfield accident caused by someone else's negligence, you may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim against the responsible party or parties, potentially including compensation for lost financial support, funeral and burial costs, and the loss of that person's companionship.

What to Do After an Oilfield Accident

Get medical care right away, even for injuries that seem minor, some hazards (like toxic gas exposure) don't show symptoms immediately.
Report the incident to your employer and document who else was present.
Preserve evidence where it's safe to do so: photos, equipment condition, and the names of anyone who witnessed what happened.
Don't wait to talk to an attorney. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003, you generally have two years to file a claim, but oilfield sites can be cleaned up or altered quickly after an incident.

Founding attorney Kevin Johnson's years as a petrochemical process operator and elected union business manager on the Texas Gulf Coast give him a firsthand understanding of industrial worksite safety standards, the kind of insight that matters when reviewing what went wrong at an oilfield site. Founding attorney Christopher Soileau's 12 years as a registered nurse bring a firsthand understanding of what serious injury recovery actually requires. We work on a contingency-fee basis, so there's no upfront cost to you, and our staff includes fluent Spanish speakers to support Spanish-speaking clients and families.

Working an oilfield job shouldn't cost you your health or your life. Reach out to a Pasadena oilfield accident attorney at SJ Injury Attorneys and let's talk through what happened during a free consultation.

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More Than Just Attorneys

Meet the Team Behind Every Case

From intake to trial, every person on this team plays a part in getting you the outcome you deserve.

Behind every case file is a full team working on your behalf: case managers, paralegals, and support staff who answer your calls, track down your records, and keep you in the loop every step of the way. We built this firm to feel less like a law office and more like a neighbor you can count on. That starts with hiring people who care, and it shows in how we treat every client who walks through our door.

meet with our team

This law firm has taken care of me from my initial phone call all the way until I received my settlement.
“I truly would like to thank Brenda for all of her help and remaining professional with me no matter how many times I called which was a lot. My settlement was way more than I ever expected. I am more than satisfied I would like to suggest that Brenda be acknowledged and rewarded for such a great job done. If I ever need to be represented again I will definitely call this law firm with no hesitation.”

- Amelia P.
We highly recommend Mr. Soileau
“We contacted Mr. Soileau after being rear-ended in Kemah, Texas. When we contacted Mr. Soileau we had no health insurance and we were not sure what to do. He helped us find doctors who would work with us and then went on to settle the case for the maximum amount of all insurance policies available.”

- J.M.
Very professional and quick results.
“Thanks to attorney Skylar who handled my case. I love this firm.”

- Past Client
Treated me like family. Highly recommend the folks.
“This place took my case and provided me with guidance from A to Z about what I needed to do and how I was to get the appropriate medical treatment necessary to get better. Very friendly and professional staff.”

- Cody B.
I would not hesitate to use Chris Soileau again.
“My car was hit by a guy who was racing down the highway. The impact forced my vehicle into a retaining wall. At the time I was between jobs and Mr. Soileau helped me find medical care. Ultimately, Chris obtained a great settlement for my case.”

- S.J.
Professional and very thorough law firm.
“The staff is courteous and understanding. Highly recommend them.”

- Past Client
Chris Soileau made everything very easy for me from start to finish.
“It was my first time being in a bad accident and I did not know much about the process. They answered all my questions and updated me as we went. I was very well compensated and highly recommend them.”

- Lisa P.
Within a few months of taking my case he forced the insurance company to pay $50,000.
“After getting several denials for a medical payments claim I made due to an automobile accident, I contacted Chris Soileau. Mr. Soileau reviewed my file and determined the insurance company acted in bad faith. I highly recommend using this firm if you are having trouble with your insurance company.”

- M.M.
They give you one on one attention, and any question you have, they are able to answer.
“I've been in a couple of car accidents and have been lucky enough to have Chris Soileau as my attorney. They have helped me through these tough times and I am forever thankful. I definitely recommend.”

- Jessica B.

Serious Injuries
Require Serious Attorneys

Pasadena Office
6021 Fairmont Pkwy
Suite 140
Pasadena, TX 77505
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