Crane Accident Attorney

You work in the Gulf of Mexico because it's your job and our nation needs energy resources from beneath the sea bed. You've always been ready to handle the physical demands of offshore work, but a serious accident offshore can leave you out of work for months withserious injuriesor permanent disabilities. More than 40 oil rig workers have died and more than 1,300 have been injured inoffshore accidentsin the Gulf of Mexico in the last five years. Many of those offshore injuries and fatalities involved crane accidents.

Crane accidents pose a particular risk to deckhands, roustabouts and roughnecks who work as riggers or assist in crane operations on offshore platforms, supply boats or work boats in the Gulf of Mexico. Maritime workers and offshore platform workers can suffer head injuries, brain damage, spinal injuries, back injuries and permanent disabilities from crane accidents. If you or a loved one working offshore has suffered a serious injury in a crane accident, contact a knowledgeable maritime lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP about your legal rights. We are committed to helping you obtain the compensation you need to recover from a serious offshore accident.

Providing a Closer Look at Crane Accidents

Crane accidents include the failure of the boom, cables, winches, ballring and rigging hardware such as slings and shackles. The improper disassembly or assembly of mobile cranes causes some mobile crane accidents. Many mobile crane accidents are caused by lack of proper crew training or lack of supervision. Others are caused by lack of maintenance. A poorly maintained crane can have a mechanical failure that can cause serious injury or death from a broken hoist line or dropped load.

In years of analyzing maritime incidents in the Gulf of Mexico, we at Arnold & Itkin LLP have frequently found that accidents and injuries occur while offshore workers are performing routine tasks such as drilling, construction, lifting of pipe and loads and coil tubing operations. Frequently, an offshore company's neglect of maintenance, lack of formalized training about the hazards of the work and lack of supervision contribute to preventable crane accidents and injuries. With some accidents, a short change crew may be on duty at the time with maritime workers handling unfamiliar roles or not working with their regular crew.

Riggers who attach and unhook loads and assist with crane operations suffer the most injuries in crane accidents. Riggers can be roustabouts, roughnecks or deckhands on a work or supply boat or a platform. A rigger can be struck on the head by a boom or a swinging load or be pinned between a dropped load and a deck if a corroded hoist wire fails on a crane. The crane operator and the rigger may not be trained to communicate properly to avoid accidents; this lack of training or supervision can contribute to the accidents.

Oil and gas exploration companies, energy production companies and offshore contractors are required by law to provide written reports detailing all incidents involving fatalities, injuries that require evacuation of an injured worker, fire and explosions, crane accidents, material handling accidents and loss of well control. These reports can be used by a skilled maritime lawyer to build a compelling case of negligence on the part of an offshore employer.

Contact our offshore accident lawyers today!

At our firm we handle maritime lawcases and Jones Act claims every day. We are aggressive advocates for injured offshore workers and their families in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi and across the Gulf of Mexico. You want an aggressive Jones Act lawyer who will stand up for your legal rights at the negotiating table and in the courtroom. You want a maritime law firm with an established track record of obtaining substantial settlements and verdicts for clients. At Arnold & Itkin LLP, we obtained more than $250 million in verdicts and settlements for clients in 2011 . We know how to get results. Call today.

To schedule your initial case evaluation with a member of our team, please contact a crane accident attorney from our firm by calling us toll-free at 888-346-5024.