Undefeated Texas Plant & Refinery Accident Lawyers
Contractors are the backbone of Texas and Louisiana refinery and chemical plants, with more than 1.5 million “indirect” workers performing the most dangerous on-site jobs—pipefitters, electricians, welders, mechanics, and equipment operators—compared to just 64,500 direct employees, according to the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM). These workers are far more likely to suffer serious injuries, yet often lack the same protections or legal options as full-time employees. When disaster strikes, it’s critical to have experienced legal representation: a team that knows exactly how to stand up, fight, and win for contract workers.
At Zehl & Associates, we have successfully represented over 1,000 refinery workers in Texas and across the United States. With Billions won, including the largest plant accident verdicts and settlements in history, we have the resources and trial expertise to take on the largest refinery operators and petrochemical companies in the world and secure record-setting results for injured contractors.
Read on to learn more about your rights as a refinery contractor and how our our undefeated Refinery Accident Lawyers can help secure your family’s future after a serious explosion or accident.
What Legal Options Are Available to Contractors Injured at a Plant or Refinery?
No matter if you’re a direct employee or contractor, after a refinery accident, the company’s insurance carrier takes over immediately. And their only goal is to protect the company’s bottom line by paying you as little as possible.
As a worker, you have the right to seek legal counsel and explore every legal option available to you. Do not let them pressure you into signing away your rights in exchange for a minimal payout. Once you accept, you may be giving up your ability to pursue additional compensation — even if your injuries turn out to be far more serious than you were led to believe.
Only by speaking with an experienced attorney and exploring every legal option can you level the playing field, hold the company fully accountable, and secure the future you and your family deserve.
Let’s take a closer look at your options — and why relying on workers’ comp is never a good idea.
Option 1: Workers’ Compensation – designed to Protect the Company, Not You
Many refinery workers are shocked to discover that their job classification or contract can limit them to workers’ comp benefits or exclude them altogether. In fact, “independent contractor” status is one of the most hotly litigated issues in workers’ compensation law.
But before assuming you’re covered by Workers’ Comp, ask yourself:
- Are you an independent contractor?
- Were you hired through a third-party staffing agency?
- Are you self-employed, paid per project, or classified as a 1099 worker?
- Did the refinery or contractor opt out of workers’ comp altogether? (Texas is the only state that allows this.)
- Even if coverage exists, does the policy actually extend to contractors like you—or exclude them?
- Who was ultimately responsible for causing the accident?
Each of these factors can dramatically impact your legal rights and options after a refinery accident. You may not be entitled to workers’ comp benefits at all.
And even if you are covered, some companies and their insurers will fight to revoke benefits that were already approved, leaving injured contractors to pay out-of-pocket for medical care and lost wages.
Worse still, try to negotiate with the company on your own, and there’s a chance you’ll walk away with nothing at all.
That’s why it’s critical to get answers to these questions early — and to have an experienced lawyer protecting your rights from day one.
Why You Should Never Limit Yourself to Workers’ Comp
Even when worker’s comp coverage is available, these benefits are designed to protect the company, not you.
Workers’ comp benefits:
- Cover only a fraction of your lost wages (usually two-thirds of your average weekly pay)
- Never compensate you for pain and suffering, mental anguish, or loss of enjoyment of life
- Limit your medical treatment to doctors approved by your employer’s insurance provider (who only have the company’s best interest in mind)
Relying only on workers’ comp means you’ll be left struggling to pay bills, unable to support your family, and without justice for what happened.
Option 2: Personal Injury Lawsuit – the Only Way to Recover the Justice and Full Compensation You Deserve
Tragically, most refinery accidents are entirely preventable, yet they are often swept under the rug, with companies paying as little as possible to injured workers and even avoiding scrutiny from OSHA. That’s why it’s critical to explore every available legal option—especially filing a personal injury lawsuit, the only way to hold companies fully accountable for preventable accidents caused by decisions that put profits ahead of worker safety.
Depending on the facts of your case, you may be able to pursue:
- A Lawsuit Against the Refinery: If the refinery failed to provide a safe workplace—for example, by ignoring OSHA safety regulations, failing to maintain equipment, or allowing unsafe conditions—you may be able to hold them directly accountable in court.
- Third-Party Personal Injury Claims: If another company, contractor, or subcontractor’s negligence caused your injuries, you can pursue a claim against them—even if your employer provides workers’ comp coverage.
- Premises Liability Claims: Refineries must maintain safe premises for all workers. When they fail to repair hazards or warn of dangers, they can be held responsible.
- Product Liability Claims: If defective equipment, machinery, or safety gear caused or contributed to your injury, you may be able to recover damages from the manufacturer.
Unlike workers’ comp, these lawsuits are the only way to recover the full compensation possible—not just a portion of your paycheck, but all of your injuries and losses, including your pain and suffering, future lost wages, disfigurement, loss of earning capacity, and the cost of lifetime care if you need it.
Filing a lawsuit is also the only way to force the company to answer for its negligence — including unsafe practices, rushed schedules, and ignored safety protocols — and can prevent similar tragedies from happening to others.
How Do I Protect My Rights As a Contractor After a Refinery Accident or Explosion?
A petrochemical corporation has one goal after an accident: to save money by paying you and you and your family as little as possible. They will stop at nothing to avoid responsibility, and may even blame you and your coworkers, discredit your injuries, and “lose” or destroy evidence proving the company was at fault.
You must act fast to protect your rights. The actions you take in the hours and days that follow your injury can — and often do — mean the difference between securing a substantial recovery or walking away with significantly less than you deserve.
5 Ways to Immediately Protect Your Rights:
- See the doctor of your choice immediately. You have a right to see the doctor you want to, and you should NEVER rely solely on doctors chosen—and paid for —by the corporation or its workers’ comp carrier. Company doctors are notorious for rushing workers back onto the job and downplaying injuries to protect the corporation’s bottom line.
- Document the scene and preserve evidence the best you can. Take photos or videos before cleanup removes critical details, and keep your clothes, shoes, and equipment in clean plastic bags. Write a full account of the explosion while it’s fresh, and collect witness information from coworkers or contractors who saw what happened — their testimony could be crucial to your case..
- Don’t give a recorded statement & NEVER sign anything. The company’s insurer won’t hesitate to use your words against you. You’re under no obligation to provide a statement, and it’s in your best interest not to do so. Don’t sign anything or accept any settlement without legal advice. Accepting anything other than your regular paycheck will likely prevent you from filing suit once the true extent of your injuries and their impact on your life becomes apparent.
- Don’t post about the accident to social media. Anything you say could be used against your claim. Limit discussions of the explosion, your injuries, and your case to your spouse and attorney, and assume you may be under surveillance. Insurance companies often monitor workers to downplay or deny injuries, and even innocent actions could be misinterpreted to challenge your credibility.
- Contact an Undefeated Refinery Accident Lawyer right away. The best legal teams have the resources to conduct a thorough, independent investigation, preserve critical evidence including surveillance footage, equipment logs, and internal safety reports, and protect your legal rights from the moment you’re injured. We combat the company’s tactics to limit or manipulate your claim, and we work with a network of expert witnesses, safety engineers, and medical specialists to build a case that maximizes your recovery and holds the responsible parties fully accountable.
How Zehl & Associates Can Help
At Zehl & Associates, we help injured refinery workers—including contractors, subcontractors, and temporary employees—go beyond workers’ comp to recover record-setting verdicts and settlements.
We have seen the extraordinary lengths that companies will go to avoid responsibility when workers and contractors are seriously injured and killed. When you’re up against a multibillion-dollar refinery or its insurers, you need a legal team that knows how to win, and we have the results to prove it.
Our recent victories for contractors, subcontractors, and temporary employees include:
- $100M Settlement on behalf of a group of workers injured in a refinery explosion after the plant attempted to limit our clients to less than $50,000 in Workers’ Comp benefits
- $85M Settlement for injured refinery contractors
- $75M Settlement for workers injured in refinery explosion
In addition to ensuring that industrial workers receive the maximum compensation possible, our Plant Explosion Lawyers and staff make sure that you’re able to see the best doctors and medical providers for your injuries, that your medical bills and necessary living expenses are covered while your case is pending, and that you have access to the best tax and financial professionals after your case has been resolved.
Our top priority is making sure you are able to continue caring and providing for yourself and your family for the rest of your life — and we never back down until we’ve secured your future.
Undefeated Plant & Refinery Injury Lawyers: Call 1-888-603-3636 for a Free Consultation
Having won Billions for industrial workers in connection with the most catastrophic plant, refinery and workplace explosions in history, our Plant and Refinery Explosion Lawyers have what it takes to stand up against the largest oil and gas companies in the world and not just win, but set records.
If you or a loved one were injured or tragically killed in a plant, refinery, oilfield, or pipeline accident or explosion, contact us today for a free consultation at 1-888-603-3636 or send us a confidential email through our Contact Us form.
We’ll answer your questions, explain your rights, and make sure you have the information needed to make the best decision for you and your family going forward.
All consultations are free and confidential, and you won’t pay us a dime unless we win your case.