Drilling Platform Worker Accident & Injury Lawyer
Thousands of Americans are employed in offshore oil drilling. These workers face some of the highest risks of injury compared to other industries from potential dangers on deck on a drilling platform, work tasks dealing with heavy machinery, and transportation risks to and from the oil drilling platform. If you or a loved one faced serious injuries while working in offshore oil drilling, contact Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. today to schedule a free legal consultation to learn about how to seek compensation for your injuries.
Our attorneys represent injured workers and their families as well as the surviving families of workers killed on oil drilling platforms. If you or a loved one were injured, call us today to set up your free consultation. Our law offices can be reached at (866) 386-1762.
Common Injuries for Offshore Drilling Workers
Workers on an offshore drilling rig face the combined risks of working at sea and working in oil drilling. Oil drilling is already one of the most dangerous jobs out there, carrying risks from heavy machinery, lack of training, and lack of safety procedures. On top of those risks, you face risks of injury from wet decks, unsafe catwalks, and other dangers aboard a drilling platform.
Oil drilling on a platform involves the use of high-pressure oil collection systems as well as heavy machinery. While much of the actual drilling equipment is fed down into the water and underground, you can still be injured by many of the moving parts and systems within reach. If there is a blowout, you could face serious injuries from the escaping pressurized oil, flying bits of shrapnel, or fires. These injuries can be severe or even life-threatening and may put the entire platform at risk as in the case of Deepwater Horizon and other catastrophic oil platform disasters.
Other injuries involve general safety on the platform. Risks from slipping and falling on wet decks or staircases, hitting your head on a low bulkhead, falling from an unstable catwalk, or otherwise injuring yourself on the premises could lead to severe injuries. You could also be injured in the living quarters from kitchen fires, electrocution, or other common dangers.
Injuries can also occur in transportation to and from the platform. Boats and helicopters used to transport crew and cargo to and from the oil platform could crash or catch fire, putting all hands at risk. Other injuries could occur while transporting cargo, whether those injuries come from lifting and carrying or operating a crane to move cargo or oil.
Suing Oil Companies for Injuries at Work on an Offshore Oil Rig
If you were injured while working on an oil platform, you may be entitled to sue your employer. Most injury lawsuits for offshore oil workers are handled under the Jones Act, a piece of maritime legislation governing workers’ rights and many other elements of maritime law. This law does not create a workers’ compensation system for offshore workers, but it does allow them to sue their employer and the shipowner if they suffered from either party’s negligence.
Your employer is responsible for training and equipping workers. Many injuries occur aboard an oil platform because workers lack the training and experience necessary to keep their coworkers safe. Injuries could also occur because of faulty equipment, safety gear, or emergency safety systems aboard the platform. Most of these issues stem from the employer’s negligence and justify a lawsuit against them. Injuries during transportation accidents are likely your employer’s responsibility as well because they own and operate the boats or helicopters used to transport staff and crew.
Unsafe conditions on the ship or platform may lead to lawsuits against the platform’s owner or operator. This is likely your employer as well, but if the platform was owned by a different entity, you may need to sue them instead. This could cover injuries from unsafe conditions on the ship, such as loose handrails, unstable catwalks, broken steps, and other dangers.
When filing a lawsuit for injuries at work on an oil platform, you may be entitled to claim damages for the medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering you faced. The medical damages should cover the full cost of emergency medical transportation, emergency treatment, follow-up visits, and rehabilitation/physical therapy. The damages you face for lost wages should cover the value of any wages you missed during your recovery as well as future wages you will miss if you cannot return to work at your full capacity because of long-term injuries or disabilities. Pain and suffering damages can include compensation for physical pain and discomfort as well as the mental and emotional effects of the injury.
If your loved one was killed in an oil platform accident, you could be entitled to additional damages for your loss. The medical care costs, lost wages, and end of life pain and suffering should be covered, but you could also claim damages you and your family face. This could include the cost of funeral arrangements and burial as well as the lost companionship, lost counsel, lost household tasks, lost inheritances, and other damages your family faces because of the loss of a loved one.
Talk to a lawyer before accepting any settlements in your case.
Call Our Oil Drilling Platform and Offshore Oil Injury Attorneys for a Free Consultation
If your family suffered a loss or you faced a serious injury working on an oil platform, contact Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind today. Our oil drilling platform and worker accident and injury attorneys represent injury victims and their families in lawsuits against the platform operator and their employer to seek damages for the injuries they faced. Call our attorneys today for help understanding what your case might be worth and how to proceed with a claim. Our office number is (866) 386-1762, and our attorneys offer free legal consultations.
