Marine terminals can be very dangerous places for workers. The presence of heavy machinery and equipment, barges and other vessels, mooring lines , and heavy containers all place workers at risk of suffering catastrophic injuries. Falls are one of the most prevalent. Longshoremen at marine terminals may sustain life-altering or fatal injuries in falls from heights or into the water . In many ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Recently, two incidents involving storms and offshore work have grabbed headlines. The first incident occurred last fall when the Deepwater Asgard was left in the path of a hurricane despite pleas from the crew and warnings from weather experts. The incident was harrowing and resulted in an experience that some of the crew members will forever be traumatized by. The second incident resulted in ...
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Arnold & Itkin Attorneys Kurt Arnold , Caj Boatright , Roland Christiansen , Joseph McGowin , and Claire Traver are currently representing a Texas man who was injured while working offshore. Our client fell over an unmarked hazard on the working surface of the vessel he was aboard, which resulted in severe injuries to his knee and wrist. His injuries could have easily been prevented if his ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Many offshore operators in the Gulf of Mexico have adopted something known as a stop work authority (SWA) policy. An SWA gives every worker, no matter what their level of seniority, the responsibility and authority to stop work at any time if they notice an unsafe condition or act that could result in an undesirable event. According to the companies that use these policies, SWA policies are meant ...
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Arnold & Itkin Attorneys Kurt Arnold , Caj Boatright , Roland Christensen , Joseph McGowin , and Claire Traver recently filed a case against Transocean and Beacon for leaving the crew of the Deepwater Asgard directly in the path of a hurricane. By doing this, these companies subjected the crew of this vessel, including our client, to extremely dangerous, life-threatening, and traumatizing ...
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In the past, we’ve discussed how commercial diving jobs such as underwater welding might be among some of the most dangerous in the offshore industry. However, it’s difficult to confirm this because the most recent data on commercial diving death rates covers 1997 to 1989. That data, released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that commercial divers had about five deaths each year. ...
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Arnold & Itkin recently filed suit on behalf of a towboat deckhand who was injured while making tow on the Mississippi River. His employer had him carrying heavy spools across barges that lacked step downs and nonskid, and our client slipped with a 100-pound spool over his shoulder, severely injuring his back . As we see too often, our client’s bosses discouraged him from seeking medical treatment ...
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The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) provides benefits for maritime workers injured on the job that are not covered under state workers’ compensation law and do not qualify as a seaman under the Jones Act . LHWCA is a federal statute similar to state workers’ compensation programs in that the LHWCA bars injured employees from filing a lawsuit against their employer. However, ...
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Arnold & Itkin’s Jones Act lawyers are representing a man who is suffering because of the careless behavior of his employer. Our client sustained debilitating injuries caused by understaffing, a lack of proper equipment, and the unreasonable demands of his employer. No one should find themselves injured and unable to work because their employer neglected safety. When employers cut corners to save ...
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Attorneys Kurt Arnold , Kyle Findley , and Adam Lewis filed a lawsuit today on behalf of a man who sustained serious injuries when heavy equipment fell on his leg as he was working aboard the DSV Kelly Ann Candies, a commercial diving vessel . The equipment knocked the man over and pinned him knees-down to the deck of the ship. Injuries like our client’s hinder the ability to earn a living, enjoy ...
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Arnold & Itkin Attorneys Kurt Arnold , Caj Boatright , Roland Christensen , Joseph McGowin , and Claire Traver are seeking justice for a Jones Act seaman who died as a result of his employer’s failure to provide him with reasonable medical care. The company ignored the worker’s need for medical attention and died before his life could be saved. Offshore companies have a duty to take care of the ...
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There’s a lot to worry about if you’re an offshore worker during the COVID-19 pandemic. As if falling oil prices weren’t enough stress for offshore oil rig workers, they now must face the COVID-19 pandemic on vessels where space is rare. Close quarters, long work hours, and being far from medical care are just a few of the challenges that make a virus outbreak on an offshore oil rig worrisome. ...
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In early February, the dangers of a COVID-19 outbreak onboard cruise ships were made abundantly clear when authorities quarantined Carnival’s Diamond Princess at a dock in Yokohama, Japan. All 3,711 people aboard the ship were stuck in Tokyo Bay for 27 days. By mid-March, 712 passengers had tested positive for coronavirus. By mid-April, fourteen of those on board had died from the virus. The ship ...
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Attorneys Kurt Arnold , Kyle Findley , Kala Sellers , and Adam Lewis recently filed a case for a Jones Act seaman. Our client sustained severe injuries while he was working offshore on a Transocean drillship. The worker was performing the duty of his job in heavy seas when the rough waters caused him to fall down a flight of stairs. Our client is now suffering from injuries to his back, head, and ...
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Arnold & Itkin is currently fighting for the compensation of a maritime worker who spent years working on barges and transferring products. Our client wasn't aware that he was receiving dangerous amounts of exposure to benzene while working. Now, he has leukemia caused by toxic exposure to benzene. Studies have found that leukemia is common among workers exposed to high levels of benzene and the ...
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Arnold & Itkin filed a case on behalf of a man from Kaplan, Louisiana. Our client was working as a chef for an offshore company when he slipped and fell due to dangerous conditions on the ship. The man suffered serious injuries to his neck, back, shoulder, foot, and other parts of his body. These injuries have required our client to go through extensive medical treatments. Offshore employers have ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Arnold & Itkin LLP Attorneys Kyle Findley , Kala Sellers , and Adam Lewis recently filed a case on behalf of a Jones Act seaman who suffered serious injuries while working as a commercial fisherman. The man was working as a fisherman in the Gulf of Mexico when he was struck in the head by a heavy piece of metal. He sustained injuries to his neck, back, head, and brain because of this accident. Our ...
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Arnold & Itkin Attorneys Kurt Arnold , Caj Boatright , Roland Christensen , and Alison Baimbridge filed suit in Harris County, Texas on behalf of a Louisiana man who was severely injured while working on a tug boat. Our client was sitting on a newly assembled chair that collapsed, causing him to fall backward and strike his head and neck on a set of stairs. As a result of the accident, our ...
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Arnold & Itkin LLP attorneys Kurt Arnold , Kyle Findley , Kala Sellers , and Adam Lewis filed suit today in Harris County, Texas on behalf of a maritime worker who was severely injured while working on an offshore platform. Our client was being transferred on a personnel basket from the platform to a vessel when, suddenly, the crane operator negligently dropped the basket. The offshore worker was ...
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Since October of 2017, Arnold & Itkin has closely followed the events surrounding the investigation of a Bouchard Transportation Co.'s Barge No. 255, which exploded and erupted into a violent fire just off the coast of Port Aransas, Texas. Our barge explosion attorneys are representing the family of Zachariah Jackson, one of the two workers killed during the incident. Officials never located ...
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Attorneys Kurt Arnold , Kyle Findley , Kala Sellers , and Adam Lewis filed suit today against an offshore drilling company on behalf of a Jones Act seaman who was seriously injured when he was attacked by a coworker. Our client was struck in the face with a pole by a co-worker who lost his temper without reason. To compound matters, the defendant company conducted an inadequate investigation ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Over the last two weeks, we posted two blogs regarding a barge that exploded near Port Aransas, taking the lives of two men. In the first blog, we discussed the beginning of the Coast Guard’s hearing regarding the incident, and then we explored the heartbreaking eyewitness testimony that emerged during the trial’s first week. This week, our law firm assisted the family of Jackson as we continued ...
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Arnold & Itkin LLP filed a new lawsuit today on behalf of an offshore oil rig worker who was struck by a piece of wire rope while working aboard the Noble Clyde Bordeaux. He sustained serious injuries to his face, jaw, and other parts of his body. The young man required emergency surgery to address his injuries, which were caused by the Defendants’ conduct and the unseaworthy condition of the ...
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Arnold & Itkin LLP recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of a family who lost a loving husband and father in a tragic, but preventable, incident. Our client's loved one was working onboard a vessel off the coast of Angola when he suffered a massive heart attack. Sadly, he was unable to receive medical attention quickly enough to save him. Our offshore wrongful death lawyers have filed suit against ...
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There are two components to worker safety on offshore drilling projects: personal safety and process safety. Personal safety obliges workers to be cautious and careful when performing their job duties. Process safety obliges supervisors and companies to manage the hazards that cause major accidents. Most of the time, these hazards involve the release of toxic or hazardous materials, the release of ...
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