$5,450,000 Settlement

Case Overview

Our client, an equipment operator working on a hydraulic fracturing site in West Texas, suffered serious injuries when high-pressure frac fluid was unexpectedly discharged from a line, striking him while he was working in a designated safe zone. Despite being outside the red zone and performing routine maintenance at the time, failures in communication and basic safety protocol by other workers on the site left him directly in the path of a violent fluid release.

Armstrong Lee & Baker LLP prepared this case for trial, retained experts across multiple disciplines, and ultimately secured a $5,450,000 settlement.

Incident Details

On the day of the accident, our client was performing routine maintenance, greasing and oiling the pumps, in an area outside the designated danger zone on the well site.

At the same time, other workers on location were bleeding off a high-pressure line. Critically, the line did not have a proper plug, known in the industry as a “90”, installed to prevent fluids from being released upward. Without that basic safety device in place, frac fluid erupted from the line with tremendous force.

The fluid struck our client and a nearby coworker. Both men went down immediately.

Our client was transported to an occupational health clinic, where he was diagnosed with back contusions, a shoulder contusion, neck strain, and severe lower back pain. What began as an initial clinic visit would eventually lead to years of treatment, including advanced imaging, injections, surgery, and extensive rehabilitation.

The Injuries

The injuries our client sustained were far more serious than the initial diagnosis suggested. Over the months that followed, his condition required:

• Extensive chiropractic care and physical rehabilitation
• Advanced diagnostic imaging
• Pain management injections
• Surgical intervention
• Ongoing post-surgical rehabilitation

The long-term impact was devastating. An independent economic analysis determined that our client suffered a 79% reduction in his ability to perform household services, tasks as fundamental as caring for his home and supporting his wife and two children.

How We Built the Case

Oilfield injury cases involving multiple companies on a single well site present unique challenges. Responsibility is often shared, and just as often, disputed. Our team built a case that left no room for the defendants to escape accountability.

From the outset, we focused on:

• Investigating the site conditions and identifying every party whose negligence contributed to the incident
• Retaining economic experts to calculate the full scope of lost earning capacity and household services over our client’s remaining life expectancy
• Working with life care planners to document the long-term medical needs resulting from the injuries
• Taking deposition testimony to establish the facts surrounding the failure to properly secure the line
• Filing multiple amended disclosures as new evidence and expert opinions were developed
• Coordinating complex discovery across multiple defendants and their respective counsel

We identified that the failure to install a basic safety device, a standard plug designed to prevent exactly this type of uncontrolled fluid release, was the direct cause of the incident. Our client was not in a restricted area. He was not doing anything dangerous. The danger came to him because the companies responsible for that well site failed to follow fundamental safety procedures.

The Result

After aggressive litigation and thorough trial preparation, the case resolved for a total settlement of $5,450,000.

This result provided our client with:

• Full compensation for past medical treatment and future care needs
• Resources to address his long-term loss of earning capacity
• Financial security for his family despite permanent physical limitations
• Accountability from the companies responsible for the unsafe conditions on that well site

Why This Case Matters

The oil and gas industry relies on workers to perform physically demanding and inherently dangerous jobs. In return, those workers are owed a safe working environment and basic adherence to established safety protocols. A plug on a high-pressure line is not an optional precaution, it is a fundamental requirement.  When companies cut corners, fail to communicate, or allow unsafe conditions to persist on a well site, the consequences fall on the workers. This case is a reminder that:

• Workers injured on oilfield sites have the right to hold every responsible party accountable, regardless of how many companies are involved
• Initial injuries may develop into long-term, life-altering conditions that demand full economic analysis and expert testimony

Armstrong Lee & Baker LLP is proud to have represented this client and to have delivered a result that reflects the true value of his case.