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When Oil and Gas Operations Hurt People
Oil and gas companies, pipeline operators, and industrial facilities take on legal duties when they operate. When they fail to meet those obligations and people are harmed, whether through a workplace incident, toxic chemical exposure, contaminated drinking water, or damaged property, those companies can be held accountable.
Oilfield injuries affect two primary groups:
- Workers on the job may suffer serious injuries or be exposed to benzene, hydrogen sulfide, or other hazardous chemicals.
- Landowners and residents living near oil and gas operations may find their water wells, soil, crops, or health affected by contamination.
Claims involving toxic substance exposure are known as toxic torts, a category that covers a significant portion of oil and gas injury cases.
Oklahoma law gives most people two years from the date they discovered the harm to file a claim. In contamination cases, the harm is often not immediately apparent as symptoms develop slowly and the source can take time to identify. If you believe oil and gas operations have harmed you or your property, contact an attorney as soon as possible.
Start with a free case review. There is no cost and no obligation to move forward.
Oil & Gas Injury Cases We Handle
Oilfield Worker Injuries
Toxic Chemical Exposure
Groundwater & Well Water Contamination
Pipeline Leaks & Ruptures
Produced Water & Wastewater Spills
Wrongful Death
Common Oilfield Injuries
In our experience, we have seen some of the most devastating injuries a person can endure. Explosions, fires, crushing equipment — the oilfield is not a forgiving site. Workers are often left disfigured, disabled, and unable to do the job they may have spent the better part of their career building.
Some of the most common injuries we see include:
- Well blowouts and explosions
- Fires and burn injuries
- Equipment and machinery failures
- Falls from height
- Crush injuries and amputations
- Hydrogen sulfide and toxic gas exposure
- Oilfield truck and vehicle accidents
- Injuries caused by defective equipment
Workers’ Compensation Is Not Your Only Option
If you were injured on the job, workers’ compensation may cover your medical bills and a portion of your lost wages. But it does not cover your pain and suffering, and it does not account for every party who may be responsible for what happened to you.
Oilfield sites involve multiple companies working alongside each other: operators, contractors, subcontractors, and equipment manufacturers. If negligence by any one of them caused or contributed to your injury, you may have a viable civil claim against them separate from your workers’ comp filing.
These are the cases we handle. We look at every party involved, identify who is responsible, and pursue the full compensation you are entitled to under Oklahoma law.
Contact us for a free case review. There is no cost and no obligation to move forward.
When Oil and Gas Operations Affect Your Land and Water
When oil and gas are extracted from the ground, they come up with a byproduct known as produced water, a briny fluid laden with salts, heavy metals, and chemicals, including benzene, a known carcinogen. Most of this water is disposed of by injecting it back underground through injection wells. When those wells leak, that wastewater can migrate, surfacing on private farmland, reaching private water wells, and contaminating the groundwater that rural Oklahomans depend on.
Recent investigative reporting has documented benzene in private wells near oil operations at concentrations exceeding EPA limits, widespread damage to crops and livestock from surface releases of toxic wastewater, and a state regulatory agency that has not fined a single company for wastewater leaks in recent years.
If you have noticed changes in your water supply, your land, your health, or the health of someone in your household, it is worth finding out whether an oil or gas operation is responsible. We can help. Call us for a free legal consultation.
Oilfield and Pipeline Companies Come Prepared. So Do We.
Oil and gas companies and pipeline operators are among the most heavily lawyered defendants in civil litigation. They have in-house legal teams, retained outside counsel, and expert witnesses on standby. When someone files a claim against them, they are ready.
These are not cases for attorneys who are unfamiliar with complex civil litigation. They require sustained resources, expert witnesses, and the willingness to take them all the way to trial if necessary. At Lee Dobson Lee, every case we accept is prepared for trial from the moment we open your file.
Matt Dobson and Jon Lee have spent their careers handling complex civil disputes against institutional defendants in state and federal courts across Oklahoma. They understand how corporate defense teams evaluate legal exposure, build technical defenses, and apply pressure on plaintiffs to accept early offers. That experience shapes how we prepare these cases and what the other side encounters when they sit across the table.
Compensation Available in Oklahoma Oil and Gas Injury Cases
What you have lost may be harder to quantify than a medical bill. It may be land your family has worked for generations, water you can no longer drink, or a serious injury that has taken away your ability to work and provide for the people who depend on you.
Oklahoma law allows us to pursue compensation for all of it:
- Medical expenses, including anticipated future treatment and long-term care
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Pain, suffering, and diminished quality of life
- Full wage replacement for workers unable to return to their job
- Permanent disability and disfigurement
- Property damage and loss of land value
- Remediation costs for contaminated soil, water, or structures
- Loss of agricultural use, including crop and livestock losses
- Wrongful death damages for families who have lost someone
- Punitive damages in cases involving reckless or willful misconduct
When you call us, we go through your entire situation. Every loss, every cost, every way this has affected your life. We make sure nothing gets left out.
The Attorneys Handling Your Case
The attorneys at Lee Dobson Lee handle their own cases. You will know who is working for you from the first conversation to the last.
Frequently Asked Questions About Oil & Gas Claims and Oilfield Injuries
How do I know if I have a case?
I already filed for workers' compensation. Can I still file a lawsuit?
Can I sue an oil company for contaminating my well water?
How long do I have to file a claim in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma law gives most people two years from the date of injury or from the date they discovered the harm to file a claim. In contamination cases the discovery date matters — if you did not know about the harm until recently, the clock may run from when you discovered it. Contact an attorney as soon as possible. Waiting reduces your options and can compromise the evidence.