Types of Offshore Injuries

Offshore Personal Injury Attorney

Offshore work is physically demanding and dangerous, and serious injuries are all too common. Offshore injuries include head injuries, back injuries, burns, loss of limb, crush injuries, fractures and electrical shock. At times, these injuries may even prove fatal.

If you or a family member has suffered a serious offshore injury through the negligence or fault of another, you may be legally entitled to financial compensation for your injuries. Because offshore work involves hazards, the law offers many maritime workers, including oil platform workers, special legal protections in the event of accidents and serious injuries. An experienced offshore injury lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP can evaluate your accident and advise you on your legal options – free of charge.

We are aggressive advocates for victims of offshore accidents and their families in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi and across the Gulf of Mexico. We also represent clients in other coastal states throughout the U.S., including Florida, California, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Oregon and Washington.

Common Offshore Injuries

We represent maritime workers in all types of offshore injury cases, including those that involve:

• Head Injuries – A sudden blow from a pipe swinging overhead, from a boom or from falling equipment can cause a traumatic brain injury, ranging from a mild concussion to permanent disability. A traumatic brain injury can adversely affect your ability to earn a living and provide for your family. Falls from heights also can cause open head wounds and closed head injuries, resulting in loss of balance, an impaired attention span, double vision and slurred speech.
• Back Injuries – The heavy lifting and hard labor aboard a ship or oil platform can lead to serious back injuries, requiring back surgery. Falls from unguarded balconies or unsecured ladders can cause back injuries, including spinal cord damage and nerve damage. A serious back injury can make a maritime worker unable to work for an extended period or leave them permanently disabled.
• Burns – Malfunctioning safety equipment, accumulation of combustible fumes in unventilated spaces, welding accidents and loss of well control can all cause explosions and fires resulting in serious burns. Often human error and carelessness are the causes of a serious burn injury. Whatever the cause, a burn injury can cause disfigurement, require extensive plastic surgery and result in permanent disability. Workers are often out of work for months after a serious burn injury.
• Loss of a Limb – The loss of a limb is a devastating, life-changing injury. Many maritime-related amputation accidents involving the loss of an arm, leg, hand, foot or finger, involve cables under tension or mooring lines. A worker's hand can become ensnared in the line as it coils onto a winch drum. A deckhand can get a leg caught and crushed between two barges. The loss of a limb often requires a prosthetic and re-training.
• Fatalities – Every year, maritime workers die in falls, explosions, electrocutions and other accidents caused by negligence on the part of maritime employers. The offshore injury attorneys at our firm know what factors to look for to identify employer negligence and build a compelling case for full compensation of the victim's family. If you have lost a loved one working in the maritime or oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico through negligence of others, you have a right to seek legal compensation for your loved one's death. We handle Death on the High Seas Act claims as well as wrongful death claims and Jones Act claims.

Choosing the Right Lawyer

Having an experienced and dedicated lawyer by your side as you seek fair compensation for your offshore injury claim may make all the difference in its outcome – not to mention your peace of mind through these often complex proceedings. If you would like to learn more about your legal rights after an injury at sea, take advantage of our free consultation. You can find out more about what benefits you may be entitled to and how our firm can help you seek and obtain these.

Contact an offshore injury attorney today!