Oil refinery and plant accidents can be devastating, causing serious injuries as well as fatalities.
While there are significant safety equipment and procedures in place, accidents can still happen, and when they do the provisions for workers to receive compensation are often inadequate.
Employees injured in plant and refinery accidents often have many questions relating to their damages but don’t often have resources at their disposal to personally investigate what lead to the accident that caused their injuries. This is why working with an experienced New Mexico oilfield attorney is crucial.
At Stewart + Harmonson, our team of attorneys can thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your injury and take your case, helping you to build the strongest claim possible so that you can move forward with your life.
How Are Oilfield Plant & Refinery Accidents Investigated?
Once you begin working with our oilfield accident attorneys, we will seek out copies of all documents that were created concerning the accident.
There are many things we will be looking for, but the most common will include:
- Safety inspection records
- Documentation regarding the safety training of all employees, including records of when employees were last trained and if that training included information pertinent to the accident that occurred
- Historical accident reports will be sought to determine not only if the facility had a history of accidents in general, but also if the particular accident that caused your injury had ever occurred before, and what was subsequently done about it
- Maintenance records for not only the facility in general but for all specific equipment or tools that were involved in the accident
We will examine all of the documents that they can obtain, while also working to document or catalog all evidence related to and produced by the accident. This will often include your medical records for your post-accident examination, and any other evidence that can be produced, such as photos or video of the accident or the immediate aftermath.
In many cases, we will also personally interview witnesses to the accident, and will also arrange for a range of additional experts to examine the equipment and facility conditions that may have been related to the accident.
This may include mechanical engineers, chemical consultants, and more. Our goal will be to find out what caused the accident, or what conditions or procedures led to it in order to prove fault.
What Should I Do If I’ve Been Injured In A Plant Or Refinery Accident in New Mexico?
If you have been injured in an accident at a refinery or plant, failing to follow these steps can mean your eventual claim will lack vital evidence. If you were involved in an accident, be sure that you:
- Immediately notify your employer and have a report created, this should be done before you leave the area where the accident occurred, and should be accompanied by pictures or video of the accident scene that you will give to your attorney later.
- Get medical attention, even if you “feel fine” or otherwise don’t think that you need it, any injuries you have will need to be documented by a medical professional in your medical records.
- Speak to a local New Mexico oilfield accident attorney that can take on the role of your legal representative, handling all necessary contact with insurance personnel, and acting on your behalf both in and out of the courtroom.
Contact our Team of New Mexico Oilfield Accident Attorneys Today
If you or someone you know were injured in an oilfield accident that occurred at a plant or refinery facility, investigating and creating a solid claim yourself can be incredibly difficult.
Reach out today and speak to a member of our Las Cruces-based Stewart + Harmonson legal team in confidence, so you can get started on your injury claim immediately.
