Quick answer:

• Hurt in the Eagle Ford? You may have claims beyond workers compensation – against contractors, operators, and trucking companies – and if your employer carries no Texas workers comp, you can sue that employer directly.
• The Eagle Ford region logged 14,518 crashes and 173 deaths in 2024 (TxDOT). Evidence disappears fast: our preservation letters go out within 24 hours.
• Calls answered 24/7: (210) 525-1200. Free consultation, in English or Spanish. No fee unless we win.

Hurt in a crash or on a job site in the Eagle Ford Shale? The energy companies and their insurers move fast after a serious incident. Ryan Orsatti Law represents injured workers and motorists across the Eagle Ford region — from San Antonio south through Atascosa, Wilson, Karnes, La Salle, and Frio counties. Calls answered 24/7: (210) 525-1200. Free consultation. No attorney’s fees unless we win. Se habla español.

The Eagle Ford’s Roads Are Among the Most Dangerous in Texas

TxDOT’s own numbers: the Eagle Ford Shale energy region recorded 14,518 crashes, 173 deaths, and 598 serious injuries in 2024. Texas’s energy regions combined account for one in four of all traffic deaths in the state. Sand, water, and crude haulers, heavy equipment transports, and crew vans share narrow farm-to-market roads with families — day and night. And transportation incidents are the single leading cause of death for oil and gas workers nationally.

The Counties We Serve

Atascosa County (Pleasanton, Jourdanton, Poteet)

US-281 and I-37 carry constant oilfield and commercial traffic between San Antonio and the play. Atascosa County logged 919 total crashes in 2024, including 9 fatal crashes (TxDOT).

Karnes County (Karnes City, Kenedy)

One of the play’s most active drilling counties. SH-72, SH-123, and US-181 see heavy hauler traffic; Karnes County recorded 231 crashes in 2024 with 6 fatal crashes — a high severity rate for its size.

La Salle County (Cotulla)

I-35 south toward Laredo — the NAFTA freight corridor — crosses the heart of the western Eagle Ford. Oilfield truck traffic merges with long-haul freight at highway speed.

Frio County (Pearsall, Dilley)

I-35 corridor. 251 crashes in 2024 including 7 fatal crashes (TxDOT) — another county where severity runs high.

Wilson County (Floresville, Stockdale)

US-181 and SH-123 connect San Antonio to the eastern play; 626 crashes in 2024 (TxDOT).

Oil Field Injury Cases Are Layered — That’s the Point

A single well site can involve an operator, a drilling contractor, service companies, staffing agencies, and trucking contractors. That layering matters: even when workers’ compensation covers your employer, third-party claims against other negligent contractors are often available — and some oilfield employers carry no Texas workers’ comp at all (non-subscribers), which changes the case entirely in the worker’s favor. Who controlled the site, the schedule, and the truck determines who answers for the injury.

The Trucking Connection

Most serious Eagle Ford cases we see are truck cases at heart: a hauler that ran a stop sign on a caliche road, a fatigued crew-van driver at the end of a long hitch, an overloaded sand truck that couldn’t stop. These cases demand the same evidence race as any 18-wheeler wreck — black-box data, driver logs, dispatch records — preserved before they disappear. Our protocol is a preservation letter within 24 hours. Read more: San Antonio 18-wheeler accident lawyer and oil field accidents.

A San Antonio Firm That Works the Play

You don’t need a Houston mega-firm’s call center. You need a lawyer who answers, knows these counties and courthouses, and moves fast on evidence. Ryan Orsatti Law focuses on motor vehicle, 18-wheeler, and oil field injury cases; calls are answered 24/7 by a real person; and we serve clients in English and Spanish. Free consultation, contingency fee — no attorney’s fees unless we win.

Video: Hurt on a Texas Oilfield? What to Do First

Ryan Orsatti walks through the first steps after an oilfield or well site injury: medical care, written notice to your employer, workers’ comp questions, other companies that may share responsibility, evidence, and deadlines. Read the full guide.

Ryan Orsatti Law, San Antonio, TX. Ryan Orsatti, responsible attorney. 210-525-1200. Illustrated dramatization, not an actual client. General information only, not legal advice.

Read the video transcript

Hurt on a Texas oilfield? The first few days can decide what you prove later, so, starting today, here’s what to do first.

I’m Ryan Orsatti, a Texas injury lawyer. We’ll cover medical care, written notice, insurance questions, evidence, and what to say.

Get medical care right away, even if you feel fine. Then tell the doctor every spot that hurts, and exactly how it happened.

Then report the injury to your employer in writing. Texas law generally requires notice within thirty days, but sooner is always better.

Write down the date, time, location, equipment, and witnesses. If the company’s incident report gets something wrong, correct it in writing.

Next, find out whether your employer carries workers’ compensation. Texas lets most private companies skip it, and that choice changes your options.

If there’s coverage, get the carrier, claim number, and adjuster’s name. Filing with the state usually must happen within one year.

Oilfield jobs usually involve several companies. The operator, a contractor, a trucking outfit, or an equipment maker might share responsibility.

Here’s what surprises people: even with workers’ comp, a separate claim may exist against those other companies. Write down every name.

Evidence vanishes quickly on a well site. Keep your damaged gear, take photos, and save every video, text message, and witness contact.

Ask about cameras, truck data, safety analyses, and maintenance logs. A lawyer can send letters asking each company to preserve them.

Before giving a recorded statement, ask who the caller represents and whether you’ll receive a copy. You can speak with a lawyer first.

Serious injuries trigger federal rules for employers. They must notify OSHA within a day of any hospitalization, and eight hours after a death.

Most Texas injury lawsuits must be filed within two years, with exceptions. Starting early protects the evidence and keeps options open.

I’m Ryan Orsatti, a personal injury lawyer in San Antonio. For a free case review, call today, 210-525-1200.

Talk to an Eagle Ford Accident Lawyer

Call (210) 525-1200 any time, day or night, or tell us what happened online.