Oilfield accident in San Antonio: Eagle Ford injuries, comp and non-subscribers

Drilling happens south and southeast of San Antonio, not in the city, but the offices are here. Tell your employer within 30 days. Ask whether the company carries workers' comp, because many Texas private employers don't. The OSHA area office is at Fountainhead Tower, (210) 472-5040. A suit over an oilfield injury generally must be filed within 2 years.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (45)

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Road map of south Bexar County and Atascosa County, south of San Antonio, where Eagle Ford oilfield trucks reach the city
Oilfield injuries: tell your employer within 30 days. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Is there oilfield work in San Antonio itself?

Very little in the city. The Eagle Ford shale play runs from the Mexican border into East Texas, about 50 miles wide and 400 miles long. The wells and rigs are in counties south and southeast of here. The Railroad Commission puts Bexar and Atascosa counties in District 01, and Karnes County in District 02, with both handled from its San Antonio office.

San Antonio is where workers live, where company offices are, and where claims are handled. The OSHA area office is here, and so are the state workers' comp office at 4440 S Piedras Drive and the free injured-worker counsel. The federal court in San Antonio serves Atascosa, Bexar, Frio, Karnes and Wilson counties.

Why are road crashes a big part of oilfield injuries around San Antonio?

Highway crashes are the leading cause of death in the oil and gas industry, roughly 4 of every 10. TxDOT counted 13,889 crashes in the Eagle Ford region in 2025, with 142 deaths and 460 serious injuries. Speed and inattention led the causes.

In 2024 Texas had 36 work deaths in mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction. Eighteen were transportation incidents. If a tanker or sand truck hit you on the way to a job, you may have a claim against the driver and carrier beyond work comp.

Does your employer carry workers' comp?

Texas private employers can opt out. The state publishes registered non-subscribers. Your employer must tell you if it has coverage, and the state answers coverage questions within one business day.

Employer statusWhat you can doKey limit
Has comp coverageFile for comp benefitsTell employer in 30 days, file in 1 year
Opted out (non-subscriber)Sue the employer for negligenceYou must prove negligence, but the employer can't say you assumed the risk
Third party at faultComp plus a claim against the third partyComp carrier is repaid first from the recovery

Free help is available from the Office of Injured Employee Counsel. The safety hotline is 800-452-9595 and the help line is 800-252-7031.

Who else can be liable for an oilfield injury?

Operators, drilling companies and well service companies often share a site. A controlling contractor assumes all obligations under the OSHA standards, even if it subcontracts the work. A property owner is liable only if it kept some control over how the work was done.

Contracts matter too. A promise to cover the other side's own negligence is void, unless backed by written insurance. The one-way limit is $500,000. A general contractor may agree in writing to provide comp coverage for a subcontractor.

What oilfield hazards cause the worst injuries?

On the job, hydrogen sulfide can overcome a worker almost immediately, and it is a leading cause of gas inhalation deaths at work. OSHA has warned about flare flashback explosions at tank batteries. Safety rights apply regardless of immigration status.

What should you do after an oilfield injury if you live near San Antonio?

  1. Get care. University Hospital is the Level I trauma center for the San Antonio region.
  2. Tell your supervisor in writing and keep a copy. The deadline is 30 days.
  3. Ask in writing if the company has comp coverage.
  4. Write down the well site, the operator and every company on site.
  5. OSHA can't cite incidents over 6 months old, so report a hazard early.

Questions

Can I be fired for reporting an injury?

OSHA retaliation complaints must be filed within 30 days.

How long do I have to sue?

Generally 2 years in Texas. A wrongful death claim can include punitive damages for gross negligence.

What if I signed a waiver with my employer?

Before you waive anything, a doctor who is not an emergency doctor has to evaluate you.

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Sources (45)

  1. Texas Labor Code 409.001, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than the 30th day after the date on which”
  2. 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.”
  3. 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.”
  4. OSHA, Texas area offices, checked 2026-11-08. “Fountainhead Tower 8200 W. Interstate 10, Suite 605”
  5. 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”
  6. 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”
  7. Texas Labor Code 406.033, checked 2026-11-09. “the plaintiff must prove negligence of the employer”
  8. Texas Labor Code 406.033, checked 2026-11-09. “the employee assumed the risk of injury or death”
  9. Texas Labor Code 417.001, checked 2026-11-09. “may also pursue a claim for workers' compensation benefits under this subtitle”
  10. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “A fatality must be reported within 8 hours.”
  11. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “An in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or eye loss must be reported within 24 hours.”
  12. Railroad Commission of Texas, checked 2026-11-09. “The shale play trends across Texas from the Mexican border into East Texas, roughly 50 miles wide and 400 miles long”
  13. Railroad Commission of Texas, checked 2026-11-09. “Bexar 01 029 San Antonio”
  14. Railroad Commission of Texas, checked 2026-11-09. “Atascosa 01 013 San Antonio”
  15. Railroad Commission of Texas, checked 2026-11-09. “Karnes 02 255 San Antonio”
  16. Texas Department of Insurance, DWC contacts, checked 2026-11-08. “4440 S Piedras Drive, Suite 205”
  17. Office of Injured Employee Counsel, Offices, checked 2026-11-08. “San Antonio Field Office 4440 S. Piedras Drive, Suite 205”
  18. U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas, checked 2026-11-09. “Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Dimmit, Frio, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina, Real and Wilson”
  19. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “Highway vehicle crashes are the leading cause of oil and gas extraction worker fatalities.”
  20. 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”
  21. TxDOT, Energy Sector Safety Campaign, checked 2026-11-09. “Eagle Ford Shale: 13,889 traffic crashes resulted in 142 fatalities and 460 serious injuries.”
  22. TxDOT, Energy Sector Safety Campaign, checked 2026-11-09. “The leading contributors to those crashes were failure to control speed and driver inattention.”
  23. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Texas 2024, checked 2026-11-09. “Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction(9) | 36 | | 18 | 3 | | 4 | 8”
  24. Texas Department of Insurance, checked 2026-11-09. “Get a list of registered non-subscribers at Texas Open Data Portal”
  25. Texas Department of Insurance, checked 2026-11-09. “A DWC representative will respond and provide coverage information within one business day.”
  26. 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”
  27. Office of Injured Employee Counsel, Contact Us, checked 2026-11-08. “Injured employees in Texas have the right to free services from OIEC”
  28. Texas Department of Insurance, Employee resources, checked 2026-11-08. “Safety Violations Hotline at 800-452-9595”
  29. Texas Department of Insurance, Employee resources, checked 2026-11-08. “call DWC at 800-252-7031, option 1”
  30. CDC NIOSH, checked 2026-11-09. “The oil and gas extraction industry is made up of three main types of companies:”
  31. OSHA Construction eTool, checked 2026-11-09. “The controlling contractor assumes all obligations under the standards, whether or not he subcontracts any of the work.”
  32. 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”
  33. 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”
  34. 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”
  35. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 127.005, checked 2026-11-09. “the amount of insurance required may not exceed $500,000”
  36. Texas Labor Code 406.123, checked 2026-11-09. “A general contractor and a subcontractor may enter into a written agreement under which the general contractor provides workers' compensation insurance coverage”
  37. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “Hydrogen sulfide is one of the leading causes of workplace gas inhalation deaths in the United States.”
  38. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “It can quickly, almost immediately, overcome unprepared workers, including rescue workers.”
  39. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “Oil Field Tank Batteries”
  40. U.S. Department of Labor, checked 2026-11-09. “You have the right to a safe and healthy workplace regardless of your immigration status.”
  41. University Health, Trauma Care, checked 2026-11-08. “verified by the American College of Surgeons as both a Level I trauma center and a Level I pediatric trauma center”
  42. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “OSHA can not issue violations for safety and health incidents that occurred more than six months prior”
  43. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “you can file a whistleblower complaint within 30 days of the retaliation”
  44. 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”
  45. 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”

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