About Jack-Up Rig Accidents
Working on a jack-up rig, offshore platform and semi-submersible rig is dangerous work. Fires, explosions, swinging pipes and cables or equipment failures can cause serious injuries and deaths. If you or a loved one has been injured while working offshore on a jack-up rig, you may have a claim for damages under federal maritime law. You should talk to an experienced maritime lawyer about your legal options.
Have you been injured on a jack-up rig?
In most cases, jack-up rigs and floating oil platforms that move from location to location are vessels in navigation and create rights under the Jones Act and general maritime law for injured workers. From 2001 through 2009, there have been more than 900 fires and explosions, 60 fatalities and 1,548 injuries related to offshore energy exploration and production in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the U.S. Minerals Management Service. Many of these accidents could have been prevented if employers and jack-up rig operators had paid more attention to safety procedures and the protection of offshore workers.
Accidents and injuries can be caused by equipment failures, human error, loss of well control, slip and falls, rig collapses, collisions and adverse weather. If you have been injured aboard a jack-up rig through the negligence of your employer, you may be entitled to compensation for lost past and future wages, pain and suffering, disfigurement, future medical expenses and the cost of retraining. Many accidents are caused by a lack of emphasis by employers on proper safety precautions, placing workers in perilous work conditions.
Maritime Attorney: Protecting Jack-Up Rig Accident Victims
Working at an offshore location, you understand that the environment around you is continuously changing and can become life-threatening in a matter of moments. Any aspect of your jack-up rig, from the legs on the ocean floor to the deck to the cranes high overhead, can malfunction when improperly maintained and cause serious injury to a bystander. If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident due to the defective equipment onboard a vessel or jack-up rig, you will need to utilize the resources of an
offshore injury lawyer as soon as possible.
As one of the most dangerous offshore accidents, accidents on a jack-up rig can become
fatal if the proper safety response is not taken immediately. These types of mobile offshore
oil platforms are held in place above the sea by legs that are stabilized by the ocean floor. Virtually any type of accident can occur to a worker on this type of rig, including a fall from a great height after the failure of a safety harness or a
crushing injury from a falling object. Other types of accidents, including
fires and explosions, equipment failure, and all other
deck accidents usually end with catastrophic results. Now is the time to involve an offshore injury attorney from Arnold & Itkin LLP to learn your rights.
Filing a Claim for Jack-Up Rig Injuries
When a person is injured in the open sea, their injury claim is subject to general maritime law and the
Jones Act. As a seaman, the injured will have rights to pursue compensation for certain
types of injuries sustained in a jack-up rig accident. An injured seaman may be entitled to
maintenance and cure benefits provided by their employer, in addition to other types of benefits if applicable. Filing your offshore injury claim may be difficult, especially if your employer is attempting to refuse your claim. Always have the skilled assistance of an offshore injury lawyer at our firm before approaching your claim.
Contact a maritime injury attorney at the law firm of Arnold & Itkin LLP to get a free review of your jack-up rig accident case.
