Ships used to transport cargo and/or passengers into the open ocean are often referred to as oceangoing merchant vessels. These ships are vital to the offshore industry—for both the completion of jobs (such as offshore drilling), and for the transportation of cargo. Below, we discuss the most common types of oceangoing merchant vessels seen on the open water. Common Types of Merchant Vessels Bulk ...
Continue Reading
Posted By Arnold & Itkin, LLP
Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Kyle Findley, and another attorney from Arnold & Itkin have recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of an injured Jones Act seaman who was hurt on the job. The accident occurred as a result of the plaintiff's co-worker failing to tie off a ladder. Because of this, the ladder plummeted to the ground striking the plaintiff. This caused injury to both his shoulder and lower back. ...
Continue Reading
Crew boats are often referred to as the water taxis of the offshore industry, as they are actively involved in personnel transfers. These boats are usually between 30 to 200 feet long; the smaller vessels can be used on bays and inland waters, whereas the larger vessels can take personnel up to 200 miles offshore, withstanding more inclement weather and sea conditions. Crew Boat Accidents: During ...
Continue Reading
While there are many different causes of offshore accidents, none are quite as catastrophic as an actual collision at sea. Below, we explain some of the most common types of maritime collisions. Bow-On Collision: This occurs when two vessels hit one other head-on, from their front ends. This can be attributed to the forward propulsion of the vessels without the ability to brake, and can be often ...
Continue Reading
Posted By Arnold & Itkin, LLP
Recent Tragedy Claims the Life of the 4th Filipino Oilfield Worker After the fourth death of a Filipino offshore worker in the last year, the Philippine Embassy has expressed deep concerns for the welfare and safety of their countrymen working offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. This recent incident occurred just last Sunday evening when a 38-year-old welder from Manila was killed while working on ...
Continue Reading
Attorneys Jason Itkin, Cory Itkin, and Noah Wexler with Arnold & Itkin LLP have filed a lawsuit on behalf of their client who was injured on the job. This man was a delivery driver for a roll-on, roll-off vessel and was critically injured after a crane block hit his head during the supply transfer. The Seabrook, Texas man was hit by the crane as the vessel was docked in Beaumont, Texas and has ...
Continue Reading
Being classified as a seaman provides legal benefits to maritime workers under the Jones Act (more formally known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920). For example, maritime employees who have the status of seaman have access to benefits that would otherwise be denied, including the protection of wages and working conditions, as well as legal remedies made available should they suffer a workplace ...
Continue Reading
In October 2013, Attorneys Cory Itkin and Caj Boatright from Arnold & Itkin helped to represent a man who was injured in a serious helicopter crash. The plaintiff was a passenger of the helicopter and had been traveling from Port O'Connor, TX to a platform in the Gulf. About halfway through the flight, the helicopter's tail rotor stopped functioning, which led to the pilot conducting a controlled ...
Continue Reading
Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Arnold & Itkin recently took on the case of a man who was severely injured while working on a cargo ship. The man attempted to make a rope swing so that he could transfer to a different platform on the vessel, but did not realize that the platform owner placed a rail over the proper landing area. As a result, the worker injured his knee when he tried to travel to the platform. He then had to swing ...
Continue Reading
Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Kyle Findley, and another attorney from Arnold & Itkin have recently filed suit on behalf of an injured offshore worker who was harmed after wrongfully falling off of the barge on which he was working. The oil barge was owed by the R360 Environmental Solutions and at the time the plaintiff was working on the barge it had lights that were non-functioning as he was on an ...
Continue Reading
Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Arnold & Itkin LLP recently filed suit on behalf of a galleyhand working on an oil rig known as the ATWOOD CONDOR. This is an ultra-deep water DP semi rig that is owned by Friede & Goldman. It is a large vessel that can hold up to 200 persons. The offshore worker fell and hurt her back on the vessel while she was trying to move trash. Her employer did not pay any of the costs of maintenance and ...
Continue Reading
Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Kyle Findley, and another attorney from Arnold & Itkin have filed suit on behalf of an injured oil barge employee who sustained injuries after falling down a stair well in 2012. The barge worker was unaware at the time that the stairs were heavily coated with oil, which lead to his slip and fall accident. As a result of this incident, lawyers at Arnold & Itkin have filed a ...
Continue Reading
Arnold & Itkin LLP have filed suit on behalf of an offshore injury worker who was seriously injured after he fell from a catwalk while on the job. The oceaneering employee was working on the MSV OLYMPIC INTERVENTION IV at the time of the accident. He was moving down a catwalk when he fell, seriously hurting his back in the process. Arnold & Itkin will help the client by arguing on his behalf. They ...
Continue Reading
Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Recently, attorneys at Arnold & Itkin LLP chose to file suit for an offshore worker who was injured while on the job. The worker was doing his daily duties when a faulty winch unwound. The worker was in a basket in the process of a transfer, but the unwound winch caused the individual to fall. When he fell to the ground in the basket, it suffered serious injuries. The accident could have been ...
Continue Reading
On Monday, July 8, five offshore workers were evacuated from a platform in the Gulf of Mexico after it was found to be leaking. At the time of the incident, the workers were attempting to plug and abandon a platform which had been inactive for fifteen years. While working, they noted that saltwater that contained natural gas and light condensate was beginning to flow from the well. Talos Energy ...
Continue Reading
Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
An offshore worker was harmed when he was working with TransOcean on his first hitch out. According to court documents, the man was instructed on how to untie pipes on his vessel, but the way that he was taught to do the procedure was dangerous. When he acted as he was instructed, he got his leg lodged in a set of pipes. This caused him to suffer a severe knee injury. The injury is so bad that the ...
Continue Reading
Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Recently, a Louisiana offshore worker was involved in a terrible accident that occurred offshore. The incident did not cause the victim physical injuries, but as a result he suffered Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This particular worker was diagnosed with this condition, and then attempted to go back to work out on the waters. After suffering from PTSD, he was no longer able to handle the rigors ...
Continue Reading
A U.S. offshore injury worker suffered severe injuries after he was struck by a mooring line while working offshore. The man was stationed on a rig in the Gulf of Mexico where the accident occurred. As a result of the injury, the man was diagnosed with a variety of leg injuries, and eventually needed arthroscopic surgery to correct the problems. The man hired Arnold & Itkin to help him seek ...
Continue Reading
Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Kyle Findley, and another attorney from Arnold & Itkin were able to reach a settlement on behalf of an injured Jones Act seaman who sustain serious back injuries while working offshore for his employer. The injuries were so devastating that it required him to undergo surgery in order to repair the damages sustained on the job. According to the reports of the plaintiff, his ...
Continue Reading
On May 26, a tug boat contracted by Chevron sunk in rough seas off the coast of Nigeria. The fate of its twelve person crew is uncertain as all men are still missing. According to a statement from Chevron Nigeria, the Jascon-4 capsized early in the morning when it encountered “heavy ocean swells” while “performing towing operations” at a mooring point around 30 kilometers off the coast of the ...
Continue Reading
Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Kyle Findley, and another attorney from Arnold & Itkin have filed suit on behalf of an injured Jones Act seaman who was harmed in two incidents. The plaintiff experienced his first injury after his supervisor directed crew members to pull equipment up out of the water manually. During the equipment retrieval process, the plaintiff experienced a severe shoulder injury as his ...
Continue Reading
Hold on to your duck bills—there has been another serious safety incident on board a Ride the Ducks tour boat. On May 5, the Coast Guard rescued 14 passengers from a Duck Boat after it caught fire in San Francisco Bay. Duck boat tours feature land and water elements with amphibious vehicles in many cities across the country, including San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Branson, MO. According to ...
Continue Reading
Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Serious breaches discovered at the Norwegian BP Ula field were a potential hazard for a deadly explosion, after an oil and gas leak occurred on site. Regulators state they have ordered the company to review their maintenance procedures after they found various breaches on the platform. Reports show about 125 barrels of oil and another 3,520 pounds of gas leaked at their North Sea platform last ...
Continue Reading
Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Kyle Findley, and another attorney from Arnold & Itkin successfully recovered a settlement of $700,000 on behalf of their injured Jones Act seaman client who was severely injured in an accident on the job. The victim was injured when he slipped and fell aboard the research vessel, causing back injury. As a result of the injury, the injured seaman was then forced to undergo ...
Continue Reading
Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Three years ago, on April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 people and triggering a 200 million gallon spill of crude oil. Our offshore injury lawyers proudly represented 27 rig crewmembers, helping ensure they and their families received compensation to help them recover from their trauma. In their honor, we explore how the fragile Gulf environment is ...
Continue Reading
