Undefeated Oilfield Injury Lawyers
After an oilfield accident, families are often overwhelmed by uncertainty and financial pressure — especially when a loved one is facing lasting or even permanent medical needs or has tragically been killed. The thought of adding legal costs to everything else can feel impossible. And the companies responsible for the accident are counting on exactly that. They hope the fear of attorney’s fees will stop you from taking action.
The truth: you never pay anything upfront or out of pocket to hire an experienced oilfield injury lawyer — even the best trial attorneys in Texas.
At Zehl & Associates, our Undefeated Oilfield Accident Lawyers represent every client on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you don’t owe us anything unless we win your case. With Billions won against the largest oil, gas, and petrochemical companies in the world, we not only fight for the maximum compensation our clients deserve — we stand with them every step of the way at no upfront cost, no exceptions.
Read on to learn how contingency fees work, why they level the playing field against billion-dollar corporations, and how our team ensures you have the resources and representation needed to secure your future.
What Is a Contingency Fee?
A contingency fee means your lawyer only gets paid if you win. You pay nothing upfront and nothing out of pocket while your case is underway. Instead, your attorney receives an agreed-upon percentage of the financial recovery obtained from the company or insurance carrier responsible for your injury or loved one’s wrongful death. If you don’t recover damages, you don’t owe any attorney’s fees — period.
How Does a Contingency Fee Work?
Personal injury lawyers front all the costs of building and litigating your case — from expert witnesses and accident reconstruction teams to depositions, filings, and trial preparation. In catastrophic oilfield and industrial accident cases, these costs can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
That’s why it’s crucial to choose a law firm with the resources and experience needed to stand up against energy corporations and their teams of defense lawyers. With the right firm, the contingency fee structure works entirely in your favor.
This fee structure ensures that:
- Top trial lawyers are accessible to every injured worker, regardless of their financial situation. You pay nothing unless we win.
- Your lawyer’s interests are fully aligned with yours. The more we recover, the more resources you have to rebuild your life.
- You face zero financial risk. If you don’t recover compensation, you don’t owe any attorney’s fees.
At Zehl & Associates, we also ensure that you receive the best possible medical treatment without paying anything upfront. Our team connects clients with leading medical specialists who can diagnose, treat, and document their injuries, and we work directly with providers to ensure billing issues don’t prevent you from getting the care you need. As your case progresses, we also help manage medical bills and negotiate balances, so you keep as much of your recovery as possible.
Do Contingency Fees Include Case-Related Expenses?
In short, yes. When you’re going up against major oil and gas companies with teams of defense lawyers, it’s critical to have a firm with the resources needed to beat them and to front your costs.
Common case expenses your lawyer may advance include:
- Accident investigation costs: site inspections, evidence collection, safety audits, and obtaining records from OSHA, the company, and other agencies.
- Expert witnesses: industry experts, engineers, accident reconstructionists, economists, and medical specialists needed to prove fault and calculate damages.
- Filing and court costs: fees for filing your lawsuit, serving defendants, transcripts, and other litigation-related expenses.
- Medical records and documentation: fees charged by hospitals and healthcare providers for records, imaging, and reports.
- Depositions and discovery costs: court reporter fees, document production, and e-discovery.
- Travel and investigation expenses: when witnesses, accident sites, or corporate offices are located out of town or out of state.
These expenses are then reimbursed from the final settlement or verdict — not out of your pocket. That’s why it’s crucial to hire a team with a proven record of maximizing compensation and securing the largest verdicts and settlements in history against oil and gas giants.
At Zehl & Associates, we do just that. In the last five years alone, we have proudly secured Billions for our clients, including the #1 Largest Oilfield Accident Settlement in U.S. History and the #1 Largest Oilfield Burn Injury Settlement in U.S. History.
Is Hiring an Oilfield Accident Lawyer Really Worth It?
Absolutely. Oilfield explosions cause some of the most severe, life-altering burns and injuries imaginable. Victims can face months in the hospital, multiple surgeries, and long-term medical needs — all while their families struggle to keep up mentally, emotionally, and financially.
The decisions you make after an oilfield accident, and especially the lawyer you choose, will impact the rest of your life. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Hiring the right oilfield lawyer can mean the difference between a $10+ million recovery or or walking away with far less than you need and deserve.
When you’re facing the potential for hundreds of thousands or even millions in medical treatment and ongoing care, you can’t leave your future in the hands of the company that caused your injuries. Choosing experienced legal representation is the only way to protect yourself and your family.
Why Choose Zehl & Associates?
At Zehl & Associates, we approach every case with the same principle: our clients are family. That means we fight for them with everything we have and ensure they receive the care, support, and resources they need from the moment they hire us.
With more than 1,000 injured oilfield workers represented across Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and the entire United States, we know exactly what evidence proves corporate negligence — and what it takes to hold every at-fault party fully accountable.
And if the company refuses to fully compensate you for all your injuries and losses? We take the case to trial, where we have never lost a case. Our verdicts and settlements speak for themselves, but it’s our unwavering commitment to clients that matters most.
How We Go Above and Beyond: Proven Results & Unmatched Client Care
When an oil well blewout during a workover in Burleson County, Texas, our client, Justin, suffered third-degree burns across 60% of his body. He spent five months in a medically induced coma, underwent 10–15 surgeries, and was kept alive with ECMO life support.
While the company refused to accept responsibility, we stepped in — and in less than 18 months, secured $100 million for his family, the largest known oilfield burn settlement in U.S. history. Most importantly, we made sure they never had to face a single day of the process alone.
Here’s why Justin and his family chose us to fight for them:
- We handle everything, so families can focus entirely on recovery.
- We’re available 24/7 and treat our clients like family, not case numbers.
- We make sure clients and their loved ones get the best medical care and have the support they need every step of the way.
- Our attention, responsiveness, and results consistently exceed expectations.
This is why so many of our clients say: “Zehl took care of everything.”
Undefeated Oilfield Accident Attorneys: 1-888-603-3636 for a Free Consult
With decades of experience and Billions won for our clients, our Undefeated Oilfield Accident Lawyers have repeatedly recovered the largest record-setting verdicts and settlements for workers and families in Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, and across the United States. We will fight just as hard for you.
If you or a loved one were injured or tragically killed in an oilfield accident, don’t leave your future in the company’s hands. Call 1-888-603-3636 or send us a confidential email through our Contact Us page.
All consultations are free, and you’ll pay nothing unless we win your case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hiring an experienced oilfield injury lawyer should never add to the financial stress your family is already facing after a serious accident. With a contingency-fee agreement, it costs you nothing upfront — and nothing out of pocket — to get the legal help you need.
Instead of charging hourly rates or requiring a retainer, your lawyer is paid a percentage of the settlement or verdict they recover for you. That means the firm only gets paid if and when they win your case.
With Billions won for injured oilfield workers and families across Texas and New Mexico, Zehl & Associates handles every case on this basis — ensuring you get industry-leading representation with zero upfront cost and zero financial risk.
We make sure you’re taken care of throughout the entire process — at no upfront cost to you:
- Access to top medical specialists who understand oilfield injuries and provide the highest level of care
- Medical bills and reasonable living expenses covered while your case is pending
- Guidance from financial experts to help secure your family’s future
- Record-setting recoveries that often exceed what our clients ever thought possible
The exact percentage often depends on the complexity of the case and whether it settles early or proceeds through litigation or trial.
While some accident victims look for a lower fee, what many don’t realize is that more experienced lawyers usually recover far more, meaning clients often end up with more money in their pocket even after paying a higher percentage. Experienced lawyers are taken more seriously by defendants, have the resources to uncover critical evidence, and are fully prepared to go to trial—leverage that dramatically increases the settlement value of your case.
Some law firms use a sliding scale, where the fee rises based on how much time and work the case requires. For example:
- 33% to 35% if the case resolves before a lawsuit is filed
- Higher percentages (up to 40–45%) if the case requires extensive litigation, depositions, experts, or goes to trial
This structure reflects the reality that cases requiring more work tend to produce higher recoveries—but also require significantly more resources, time, and risk from the law firm.
The timeline depends on the severity of your injuries, the number of companies involved, and whether the defendant accepts responsibility. Some cases settle in a matter of months; others — especially those involving catastrophic injuries or companies denying fault — may take longer.
What you can count on with Zehl & Associates:
- We move your case forward as quickly and aggressively as possible.
- We never accept a settlement that doesn’t provide you with the maximum compensation possible for all of your injuries and losses.
- If the company delays, denies, or refuses to pay, we take the case to trial, where we remain undefeated.
Many of our largest oilfield victories — including multiple 8- and 9-figure recoveries — were resolved in well under 18 months because of our trial-ready approach.
Most of our cases settle before trial — but the reason they settle is because the company knows we’re fully prepared to try the case and win.
If the defendant offers full compensation for all your injuries, medical care, lost income, and future needs, a settlement may make sense. But if they refuse to do what’s right, we don’t hesitate to take them to a jury.
This is why Zehl & Associates routinely secures record-setting recoveries.
Depending on the facts of your case, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- Medical expenses: past, current, and future treatment
- Lost wages and lost earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Physical impairment and disfigurement
Loss of household services - Mental anguish
- Punitive or exemplary damages, if the company acted recklessly or knowingly put workers at risk
- Wrongful death damages, if you lost a loved one in an oilfield accident
Our team works with top medical, financial, and economic experts as part of our meticulous approach to calculating damages, ensuring every loss is identified and fully accounted for.
Every state has strict deadlines — called statutes of limitation — that limit how long you have to file a lawsuit. In Texas, for example, most personal injury cases must be filed within two years of the accident. Other states, federal claims, or cases involving wrongful death may have different timelines.
If you miss the deadline, you could lose your right to recover compensation entirely.
Because evidence can disappear quickly and companies often deploy their defense teams immediately after an accident, it’s critical to contact an experienced oilfield accident lawyer as soon as possible so your rights are protected from day one.