Offshore Accident Lawyers
Offshore Accidents
The Offshore oil industry is one of America’s most important lifelines for petroleum products. Unlike land-based oil wells, offshore rigs allow drilling in inaccessible areas and prevent disruptions to mainland people, structures, or landscapes that occupy the ground on top of the oil.
Oil drilling, regardless of the location, is a dangerous and risky enterprise. Injuries are normal, fatalities common, and few people escape serious injury while working on these marvels of engineering.
Just because a job is dangerous does not relieve the obligation of those responsible to care for those they hurt. If you or someone you know has suffered an injury on an offshore oil rig you may have a right to seek damages from those responsible. Contact the offices a knowledgeable offshore accident attorney now to start your case today.
Offshore Platform Accident Lawsuit
Offshore oil rigs are always busy. The process of drilling for oil far out at sea requires constant dedication and caution, for these drilling platforms often have a variety of activities taking place simultaneously. It is no wonder that offshore rigs are some of the most dangerous places in the world to work.
The harvesting of dangerous chemicals under extreme pressure from an inherently hostile environment does not relieve those who cause injury or harm of their obligation to compensate their victims. Workers have a right to work in the safest possible environment, and employers should not encourage their employees to take unnecessary risks.
If you or someone you love suffered injury because of an accident on an offshore platform you may be entitled to collect damages from the liable party. Contact the offices an experienced attorney now to find out your legal rights today.
Offshore Drilling Accident
Drilling for oil in an inherently dangerous and hostile environment like that found on a drilling rig out at sea is one of the main causes of all maritime injury. Drilling for oil in any environment is extremely dangerous, but adding the sometimes volatile nature of the ocean and the cramped and confined areas found on most platforms makes this occupation a recipe for disaster.
There are numerous laws designed to protect workers injured in these often horrendous and permanently disabling accidents, but unfortunately many lawyers are ill equipped to sort through the complicated levels of litigation needed to bring justice to those injured on these dangerous jobs.
If you suffered an injury due to an accident on an offshore drilling platform you have rights. Depending on your situation and condition you may have the right to take action against any number of parties who are responsible for your injuries. Contact a dedicated and experienced team of legal professionals and fight for your rights today.
Cruise Ship Injury and Accidents
Over the past three decades, nearly eighty million people world wide have decided to spend their vacation time aboard a cruise ship. Indeed, the cruise industry is one of the fastest growing components of the vacation market. Additionally, recent concerns over air travel security and various attacks against American citizens traveling abroad have led industry experts to believe that the appeal of a vacation-by-sea will only increase. Unfortunately, this has lead to an exponential increase in cruise ship injuries and accidents.
Common shipboard accidents and injuries include, but are not solely relegated to, the following:
- injuries caused by shipboard emergencies (fire, collisions, abandonment)
- assault by crew members or fellow passengers
- injuries sustained while participating in planned activities either aboard ship or during shore excursions
- food borne illnesses
- slip-and-fall
- sexual battery (rape) by crew members or fellow passengers
While potential travel costs can be a concern, passengers should not simply succumb to the seemingly daunting schematics of cruise ship injury and accident litigation. Many cases have been tried and won by plaintiffs seeking damages for a variety of personal injury claims. If any of the aforementioned accidents/injuries apply to your specific situation, then you should contact a cruise ship accident attorney as soon as possible. You deserve answers.
Commercial Fishing Vessel/ Boat Injury and Accidents
As long as there are fish in the sea, there will be fisherman to pursue them. In fact, commercial fishing is more popular now than ever here in the Golden State, as record numbers of vessels are filing for licenses with the California Department of Fish and Game.
Unfortunately, fishing as both a profession and a passion can be a dangerous undertaking. In fact, USA Today cites commercial fishing as one of the most dangerous occupations in the U.S., with 152 fatalities out of every 100,000 persons employed within the industry. As a result, commercial fishing vessel-related boat injuries and accidents are on the rise, and victims are only recently becoming aware of their legal rights and accompanying courses of action.
If you have been unfairly injured in a Commercial Fishing vessel/boat accident, you have legal options. You may even be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering. Talk to a knowledgeable injury attorney today so that you can get the answers – and the closure – that you deserve.
Jones Act
The Jones Act states that any worker who spends at least 30% of his or her time on a vessel in navigable waters is entitled to take action against the owner, captain, or seafarer that causes the victim to incur loss. This includes sailors, helicopter pilots, and supply personnel who rely on oil rigs for their livelihood. It is a form of workers compensation law designed to protect the safety and livelihood of anyone injured while performing their jobs on the high seas.
Offshore platform workers qualify as maritime employees by virtue of the fact that their jobs take place far out from where the laws of the land apply. This protection allows people in dangerous professions such as offshore oil rigging to take legal action if an injury prevents them from performing their duties.
The Jones Act is complicated and confusing, but if you suffered injury while on an offshore platform it will allow you to collect damages from those responsible. A knowledgeable maritime attorney will gladly explain how this law applies to your situation. Contact one today.
Maritime/Admiralty Law
Maritime law is a set of statutes that govern the rights and rules for ships, sailors, and workers. It is one of the oldest types of law in the world, and to a country like the United States that employs thousands of workers in a multibillion dollar industry, it is one of the most important set of laws.
Workers who are injured at sea have very special protections and provisions which allow them to take action against those who injure them during the course of their job. The Jones Act, one of the most important Maritime laws, states that workers on oil rigs have a right to take action against the captain, owner or fellow workers in the event they suffer injury. It covers not only the people who work the platform, but also auxiliary workers such as helicopter pilots, sailors, and workers from vessels who contact the rig.
Understanding maritime law is confusing and complicated. A dedicated and experienced maritime lawyer can determine if your injury falls under legal maritime protections, so make sure to talk to one today.
Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA)
The Death on the High Seas Act was established in 1920 to protect widows of sailors who died in international waters. It allowed the widows to collect future lost earnings their husbands would have earned had they not died. The law originally limited compensation to grieving families to whatever was salvaged from the wreck of the ship, and often this was not very much if anything at all.
The act was revised in 2000 to provide compensation not only for economic losses but also for the pain and suffering caused by the death of the seaman. It was further updated to include several types of airline disasters that can happen at sea, as airplanes are now used in several areas that ships were initially used.
Not every lawyer is qualified to handle a Death on the High Seas Act case. If you lost a loved one on international waters you may qualify for damage recovery under the DOHS Act. Let a knowledgeable lawyer help you today.
Longshoreman and Harbor Workers Compensation Act (LHWCA)
In 1927 Congress passed the Longshoreman and Harbor Workers Compensation Act in order to protect dock workers who relied on ships for their livelihoods but were not sailors. Only a few classes of workers were initially protected under this legislation, but subsequent revisions allowed it to cover more people.
The act was amended in 1972 to stipulate what injuries and occupations required coverage. The changes dictated that longshoreman and harbor workers must have medical benefits, rehabilitation therapy, and compensation for lost wages should they suffer an injury or aggravate a preexisting condition.
If you are a longshoreman, dock or harbor worker injured on the job you may be entitled to compensation under the Longshoreman and Harbor Workers Compensation Act. Fill out the free initial contact form to get help today.
Seaman Status Test
Only people who qualify as seamen can receive protection under the Jones act. The Seaman Status Test sets the guidelines to determine who is a seaman, because there had been confusion if dock workers and other support personnel could be regarded as seamen if they worked on land, but were based near the water.
Some of the workers that can be considered seamen include but are no means limited to workers on freighters, crew boats, supply boats, towboats, tugs, lay barges, fishing vessels, tankers, and jack-up drilling rigs. Many of these workers spend a great deal of their time in open waters, and can make injury and reimbursement claims under the Jones Act.
Not every lawyer is capable of handling your maritime injury lawsuit. Issues such as negligence to maintain proper vessel facilities or potential breach of warranty can cause severe injuries to seamen of every sort. It takes dedicated understanding to properly represent you and your interests, so if you have questions about your seaman test qualifications, contact a knowledgeable attorney today.
