Undefeated Oilfield Accident Lawyers
If you or a loved one were seriously injured in an oilfield accident, you can’t leave your future in the oil company’s hands. You need and deserve a law firm with a proven track record of taking on major energy corporations after catastrophic oil rig explosions, devastating oilfield truck accidents, and some of the worst industrial disasters in history — and not just winning, but setting records.
At Zehl & Associates, we’ve recovered Billions for accident victims, including the #1 Largest Oilfield Burn Injury Settlement in U.S. History, by refusing to back down against powerful oil and gas companies until justice is served and our clients receive the maximum compensation possible.
But our commitment to clients goes far beyond the courtroom. We fight to ensure injured workers receive the best medical treatment available, have the financial resources they need while recovering, and never have to worry about providing for themselves and their families after a catastrophic injury.
Here’s a closer look at some of our recent record-setting victories and how our Texas Oilfield Accident Lawyers fight for injured workers and their families after devastating oil rig explosions and oilfield accidents.
Largest Oilfield Accident Verdicts & Settlements in Texas (2026)
Workers in oil and gas extraction and support services continue to face far more dangerous working conditions than any other industry. Last year alone, OSHA severe injury reports documented at least 89 workers in Texas oil and gas extraction, drilling, and support operations suffering catastrophic injuries requiring hospitalization, amputation, or resulting in the loss of an eye after preventable explosions, blowouts, fires, and oilfield trucking accidents.
Behind every one of these incidents is a worker and family forced to face far more than just the physical pain of a catastrophic injury — including overwhelming medical bills, lost income, emotional trauma, uncertainty about the future, and the devastating reality that life may never look the same again.
At Zehl & Associates, we refuse to let powerful oil and gas companies walk away from preventable tragedies without accountability. The record-setting verdicts and settlements below show what happens when injured workers and families have an undefeated trial team prepared to fight for every dollar they deserve.
Record-Breaking $165,000,000 Oilfield Burn Injury Settlement
Our oil rig explosion lawyers secured a record-breaking $165 Million Settlement in fewer than 18 months on behalf of two workers who were seriously injured when a battery tank exploded in West Texas.
Our investigation revealed that the explosion was caused by a combination of improper venting of flammable gases, failure to follow basic safety procedures, poorly maintained equipment, and inadequate hazard monitoring system — all of which put workers directly in harm’s way.
Faced with this evidence, the companies involved were forced to take responsibility and provide full compensation for the life-changing harm caused to our clients.
Record-Breaking Oilfield Truck Accident Settlement
Our oilfield truck accident lawyers recovered a major settlement for an oilfield truck driver who was catastrophically injured after another large truck crashed into his rig along FM-1788 in the Permian Basin — a notoriously dangerous roadway overwhelmed by fatigued drivers, heavy oilfield traffic, and relentless pressure to meet production demands.
We uncovered evidence showing the crash was entirely preventable and held the responsible companies fully accountable for putting profits and production ahead of worker safety.
Record-Breaking Offshore Oil Rig Settlement
Our Offshore Oil Rig Injury Lawyers recovered the #1 Largest Maritime Settlement in Texas in 2025 after a floorhand working aboard an offshore drillship in the Gulf of Mexico suffered severe neck and back injuries in the moonpool due to a co-worker’s negligence.
Despite the seriousness of the injuries and the long-term impact on our client’s life and career, the case was resolved shortly before trial for a $16 Million Settlement.
Record-Breaking Workover Rig Collapse Settlement
Our clients suffered catastrophic injuries in a devastating Pyote, Texas workover rig collapse involving multiple negligent companies.
As trial approached, each defendant attempted to blame the others and avoid responsibility. Our attorneys methodically dismantled those defenses, exposing the unsafe conditions and failures that led to the collapse.
The case resolved during pre-trial proceedings for a record-setting $12.7 Million Oilfield Accident Settlement.
Our Track Record for Oilfield Accident Victims Speaks For Itself
Over the last five years alone, our undefeated oilfield accident lawyers have recovered some of the largest verdicts and settlements in the country for injured oilfield and industrial workers, including:
- $100 Million: Recovered on behalf of workers injured in a catastrophic oilfield explosion after our attorneys conducted more than 100 depositions and defeated repeated attempts by the defendants to limit the victims to less than $50,000 in workers’ compensation benefits.
- $90 Million: The #1 Largest Oilfield Burn Injury Settlement in U.S. history for an oilfield contractor who suffered devastating burns in a Burleson, Texas well explosion during a workover project.
- $62 Million: Secured for an oilfield worker who sustained severe burn injuries in a West Texas blowout. The case resolved three weeks before trial after extensive litigation led by trial attorneys Ryan Zehl and Eric J. Allen.
- $55 Million: Recovered for an Odessa oil rig worker who suffered second- and third-degree burns in a catastrophic explosion. The case resolved less than 13 months after filing suit.
- $32 Million: Obtained for a family struck head-on by a fatigued oilfield truck driver, resulting in catastrophic injuries and weeks of hospitalization.
Learn more about our record-setting recoveries on our Results page.
Why So Many Oilfield Accidents Are Preventable
Every oilfield accident is unique, but across the more than 1,000 oilfield accident cases we’ve handled, one fact remains the same: these tragedies are almost always preventable. Time and again, our investigations uncover the same dangerous patterns: companies cutting corners, ignoring safety procedures, overworking crews, and prioritizing production ahead of worker safety.
When safety takes a backseat to profit, catastrophic explosions, blowouts, rig collapses, and fatal trucking accidents become inevitable.
Some of the most common causes of serious oilfield accidents include:
Ignoring Safety Procedures
Many catastrophic oilfield accidents occur because companies fail to follow basic safety rules and industry standards, including critical American Petroleum Institute (API) regulations. Our investigations frequently uncover inadequate training, poor communication between contractors, and supervisors who failed to monitor dangerous conditions.
Pressure to Rush the Job
Oilfield companies often place enormous pressure on workers to move faster and keep production going, even when conditions are unsafe. When speed becomes more important than safety, workers pay the price.
Long Hours and Extreme Fatigue
In many cases, we’ve uncovered crews working 14-18 hour shifts, followed by long drives to and from remote wellsites. That level of exhaustion can impair judgment and reaction time as severely as alcohol intoxication.
Equipment Failures and Unsafe Conditions
Defective equipment, poorly maintained rigs, unsecured workover systems, and improperly installed safety components can all trigger devastating accidents. In many cases, these hazards existed long before the incident occurred — and should have been corrected.
Well Blowouts and Explosions
Uncontrolled pressure buildup, failed barriers, and improper well control procedures can cause catastrophic well blowouts and explosions within seconds, placing every worker on site in immediate danger.
How Zehl & Associates Can Help After an Oilfield Accident
After a serious oilfield accident, the company may promise to “take care of you” or “do the right thing.” But their number one priority is to pay you and your family far less than your case would be worth if you filed a lawsuit — not to protect your future.
Oil and gas companies will do everything in their power to minimize injuries, shift blame onto workers, hide critical evidence, and pressure families into accepting far less than they deserve.
Only an experienced oilfield accident lawyer knows exactly how to protect you from day one and hold them fully accountable, all while ensuring your receive the best medical care and the maximum compensation possible.
Here’s why so many oilfield workers choose Zehl & Associates:
Immediate Investigation
We assemble a team of experienced trial lawyers, engineers, and industry safety experts to uncover what really happened, preserve critical evidence, and expose critical safety failures and preventable hazards that should never have occurred in the first place.
Identifying Every Responsible Party
Oilfield accidents often involve multiple negligent companies, including operators, drilling contractors, service companies, transportation providers, staffing companies, and equipment manufacturers. Our attorneys work relentlessly to identify every at-fault party and hold them fully accountable for the harm they caused.
Protecting You From Company Tactics
Oil and gas companies move fast after a serious accident — to control the narrative, bury evidence, and even monitor you via social media or in person in hopes of discrediting your injuries.
Our attorneys understand these tactics because we’ve spent decades taking on the largest energy companies in the world. From day one, we prepare every case for trial, moving quickly to preserve evidence, protect clients from unfair blame, and pursue and oilfield accident lawsuit beyond the limitations of Workers’ Compensation whenever possible.
Maximizing Recoveries
Our expertise, along with our experience and success in the courtroom, allows us to maximize our client’s recovery in each and every case we’re involved with. The companies we take on know exactly what’s at stake when they face Zehl & Associates: either pay our clients the full compensation they deserve, or face our undefeated trial lawyers in the courtroom, where we’ve never lost a case, and where a jury will hold them fully accountable for the devastating harm they caused.
Unwavering Commitment to Clients
We stand by our clients and their families every step of the way, ensuring they receive the best medical care available, that their reasonable living expenses are covered while their cases are pending, and that they have the financial resources to provide for themselves and their families for the rest of their lives.
No Fees Unless We Win
We front all the costs and dedicate whatever resources necessary to winning your case. This ensures that everyone, regardless of their financial situation, has access to our record-setting oilfield injury lawyers.
Head to our Client Testimonials to learn why so many clients say:”Zehl treats you like family, and they take care of everything.”
We Don’t Just Win. We Set Records.
How We Recovered a Record-Breaking Result for the Liles Family
James was performing routine well service work in West Texas when a rolling fire triggered a catastrophic oil rig explosion, leaving him with severe third-degree burns across his face and body.
James turned to Zehl & Associates because his family’s future was on the line — and he knew he needed a law firm with the experience and resources to take on the companies responsible and fight for the full compensation they’d need to move forward.
Led by firm founder Ryan Zehl and trial attorney Lamar DeLong,, our team immediately began investigating how a routine oilfield operation escalated into a devastating explosion.
Our investigation exposed critical safety failures and dangerous conditions that should never have been allowed to exist. From day one, we prepared the case for trial and worked relentlessly to hold every responsible company fully accountable.
The result was a record-setting oilfield burn injury settlement that helped secure the Liles family’s future and provided the financial support James needed throughout his recovery.
“The last year and a half, it was a struggle mentally and physically,” James says. “But Zehl & Associates were right there with me and my family the whole journey. They are phenomenal at what they do.”
Undefeated Oilfield Injury Lawyers: 888-603-3636 for a Free Consult
Having successfully represented over 1,000 oilfield accident victims across Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico and the United States, we know what evidence to look for, how to prove the company was at fault, and, most importantly, how to win.
If you or a loved one were seriously injured or tragically killed in an oilfield accident, contact our Undefeated Oilfield Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation at 1-888-603-3636, use the chat form on our website, or send us a confidential email through our Contact Form.
We’ll answer your questions, explain your rights and options, and provide you with the information you need to decide what’s best for you and your family.
All consultations are free and completely confidential, and you won’t pay us a dime unless we win your case.