Work Accident Attorney in Hobbs, NM
Permian Basin Injury Lawyers Who Know How Operators Fight Claims
Hobbs, NM sits at the center of Lea County’s oil and gas production, one of the most active and hazardous energy corridors in the Permian Basin. Workers here face daily exposure to drilling rigs, high-pressure lines, flammable materials, heavy equipment, and commercial traffic between remote well sites. When something goes wrong, the operators and insurers on the other side move fast. Simon Perdue Law moves quickly.
We represent injured workers and their families after serious on-the-job accidents throughout Hobbs and the surrounding Permian Basin. What separates us from other firms is direct: our attorneys spent years defending major oil and gas companies, including BP and Conoco, before switching sides. We know exactly how operators investigate claims, shift blame, and undervalue serious injuries because we used to do that work. We use that knowledge entirely for you now.
If you were hurt on the job in Hobbs, NM, contact Simon Perdue Law at (505) 588-5962 for a free consultation. We work on contingency, so you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
Why Hobbs Workers Choose Simon Perdue Law
Going up against a large operator or national insurer after a work accident isn’t a fair fight by default. These companies have legal teams, accident investigators, and playbooks designed to minimize what they pay. Our attorneys have seen those playbooks from the inside.
Joel Simon began his legal career defending large corporations at an elite international law firm in Houston before transitioning in 2013 to representing individuals with catastrophic injuries and wrongful death claims. He’s a member of the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association and has recovered millions for clients. Ryan Perdue has handled thousands of cases across his career. Together, they founded Simon Perdue Law in 2022 to fight for people who can’t fight for themselves.
We prepare every case for trial. That isn’t a talking point. Insurers may settle for more when they know a jury verdict is possible, and we don’t let them assume otherwise. Clients also get our personal cell numbers, available around the clock. Not a call center. Not an answering service. Direct access.
Simon Perdue Law has received recognition from America’s Best Advocates, Super Lawyers, the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, and Attorney and Practice Magazine.
Work Accidents We Handle in Hobbs, NM
Our work accident practice covers the full range of injuries common to oilfield, industrial, construction, and transportation workers across the Permian Basin.
- Oilfield and production site accidents: Drilling rig incidents involving blowouts, fires, explosions, high-pressure line failures, and equipment malfunction
- Refinery and processing plant injuries: Burns, crush injuries, toxic chemical exposure, and harm from removed or failed safety guards
- Construction site accidents: Falls from height, trench collapses, unsafe scaffolding, and workers struck by vehicles or heavy equipment
- Work-related vehicle crashes: Collisions involving company trucks, contractor pickups, and commercial vehicles traveling between Hobbs and remote well sites
- Equipment and machinery accidents: Workers caught in, struck by, or crushed by heavy industrial equipment
- Wrongful death: Fatal workplace accidents involving oilfield, construction, or transportation incidents
When We're On The Case
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Real Trial LawyersWe'll take your case and fight until the end. We'll take a trial over a settlement because we know you deserve more.
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Insider InformationAs former big oil defense attorneys, we know the tricks and trades the other side uses.
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Always PushingWe know the opposing side is not always forthright with their evidence. We know what we want, and will not stop until we get it.
What to Do After a Work Accident in Hobbs
The steps you take in the hours and days after a job injury can affect your ability to recover compensation. Here’s what matters most.
- Get medical care immediately: Tell every provider the injury happened at work. Internal trauma, concussions, and other serious injuries may not show symptoms right away, and delayed treatment can be used against you.
- Report the injury to your employer: Under NMSA 52-1-29, New Mexico law requires written notice to the employer within 15 days of when you knew, or should have known, of the accident’s occurrence. That window may extend to 60 days if injury or other circumstances beyond your control prevent timely notice, but don’t rely on extensions.
- Document the scene: Photograph equipment, vehicles, spills, and other hazards. Get contact information from anyone who witnessed what happened.
- Be careful what you sign: Recorded statements, broad medical authorizations, and employer or insurer documents can be used to undercut your claim. Contact a work accident attorney in Hobbs before signing anything.
- Act quickly on evidence: Oilfield and industrial sites can be altered, overwritten, or cleaned up fast. Early legal contact can improve your ability to secure logs, maintenance records, and surveillance footage.
Workers’ Compensation & Third-Party Claims in New Mexico
Most injured workers know about workers’ compensation. Fewer know that workers’ comp often isn’t the only avenue available, and that it’s rarely enough for a serious Permian Basin injury.
What Workers’ Compensation Covers
New Mexico workers’ compensation is a no-fault system that covers medical costs and partial wage replacement, generally capped at two-thirds of pre-injury wages. It doesn’t compensate for pain and suffering, full lost wages, or reduced earning capacity. For a worker who suffers a catastrophic injury or can no longer return to a physically demanding job, that gap is significant.
When a Third-Party Claim May Be Available
A third-party personal injury claim may be available when someone other than your direct employer contributed to the injury: a contractor, equipment manufacturer, property owner, or chemical supplier. These two paths can run alongside each other. New Mexico’s Oil Field Anti-Indemnity Statute prevents oil companies from using contract clauses to shift their own liability onto contractors or vendors, which carries real weight in multi-party oilfield claims.
New Mexico follows pure comparative negligence, meaning you can still recover compensation even if you were partially at fault. Damages are reduced in proportion to your share of fault, but they aren’t eliminated. Employer retaliation for reporting a workplace injury or filing a claim is illegal under New Mexico law.
Our attorneys can review how the incident occurred, who controlled the job site, and whether both workers’ compensation and a third-party personal injury claim are available to you. The two paths involve different deadlines and different processes, and understanding both early matters.
supporting You through your legal journey
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"Attentive to My Needs"Simon Perdue was attentive to my needs and the issues of my case. He answered all my questions and kept me informed about every step.- Former Client
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"You are an angel in human form with your line of work and would not have chosen any other lawyer."Joel, thank you again for fighting in my favor. You have changed my life and way of thinking drastically, I am now becoming a business owner. You are an angel in human form with your line of work and would not have chosen any other lawyer. The way you treated me and my family in making sure we were taken care of, I gratefully appreciate you for that. May you continue the good fight for God and may you and your family continue being blessed.- Ryan P.
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"Couldn’t Have Chosen a Better Law Firm"I couldn’t have chosen a better law firm to finish my case. Joel was knowledgeable and helped with any questions my husband and myself may have had.- Former Client
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"Wanted the Best for Me"Joel always validated my feelings and wanted the best for me. He was thorough and transparent throughout the whole process. I highly recommend Joel for any of your litigation needs.- Former Client
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"Made Me Feel Like Family"After losing a friend and nearly my own life in explosion at work, Joel Simon made me feel like family and fought for me. Got me what I deserved.- Former Client
Our Work Accident Attorneys
Joel Simon and Ryan Perdue built Simon Perdue Law around the premise that injured workers deserve the same caliber of representation that large operators bring to their defense. Both attorneys are former defense lawyers who represented major oil and gas companies. That background isn’t incidental. It gives them direct knowledge of how those companies approach, investigate, and fight workplace injury claims in the Permian Basin, and how to counter those tactics on behalf of the people they hurt.
Joel Simon crossed from corporate defense to plaintiff work in 2013 and has since recovered millions for individuals with catastrophic injuries and wrongful death claims. He’s a member of the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association, the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, New Mexico’s 1st Judicial District Bar Association, and the Houston Bar Association. Ryan Perdue brings thousands of cases of experience to every matter, with the strategic judgment that comes from working through nearly every scenario a work injury case can produce.
What Compensation May Be Available After a Hobbs Work Accident
Workers’ compensation covers medical costs and partial wage replacement. A third-party personal injury lawsuit may allow recovery of additional compensation. Through a third-party claim, injured workers may be entitled to past and future medical expenses, full lost wages, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, scarring and disfigurement, and loss of quality of life. Families of workers killed in workplace accidents may also pursue wrongful death compensation, including funeral costs, lost wages, lost benefits, and loss of consortium, alongside workers’ compensation death benefits.
Filing Deadlines to Know
Personal injury lawsuits in New Mexico carry a three-year statute of limitations from the date of injury under NMSA 37-1-8. Wrongful death claims carry a three-year window from the date of death. Workers’ compensation notice to the employer is required within 15 days of when you knew, or should have known, of the accident under NMSA 52-1-29. Because these windows differ and evidence can disappear quickly, contacting a workplace injury attorney in Hobbs, NM early can help preserve all available options.
We offer free consultations to injured workers and their families throughout Hobbs and Lea County. Our firm works on contingency, which means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
advocating for the maximum compensation
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$40,000,000 Wrongful Death
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$17,000,000 Oilfield Explosion
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$15,000,000 Truck Accident
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$10,500,000 Brain Injury
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$3,000,000 Head Injury
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$3,000,000 Back Injury
