Find an oilfield accident lawyer in Houston: who responds, whether you have comp and which deadline runs first

Tell your employer within 30 days, file the workers' comp claim within 1 year, and report a death to OSHA within 8 hours. In Houston, oil and gas injuries can happen at a well site, a plant on the Ship Channel or on the road. If your employer skipped comp, you may sue it. The deadline is 2 years.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (50)

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Map of the Houston area showing the Houston Ship Channel and the Railroad Commission district office on N Loop West
Tell your employer of an oilfield injury within 30 days. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What counts as oilfield work in Houston?

We could not find a count of oilfield injuries inside the city. What the sources do show is that Houston sits at the center of the industry. The Houston Ship Channel is called the largest petrochemical complex in the U.S. in a presentation to city council, and the U.S. Gulf Coast holds 55% of refining capacity.

Companies fall into three groups: operators, drilling companies and well servicing companies. Your rights can change depending on which one signed your paycheck and which one owned the site.

Safety law is also split. Only site preparation falls under OSHA's construction standards for oil and gas work. Where no standard fits a serious hazard, OSHA uses the General Duty Clause.

Who responds to an oil and gas injury near Houston?

What happenedWho to callNumber or address
Well site fire, leak or spillRailroad Commission, 24-hour emergency line844-773-0305 or 512-463-6788
Question about a well in Harris CountyRRC District 3 office1919 N Loop West, Suite 620; 713-869-5001 Harris County is in District 3.
Plant or refinery injuryOSHA Houston South office17625 El Camino Real, Suite 400; 281-286-0583
Injury north of the cityOSHA Houston North office, Conroe936-760-3800
Comp claim troubleDWC claim help line800-252-7031, option 1

Operators must give immediate phone notice of a fire, leak, spill or break to the right district office. OSHA must hear about a death within 8 hours and a hospitalization or amputation within 24 hours.

Does your Houston oilfield employer carry workers' comp?

Maybe not. Most Texas private employers may opt out, and coverage is not required in most cases. If your employer opted out, it is a non-subscriber.

  • The employer must tell you whether it has coverage.
  • You can look up an employer on the state's list of registered non-subscribers.
  • You can also check an employer's coverage through TXCOMP, and the state answers within one business day.
  • A non-subscriber cannot say you assumed the risk. You still must prove the employer's negligence.

Free help exists. The Office of Injured Employee Counsel has Houston offices and a free ombudsman for workers without a lawyer: 866-393-6432.

What should you do in the first month after an oilfield injury?

  1. Give your employer notice of the injury within 30 days, and put it in writing if you can.
  2. Get treated and keep every bill. Ben Taub and Memorial Hermann - Texas Medical Center take the most serious cases.
  3. File the workers' comp claim within 1 year.
  4. Do not sign a waiver at once. The rule wants an evaluation by a non-emergency doctor before any waiver.
  5. Save photos, gas monitor readings, texts and the names of the crew. Hydrogen sulfide, or H2S, can overcome a worker almost immediately and is a leading cause of gas inhalation deaths on the job.

If you reported a safety problem and then lost shifts, you have 30 days to file a retaliation complaint. Your right to a safe workplace does not depend on immigration status.

Can you sue someone other than your employer?

Often, yes. You can collect comp and bring a claim against a third party. A site owner is reachable if it kept some control over the work. The comp carrier gets paid back first from your net recovery.

Contracts matter. A promise to cover the other side's own negligence is void. The exception is indemnity backed by insurance agreed in writing, with a $500,000 limit on one-way deals.

Truck drivers face another rule. Twenty-four hours off can restart the 8-day period in oilfield work. Ask for the driver's logs early.

What if a worker died on an oil and gas job near Houston?

We are sorry. Texas allows punitive damages in a death case for intentional acts or gross negligence. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences issues completed autopsy reports on weekdays. The Harris County Clerk's probate department issues letters of administration, which a death claim may need.

Questions

How long do I have to sue a Houston employer that has no comp?

Generally 2 years.

Can OSHA cite an old incident?

No. An incident older than 6 months cannot be cited by OSHA.

Is there a safety hotline?

DWC's Safety Violations Hotline is 800-452-9595.

Does it matter that my employer is a small company?

Yes. In 2022, employers with 1 to 4 workers had the highest non-subscriber rate in Texas, 31%.

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Sources (50)

  1. Texas Labor Code 409.001, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than the 30th day after the date on which”
  2. Texas Labor Code 409.003, checked 2026-11-09. “a claim for compensation for an injury not later than one year after the date on which”
  3. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “A fatality must be reported within 8 hours.”
  4. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 16.003, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  5. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “Highway vehicle crashes are the leading cause of oil and gas extraction worker fatalities.”
  6. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “Roughly 4 of every 10 workers killed on the job in this industry are killed as a result of a highway vehicle incident”
  7. Texas Department of Insurance, Employer Participation 2022, checked 2026-11-08. “The employer subscription rate increased three percentage points to 75% in 2022”
  8. Texas Department of Insurance, Employer Participation 2022, checked 2026-11-08. “had the highest percentage of non-subscribers at 31% in 2022”
  9. Texas Labor Code 406.005, checked 2026-11-09. “An employer shall notify each employee as provided by this section whether or not the employer has workers' compensation insurance coverage.”
  10. Texas Department of Insurance, checked 2026-11-09. “Get a list of registered non-subscribers at Texas Open Data Portal”
  11. Texas Labor Code 417.001, checked 2026-11-09. “may also pursue a claim for workers' compensation benefits under this subtitle”
  12. Railroad Commission of Texas, Oil and Gas Accident Reporting, checked 2026-11-09. “Oil and Gas operators are required by §3.20, Chapter 3 (TAC) to give immediate notice of a fire, leak, spill, or break to the appropriate commission district office”
  13. Greater Houston Port Bureau, presentation to Houston City Council committee, Nov. 12, 2024, checked 2026-11-09. “Houston Ship Channel Recognized as the Largest Petrochemical Complex in the U.S.”
  14. U.S. Energy Information Administration, Today in Energy, May 20, 2025, checked 2026-11-09. “The U.S. Gulf Coast accounts for 55% of total U.S. refining capacity, with the Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana Gulf Coast refining regions combined accounting for 49% of total U.S. refinery capacity.”
  15. CDC NIOSH, checked 2026-11-09. “The oil and gas extraction industry is made up of three main types of companies:”
  16. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “site preparation is the only aspect of oil and gas well drilling and servicing operations covered by 29 CFR 1926”
  17. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “when a serious hazard exists in the workplace that is not addressed by a specific OSHA standard”
  18. Railroad Commission of Texas, Oil and Gas Accident Reporting, checked 2026-11-09. “To report an environmental emergency, discharge, spill, air release from oil and gas facilities contact The Railroad Commission of Texas 24-Hour Emergency reporting line: 844-773-0305 (toll free) or 512-463-6788”
  19. Railroad Commission of Texas, Locations, checked 2026-11-09. “| 3 | Houston | 1919 N Loop West, Suite 620 (map) Houston, TX 77008 [email protected] | 713-869-5001 713-869-9621 |”
  20. Railroad Commission of Texas, Oil & Gas Counties & Districts, checked 2026-11-09. “| Harris | 03 | 201 | Houston |”
  21. OSHA, Texas Area Offices, checked 2026-11-08. “Houston South Area Office 17625 El Camino Real, Suite 400 Houston, TX 77058 (281) 286-0583”
  22. OSHA, Texas Area Offices, checked 2026-11-08. “Houston North Area Office 690 S. Loop 336 W., Suite 400 Conroe, TX 77304 (936) 760-3800”
  23. Texas Department of Insurance, DWC Contacts, checked 2026-11-08. “Call and speak to a customer assistant at 800-252-7031, option 1.”
  24. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “An in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or eye loss must be reported within 24 hours.”
  25. Texas Department of Insurance, checked 2026-11-09. “In Texas, private employers can choose to carry workers' compensation insurance coverage (subscribers), but it is not required in most cases.”
  26. Texas Department of Insurance, Coverage Verification, checked 2026-11-09. “Verify coverage at TXCOMP NCCI website”
  27. Texas Department of Insurance, checked 2026-11-09. “A DWC representative will respond and provide coverage information within one business day.”
  28. Texas Labor Code 406.033, checked 2026-11-09. “the employee assumed the risk of injury or death”
  29. Texas Labor Code 406.033, checked 2026-11-09. “the plaintiff must prove negligence of the employer”
  30. Office of Injured Employee Counsel, Offices, checked 2026-11-08. “Houston East Field Office 5425 Polk Street, Suite 130 Houston, TX 77023-1454”
  31. Office of Injured Employee Counsel, Ombudsman Services, checked 2026-11-08. “Contact OIEC: (866) 393-6432”
  32. Office of Injured Employee Counsel, Ombudsman Services, checked 2026-11-08. “All OIEC services, including ombudsman services, are provided at no cost.”
  33. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “HARRIS HEALTH BEN TAUB HOSPITAL 4/1/2028 Q HOUSTON 77030”
  34. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “MEMORIAL HERMANN - TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER 5/1/2028 Q HOUSTON 77030”
  35. Texas Labor Code 406.033, checked 2026-11-09. “the employee, before signing the waiver, has received a medical evaluation from a nonemergency care doctor”
  36. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “Hydrogen sulfide is one of the leading causes of workplace gas inhalation deaths in the United States.”
  37. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “It can quickly, almost immediately, overcome unprepared workers, including rescue workers.”
  38. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “you can file a whistleblower complaint within 30 days of the retaliation”
  39. U.S. Department of Labor, checked 2026-11-09. “You have the right to a safe and healthy workplace regardless of your immigration status.”
  40. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 95.003, checked 2026-11-09. “the property owner exercises or retains some control over the manner in which the work is performed”
  41. Texas Labor Code 417.002, checked 2026-11-09. “shall be used to reimburse the insurance carrier for benefits, including medical benefits, that have been paid for the compensable injury”
  42. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 127.003, checked 2026-11-09. “is void if it purports to indemnify a person against loss or liability for damage that”
  43. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 127.005, checked 2026-11-09. “the parties agree in writing that the indemnity obligation will be supported by liability insurance coverage”
  44. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 127.005, checked 2026-11-09. “the amount of insurance required may not exceed $500,000”
  45. eCFR, 49 CFR 395.1, checked 2026-11-09. “any period of 8 consecutive days may end with the beginning of any off-duty period of 24 or more successive hours”
  46. Texas Labor Code 408.001, checked 2026-11-09. “does not prohibit the recovery of exemplary damages by the surviving spouse or heirs of the body of a deceased employee”
  47. Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, Autopsy Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “Individuals may obtain a copy of a completed autopsy report from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday”
  48. Harris County Clerk, Probate Courts, checked 2026-11-08. “letters of testamentary, administration and guardianship”
  49. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “OSHA can not issue violations for safety and health incidents that occurred more than six months prior”
  50. Texas Department of Insurance, DWC Contacts, checked 2026-11-08. “Safety Violations Hotline 800-452-9595”

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