Posted on Sunday, February 15th, 2026 at 12:00 pm
Oil field vehicle accidents happen more often than many people realize. Workers in Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry face serious risks every time they get behind the wheel on a job site. These accidents can cause life-changing injuries that affect your ability to work and support your family.
If you’ve been injured in an oil field vehicle accident, you need to understand your rights and the options available to you. This guide explains what you need to know about oil field vehicle accident injuries and how Abel Law Firm can help you recover the compensation you deserve.
Why Choose Abel Law Firm for Your Oil Field Vehicle Accident Claim
When you’re injured in an oil field accident, you need a law firm that understands the unique challenges of these cases. Abel Law Firm has spent over 50 years representing injured Oklahoma workers. Our team has recovered more than $550 million in compensation for our clients, and we bring that experience to every case we handle. Learn more about our results and case outcomes.
Our attorneys hold multiple Super Lawyer designations, recognizing their skill and dedication to injured clients. We’ve handled landmark oil field accident cases, including a $15 million verdict for a worker who lost a limb in an oil rig accident. That case led to a successful appeal to the Oklahoma Supreme Court that challenged the state’s tort reform damage caps, fundamentally changing Oklahoma law to ensure injured workers could receive full compensation for their injuries.
We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing upfront. We only get paid if we recover compensation for you. We’re available 24/7 to answer your questions and discuss your case. When you choose Abel Law Firm, you’re choosing a firm that has proven its commitment to injured Oklahoma workers for more than five decades.
Common Types of Oil Field Vehicle Accidents
Oil field vehicle accidents take many forms. Understanding the different types of accidents can help you recognize what happened to you and why it matters for your case.
Motor vehicle collisions between company vehicles happen regularly on oil field sites. These accidents occur when drivers fail to maintain safe speeds, don’t watch for other vehicles, or ignore traffic rules on the property. Truck accidents involving heavy equipment transport create additional dangers because of the weight and size of the vehicles involved. Service vehicles and personnel carriers transport workers between locations, and accidents involving these vehicles can cause serious injuries.
Rollover accidents on uneven terrain are particularly dangerous in oil field environments. The rough ground and poor road conditions on many oil field properties increase the risk that vehicles will tip over. Hit-and-run incidents on oil field property sometimes occur when drivers leave the scene without providing information or assistance. Accidents caused by inadequate road maintenance happen when oil companies or contractors fail to keep roads and pathways in safe condition. These negligent conditions often lead to workplace injury claims.
Common causes of these accidents include:
- Speeding or reckless driving
- Inadequate training or supervision
- Defective vehicles or equipment
- Poor road maintenance
- Failure to follow safety protocols
Injuries Resulting from Oil Field Vehicle Accidents
Oil field vehicle accidents cause severe injuries because of the speed, weight, and terrain involved. Workers often suffer injuries that change their lives permanently.
Traumatic brain injuries and head trauma occur when workers strike their heads during the accident or when the force of impact causes the brain to move inside the skull. These injuries can cause memory problems, difficulty concentrating, personality changes, and long-term cognitive issues. Spinal cord injuries and paralysis result from damage to the spine during the accident. These catastrophic injuries can leave workers unable to walk or move their limbs.
Broken bones and fractures are common in vehicle accidents. Depending on which bones are broken, these injuries can require multiple surgeries and months of recovery. Burn injuries happen when vehicles catch fire or when workers come into contact with hot surfaces or chemicals during the accident. Internal injuries and organ damage may not be immediately obvious but can be life-threatening. Soft tissue injuries and chronic pain develop when muscles, tendons, and ligaments are stretched or torn during the impact.
Oil field vehicle accidents cause severe injuries because workers are often traveling at high speeds on rough terrain, vehicles may be carrying heavy loads, and emergency medical care may be delayed in remote locations. The combination of these factors means that injuries from oil field vehicle accidents tend to be more serious than injuries from typical vehicle accidents. If you’ve suffered any of these injuries, contact an oil field accident attorney immediately.
Determining Liability in Oil Field Vehicle Accidents
Figuring out who is responsible for your accident is crucial because it determines who must pay for your injuries. Multiple parties can be held liable in an oil field vehicle accident.
Oil and gas companies have a responsibility to maintain safe working conditions, including safe roads and vehicles. If the company failed to maintain equipment, provide proper training, or enforce safety rules, they can be held liable. Contractors and subcontractors working on the oil field site can be responsible if their negligence caused your accident. Equipment manufacturers can be held liable if a defective vehicle or part caused the accident.
Third-party vendors who provide services on the oil field site can be responsible for accidents they cause. Negligent drivers and supervisors who fail to follow safety rules or who direct workers to drive unsafely can be held personally liable. Property owners and site operators have a duty to maintain safe conditions on their property. Understanding negligence and liability is essential to your case.
Factors that establish negligence in oil field vehicle accidents include:
- Failure to maintain vehicles or roads
- Inadequate safety training
- Violation of safety regulations
- Reckless or negligent driving
- Failure to provide proper equipment or warnings
Your Legal Options After an Oil Field Vehicle Accident
After an oil field vehicle accident, you have several options for recovering compensation. Understanding these options helps you make informed decisions about your case.
Workers’ compensation benefits provide medical coverage and partial wage replacement for injured workers. However, workers’ compensation has limits on the amount you can recover, and you cannot sue your employer through workers’ compensation. Third-party personal injury lawsuits allow you to recover full compensation from parties other than your employer, including contractors, equipment manufacturers, and other responsible parties. These lawsuits can result in much larger settlements than workers’ compensation.
Claims against uninsured employers are possible if your employer failed to secure mandatory workers’ compensation insurance. Under Oklahoma law, if your employer is uninsured, you lose the ‘exclusive remedy’ protection and can sue them directly in district court for full damages.
Damages available in oil field vehicle accident cases include medical expenses for all treatment related to your injury, lost wages for time you cannot work, pain and suffering for the physical and emotional impact of your injury, and compensation for permanent disability if your injury prevents you from returning to work.
Steps to Take After an Oil Field Vehicle Accident
Taking the right steps immediately after your accident protects your health and strengthens your legal case.
Seek immediate medical attention, even if you don’t think your injuries are serious. Some injuries develop over time, and getting medical care creates a record of your injuries. Report the accident to your employer as required by law. This creates an official record of what happened. Document the scene and gather evidence by taking photos of the accident scene, vehicle damage, road conditions, and any hazards that contributed to the accident. Get contact information from witnesses who saw what happened.
Preserve medical records by keeping all documents related to your treatment, including hospital records, doctor’s notes, test results, and bills. Avoid signing settlement agreements without legal review. Insurance companies and employers may pressure you to settle quickly for less than your case is worth. Contact an experienced oil field accident attorney before accepting any settlement offer. An attorney can evaluate your case, explain your options, and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a claim after an oil field vehicle accident?
Oklahoma law sets time limits for filing claims. For workers’ compensation claims, you generally must report your injury to your employer within 30 days. For third-party personal injury lawsuits, you typically have two years from the date of the accident to file (Okla. Stat. Tit. 12 § 95). While limited exceptions exist (such as the ‘discovery rule’ for injuries not immediately apparent), relying on them is risky. We recommend filing well before the two-year deadline to protect your rights. Contact an attorney immediately to ensure you meet all deadlines.
Can I sue my employer for an oil field vehicle accident?
In most cases, you cannot sue your employer directly if you’re covered by workers’ compensation. However, you can file a workers’ compensation claim for benefits. If your employer is a non-subscriber (doesn’t carry workers’ compensation insurance), you may be able to sue them directly. You can sue third parties who are not your employer or in an employer relationship with you, such as equipment manufacturers or unrelated contractors. However, any recovery from third parties may be offset against your workers’ compensation benefits.
What damages can I recover in an oil field vehicle accident case?
You can recover economic damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, rehabilitation costs, and future medical care. You can also recover non-economic damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and permanent disability. In cases involving gross negligence or intentional misconduct, punitive damages may be available.
How much is my oil field vehicle accident case worth?
The value of your case depends on many factors, including the severity of your injuries, the cost of your medical treatment, how much income you’ve lost, whether your injury is permanent, and the strength of the evidence against the responsible party. Cases involving catastrophic injuries like spinal cord damage or amputation are worth significantly more than cases involving minor injuries. An experienced oil field accident attorney can evaluate your case and provide an estimate of its value.
Do I need an attorney for my oil field vehicle accident claim?
While you can file a workers’ compensation claim without an attorney, having legal representation significantly increases the compensation you receive. Insurance companies and employers have teams of lawyers working to minimize what they pay. An experienced oil field accident attorney levels the playing field and ensures you receive fair compensation. Most attorneys work on contingency, so you pay nothing upfront.
What if I was partially at fault for the accident?
Oklahoma follows a comparative fault rule. Even if you were partially at fault, you can still recover compensation as long as you were not more than 50% responsible for the accident. Your recovery will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you were 20% at fault and your damages total $100,000, you would recover $80,000.
Get Help from Abel Law Firm Today
If you’ve been injured in an oil field vehicle accident in Oklahoma, Abel Law Firm is ready to help. We offer a free case review where we listen to your story, answer your questions, and explain your legal options. There are no upfront costs, and we work on a contingency fee basis. You only pay if we recover compensation for you.
Our team is available 24/7 to discuss your case. We understand the physical, emotional, and financial impact of oil field vehicle accidents, and we’re committed to helping you recover the compensation you deserve. Call (405) 239-7046 today to schedule your free consultation with an experienced oil field accident attorney at Abel Law Firm. Let us put our 50+ years of experience to work for you.
