On the day of Justin’s accident, I was home with our two youngest boys. It was about the time Justin should have been getting home from work, so I checked my phone. I hadn’t heard from him recently and started to think it was a little weird that he hadn’t reached out. Right about the time I was trying to call him, my phone started ringing.
Justin was a well intervention manager. His company was hired as a contractor to work on an oil well in Burleson County, Texas. His job was to replace the B-section, one of the top parts of the well. The operator that owned the well failed to use a two-barrier system. Those barriers are designed to keep the oil, gas, and condensate down at the bottom of the well. That’s important because if it rises to the surface, anything can spark and cause a massive blowout.
It was just a normal day at work. We were out there working, and all of a sudden there was an immense amount of heat. The well blew out, ignited instantaneously, and burned four of us. I’m actually the only one that survived.
Justin was life-flighted from the location to the burn unit in the Houston Med Center. He was burned over 60% of his body, mostly third-degree burns. He was in a medically induced coma for five months. Over that time, he had 10 to 15 skin graft surgeries. He was on an ECMO machine, which is essentially life support. Pretty much everything the doctors said would be the worst-case scenario happened.
This definitely changed my life forever—in the sense of the kind of dad I get to be and the kind of husband—because I’m limited by so many things now, mainly the fact that I got burned and can’t regulate my body temperature.
When I met Justin and his family, they were in a bad place. Justin was literally fighting for his life. Christine was taking care of their four children and acting as his caretaker and nurse at home. I said to myself, and to the lawyers here, that we were going to get this family the largest settlement in history. And that’s what we did.
Ryan and his team came to meet me, and from the moment I met them and talked for a few minutes, I knew they were who I needed to hire to represent our family. They were able to handle everything for me so I could focus on Justin being in the hospital. Ryan and his team basically took us in and were available 24/7. Ryan was constantly there to make sure I was not only getting the care I needed but also that I was happy with the service and support. I was almost surprised at the level of attention that not only I, but also my wife and kids, were getting from him and his entire team.
The reason this settlement—the largest oilfield settlement in history—is so significant is because it allows Justin and his family to be independent again. They don’t have to count on their company doing the right thing. They now truly have the financial resources to get the best medical care, the best treatment, and everything they need. And it’s what they deserve.
I would recommend Zehl & Associates in a heartbeat to anybody dealing with a personal injury. I tell my wife every day: I’m so glad she picked who she did.
Ryan Zehl and our Undefeated Oilfield Accident and Explosion Lawyers set two records for a contractor who was severely and tragically burned when an oil well blewout during a workover in Burleson County, Texas.
Ryan was able to settle his case in less than 18 months, ensuring that our client, his wife, and their four children are financially secure for the rest of their lives.
The settlement is the #1 Largest Oilfield Accident Settlement in US History and the #1 Largest Oilfield Burn Settlement in US History.