If you survived a Texas oilfield accident but sustained injuries causing physical disability, the law entitles you to either temporary or permanent disability benefits. The law also protects your right to return to work, when and if you are able to do so.

The San Antonio-based Law Office of Matthew S. Nolan represents oilfield accident victims and advises them regarding their employment and compensation rights. If you have been injured in an oilfield accident, here are a few key points to consider.

Do You Qualify for Disability Benefits?

The severity of your injuries, the extent and nature of your physical disability, whether your disability is temporary or permanent, and whether or not you are able to work with restricted duties – all of these factors are considered when you apply for workers’ compensation benefits or file a personal injury lawsuit.

You’ll need to obtain a doctor’s statement that documents your injuries, describes your physical disability, and offers a prognosis for your improvement if improvement is expected.

Can You Qualify for Long-Term or Permanent Disability Benefits?

If you have received temporary workers’ compensation disability benefits for the full 104 weeks that those benefits are available in Texas, your eligibility for further workers’ compensation benefits will require a workers’ comp doctor to confirm that the oilfield accident has resulted in your long-term or permanent disability.

That confirmation from a doctor qualifies you for long-term or even lifelong workers’ compensation payments. If you are partially disabled, you may be eligible for partial disability benefits. Benefit amounts vary depending on the precise nature of your physical disability.

Not All Texas Employers Have Workers’ Compensation Coverage

In Texas, employers – including gas and oil companies – are not required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. If your employer is a “non-subscriber” – meaning your employer does not have workers’ compensation coverage – you may still be able to recover compensation for an oilfield injury with a personal injury lawsuit and the services of a San Antonio oilfield injury lawyer.

If you bring a personal injury lawsuit, you and your lawyer will be required to provide complete documentation of the accident, your injuries, your current medical condition, and you’ll also have to prove that your injuries were directly caused by your employer’s negligence or by a third party’s negligence.

What Does A Personal Injury Lawsuit Entail?

Your attorney may also ask a medical or financial expert for help projecting the long-term or lifelong costs of your medical treatment including therapy, prescriptions, and related expenses. With a personal injury lawsuit, an oilfield accident victim may seek compensation for lost wages and projected future lost wages, current and projected future medical expenses, personal pain and suffering, and all related losses and damages.

Whether you qualify for workers’ compensation or bring a personal injury lawsuit, if you are disabled as the result of an oilfield accident, you may also qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.

How Will an Oilfield Accident Attorney Help?

When you’re seeking compensation because you’re permanently disabled, the red tape and complications can be overwhelming and disheartening. Let an aggressive San Antonio oilfield injury lawyer handle the matter on your behalf.

We will review your case without cost or obligation, and you’ll pay no attorney’s fee to the Law Office of Matthew S. Norris unless and until we recover your compensation. Call our San Antonio office at 210-549-7633 to learn more – or to put our legal team to work for you.