Injured in the Gulf of Mexico - What law applies to your case?

As the price of oil increases, the demands for oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, both in shallow water and deeper water, will only increase.  So will the demand for oil workers willing to work in often harsh and remote locations in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond.

Recently, in fact, there has been talk in the United States Congress about opening up more areas in the Gulf of Mexico for oil exploration and drilling purposes.

Unfortunately, the end result of more workers in the Gulf of Mexico, and more companies rushing to get oil out of remote and often dangerous places in the Gulf of Mexico is more injured workers and more workplace deaths.

As a law firm that represents workers injured in the Gulf of Mexico, we are often asked by the workers or other attorneys what law applies to these cases.

The answer, unfortunately, is not straightforward.  In fact, if a worker is injured or killed in the Gulf of Mexico, there could be four or five different laws that may apply to the case.  And the law may change depending on what the worker was doing at the time.

The worker may be entitled to recovery under the Jones Act.  Or the injured worker may be a Longshoreman entitled to recover under the Longshore & Harbor Worker's Compensation Act.

Or, the injured worker may be entitled to a recover under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. 

In a wrongful death case, the Death on the High Seas Act (DOSHA) may govern the case.

The bottom line is that you need an experienced maritime attorney if you are injured in the Gulf of Mexico, because evaluating the right law and the right venue may make all the difference in the world in whether you obtain a fair, reasonable settlement, a small settlement, or even no settlement at all.

Have you been, or do you know, someone who has been hurt in the Gulf of Mexico? 

If so, we would be interested in hearing your experience with the legal system and whether your lawyer did a good job for you.

Want to know more about maritime injury cases? 

We strive to provide the best, most professional, and most effective representation to workers in the offshore industry. 

If you want to know more about offshore injury claims, please take a moment to read the following articles:

1.  How to hire the best lawyer for your Jones Act or offshore injury case

2.  What is the Jones Act?

3.  What is a Longshoreman and What Are Their Legal Rights When Injured?

4.  The difference between the Jones Act and the Longshore & Harbor Worker's Compensation Act

5.  The Truth About Offshore Injury Claims.

6.  What Should You Do If You Are Injured Offshore

7.  What you should know if you were hurt offshore and your employer is giving you a hard time

8.  Should I give my employer or the insurance company a "recorded statement?"

9.  Do I need to hire a lawyer for my Jones Act or offshore injury claim?

10.  What happens when you file a Jones Act lawsuit.

11.  6 Critical Things you must know if you are injured at sea

12. The Secrets Your Employer May Not Want You To Know If You Are Injured Offshore.









Injured worker sues CleanBlast, Transocean Offshore, and GlobalSantaFe for injuries sustained offshore

Another injured offshore worker recently hired our firm to represent him in his offshore injury case.

Our client was hurt while working offshore on the Adriatic III, an offshore 350 foot jack-up rig currently the Gulf of Mexico. 

He was injured while working for CleanBlast, an offshore services company, while working on the jack-up rig owned and operated by GlobalSantaFe Drilling Company and Transocean Offshore.

We filed our client's lawsuit in Galveston, Texas under the Jones Act and General Maritime law.  He seeks damages for loss of income, medical expenses, future loss of income and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and costs of court, among other things.

Have you been injured on a jack-up rig or while working for GlobalSantaFe, Transocean, or CleanBlast?

If so, we would be interested in hearing your story.  In many injury cases that happen on jack-up rigs or offshore, the offshore companies will claim it was a "freak accident" that never happened before or that the accident was all the injured worker's fault. 

If you know otherwise, please call our offices toll free at 877.724.7800.  Or use the contact form on this website to send us an email.

Want to know more about offshore injury claims? 

Below are some links to some suggested articles offering helpful tips and advice regarding offshore injury claims.

Click here to read an article with helpful suggestions and tips on how to hire the best lawyer for your offshore injury case.

Curious about the Jones Act?  Click here for a general overview of the Jones Act.

Want to know more about the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act?  Click here to read the article "What is a Longshoreman and What Are Their Legal Rights When Injured?

Want to know the difference between the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act?  Click here to read about the difference between the two.

What to know the truth about offshore injury cases?  Click here to read The Truth About Offshore Injury Claims.

Want to know what you should do after an offshore injury to preserve your legal rights?  Click here to read  What Should You Do If You Are Injured Offshore

If you are hurt and your employer is giving you a hard time, click here to read "I was injured on the job and my employer is giving me a hard time - What should I do"

Employer trying to get you to give a recorded statement?  Click here to learn the truth about recorded statements and the best way to handle this request.

Thinking about trying to settle your offshore injury case without talking to a lawyer first?  Click here to learn why you can settle some cases yourself but in other cases not having a lawyer may be a TERRIBLE MISTAKE.

Want to know what happens when you file an offshore injury or Jones Act case?  Click here to learn about Filing a Jones Act lawsuit.

Click here to learn about 6 Critical Things you must know if you are Injured At Sea

Your employer may be keeping secrets from you if you are hurt offshore.  Click here to read about The Secrets Your Employer May Not Want You To Know If You Are Injured Offshore.

I was injured on an offshore jack-up rig or platform - what legal rights do I have?

Question:

I was injured offshore.  I was working for an oil company on an offshore jack-up rig (or oil platform).  What legal rights do I have to recover fair compensation for my injuries?

Answer:

We get these kinds of questions a lot probably because a lot of offshore oil workers call us to represent them.

With the increase in oil prices and the demand for more oil to feed our economy, the oil companies are doing more drilling and exploration for oil in the Gulf of Mexico and other deepwater sites. 

Unfortunately, that means more men and women in the oil industry face the risk of serious injury, or even death.

So what are your legal rights if you are injured offshore working for an oil company on a jack-up rig or platform?

If you are on a jack-up rig, you are probably a Jones Act seaman entitled to legal protection under the Jones Act and general maritime law.  However, this may not be true if your attachment to the jack-up rig was short in duration or substance. 

You will need an experienced Jones Act attorney to look at the facts of your case and answer the question for you.

If you are hurt on a non-movable fixed platform, then you are probably not a Jones Act seaman.  That means you could be a Longshoreman entitled to benefits under the Longshore & Harbor Worker's Compensation Act, or you may be able to bring a case under general maritime law, or state worker's compensation laws, or maybe, maybe even the Jones Act

The legal analysis can get pretty tricky.  You should probably hire a really competent and experienced Jones Act attorney to give you some answers to this question.

You can also visit our main website, www.vbattorneys.com, or our dedicated maritime law website, www.maritimeaccidentattorney.com, for more answers to many common questions.

Want to know more about offshore injury claims? 

Below are some links to some suggested articles offering helpful tips and advice regarding offshore injury claims.

Click here to read an article with helpful suggestions and tips on how to hire the best lawyer for your offshore injury case.

Curious about the Jones Act?  Click here for a general overview of the Jones Act.

Want to know more about the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act?  Click here to read the article "What is a Longshoreman and What Are Their Legal Rights When Injured?

Want to know the difference between the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act?  Click here to read about the difference between the two.

What to know the truth about offshore injury cases?  Click here to read The Truth About Offshore Injury Claims.

Want to know what you should do after an offshore injury to preserve your legal rights?  Click here to read  What Should You Do If You Are Injured Offshore

If you are hurt and your employer is giving you a hard time, click here to read "I was injured on the job and my employer is giving me a hard time - What should I do"

Employer trying to get you to give a recorded statement?  Click here to learn the truth about recorded statements and the best way to handle this request.

Thinking about trying to settle your offshore injury case without talking to a lawyer first?  Click here to learn why you can settle some cases yourself but in other cases not having a lawyer may be a TERRIBLE MISTAKE.

Want to know what happens when you file an offshore injury or Jones Act case?  Click here to learn about Filing a Jones Act lawsuit.

Click here to learn about 6 Critical Things you must know if you are Injured At Sea

Your employer may be keeping secrets from you if you are hurt offshore.  Click here to read about The Secrets Your Employer May Not Want You To Know If You Are Injured Offshore.






Four Important Things to Know About Offshore Oil Rig Injury Claims

At Vujasinovic & Beckcom, our law firm represents oil and gas workers who have been injured in the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic and Pacific, and across the world in various oil and gas operations.  We also represent the family members of those oil and gas workers killed during their offshore employment.  (To learn more about your legal rights, feel free to visit our main website at www.vbattorneys.com or call us with your questions.).

Some of the most frequent types of injuries include injuries on Jack-up drilling rigs and oil platforms, boating and vessel injuries, diver injuries, and helicopter injuries. 

There are four very important things you must know if you were injured offshore working with an oil and gas company or in a supporting role:

1.  Most lawyers do not have any experience at all representing offshore oil and gas workers.  These claims are highly specialized, complicated, and expensive.  You need to make certain that the lawyer you hire has experience with these types of claims.

2.  Your claim may fall under one of four different legal remedies.  They are the Jones Act, General Maritime Law, Longshore & Harbor Worker's Compensation Act, and the Outer Continental Shelf Land's Act.  Each set of laws is very different and it takes an experienced offshore lawyer to help you navigate your way to the best possible recovery.

3.  You are generally entitled to medical care if you are injured offshore in the oil and gas fields, regardless of who was at fault.  And you aren't necessarily required to go to company doctors.

4.  If you suffered a serious injury, you may be entitled to appropriate and fair compensation.  And unlike many state-based laws where the compensation is completely inadquate (like worker's compensation), offshore oil and gas injury claims generally entitle prevailing party to much more reasonable and fair compensation.

For more information, you can contact our law firm by visiting our main website, www.vbattorneys.com.

Offshore Oil Rig Injury Claims - Background & Suggestions

(Note to readers: The reason we haven't added to the site in the past few weeks is that our law firm has been trying a major wrongful death lawsuit against Nabors Drilling International, Limited involving a shooting death in the Middle East.)

Offshore Oil Rig Injury Claims - Background & Suggestions

Our law firm is principally located in Houston, Texas, just minutes from the Houston Ship Channel and less than an hour from the Gulf of Mexico.  The Gulf of Mexico is one of main offshore oil and natural gas drilling sites in the world.  In the past few years, business has been booming.  More and more workers are sent offshore to work on oil rigs, the oil companies and support companies have made more and more money, and, unfortunately, more and more offshore oil rig workers have been injured or killed.

We get calls on offshore oil rig injury claims every week.  One of the most asked questions is "what law covers an injured offshore oil rig worker?," or "what are my legal rights as an offshore oil rig worker?"

The answer to the question is not simple, and our first piece of advice to these workers is to make sure that whatever law firm you hire, that the lawyers have real, extensive experience handling offshore oil rig injury claims.  The law is incredibly complicated, and the vast majority of lawyers and law firms have no experience handling offshore oil rig injury claims.

The second piece of advice is that offshore oil rig injury claims may be covered by the Jones Act, the General Maritime Law, the Longshore & Harbor Worker's Compensation Act, or the Outer Continental Shelf Land's Act case.  It depends almost entirely on the specific facts of the case, where the injured oil rig worker was assigned, what type of structure he or she was working on, how long he or she had been assigned, etc.

Employers will often attempt to force injured offshore oil rig workers to accept legal rights under the least favorable set of laws, thinking that the injured offshore oil rig worker won't know the difference, or will be so desperate for money and medical care that they will take the first offer made, even if it's a bad offer. 

Don't fall victim to this type of tactic.  The experience offshore oil rig injury lawyers know how to position your case and get you benefits and legal compensation under the most favorable and appropriate law.  Also, the offshore oil rig injury lawyers will help you financially survive during your time off from work, and will ensure that you can afford to see good doctors if the company won't agree to help with you medical care.

Oil rig work is rewarding but can be dangerous.  If you have an offshore oil rig injury claim, don't trust your case to the first lawyer you talk to, and don't rely on your employer for legal advice.  Get competent offshore oil rig injury lawyers on your side immediately.

Why is the Jones Act important for injured offshore workers?

The Jones Act was enacted in 1920.  The purpose of the Jones Act was to encourage U.S. maritime commerce, by, among other things, offering appropriate legal protections to injured seamen. 

Seamen are exposed every day to unique dangers and perils.  They must brave the open seas, work on dangerous offshore oil rigs, perform hard dredge work, master complicated maritime procedures and policies, watch out for their fellow workers, dive to great depths off of boats, ships, and rigs, work long hours, work in extreme weather conditions, and be away from their families for long periods of time.

All too often, the wages are not commensurate with the risks.  The sacrifices our maritime workers make every day to ensure that maritime commerce flows smoothly, that oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere takes place, that ships and other vessels can make port, absolutely requires that the law recognize and protect them appropriately.

To take just one example:  When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged Gulf Coast oil production, and destroyed and disrupted the oil supply, our seamen and offshore workers came to the rescue, turning out in record numbers to get oil production back on line. 

It's not the executives in the fancy suits making millions of dollars a year who deserve our congratulations--although they often take all the credit.  The executives in the tall buildings didn't get the rigs repaired, the derricks fixed, the oil flowing.  No, it was the men and women of the offshore industry, the captains, pilots, roughnecks, deckhands, drillers, divers, toolpushers, ordinary and able bodied seamen, and other offshore laborers who braved the harsh conditions, spent time away from their families, and risked their health and safety to get oil production back on line in record time.  They didn't make millions of dollars a year to do the work--all too often, they were paid inadequately for the risks they took.   And they got no credit for what they did.  But they deserve the credit--their labor got oil production flowing.

Even in this age of so-called tort reform, where insurance companies and multi-billion dollar multi-national companies do everything they can to avoid responsibility to injured workers and their familes, most reasonable and fair-minded lawmakers recognize the amazing contributions made every day by offshore workers, Jones Act seamen, divers, dredge workers, captains, relief captains, tankermen, cooks, pilots, roustabouts, roughnecks, drillers, barge workers, and other offshore workers.

That's why the Jones Act is so important.  It is a formal and legal recognition of the contributions of offshore workers.  It shows that we appreciate their sacrifices, the risks they take every day, and what they contribute to our country's economic security.  It shows that the United States values the workers who make the money just as highly as we value the executives who hire and fire the workers and who never risk their health or safety on an offshore rig, boat, dredge barge, or other offshore vessel.

This entry, while not discussing any breaking legal news or cases, is made in an effort to congratulate the men and women who make the maritime industry work and to encourage all reasonable and fair-minded people, whether involved in the offshore industry or not, to congratulate the men and women who risk their lives to work offshore.

Everyone who has ever gone to sea to work offshore should be congratulated for what you do.   My firm is proud to stand by you in your moment of need, to represent you when necessary, and to call so many of you clients--and friends.

Injured seamen are entitled to maintenance and cure, and unearned wages, regardless of fault

Injured seamen are entitled to maintenance, cure and unearned wages.  However, some Jones Act employers refuse to pay maintenance, cure and/or unearned wages.

Injured seamen can bring claims beyond the traditional worker's compensation remedies.  Specifically, injured seamen are entitled to payment for related medical treatment, payment of compensation during their period of disability, and payment of unearned wages.  In addition to these worker's compensation-type remedies, injured seamen can also bring negligence claims and unseaworthiness claims against their employer.

The rest of this post explains the entitlement to maintenance and cure and unearned wages in more detail:
Entitlement to Maintenance and Cure Generally

A seamen's employer is responsible for paying maintenance and cure for an injury or illness that occurs in the course and scope of an injured seaman's employment.  This is a centuries-old obligation and arises from the employment relationship between the injured seaman and his or her employer.  The obligation to pay maintenance and cure arises irrespective of fault or negligence.

A seaman is also entitled to unearned wages from his employer until he or she is fit for duty or they are no longer disabled.

The right to "Maintenance."

Maintenance is designed to compensate an injured seaman for room and board he would have received on the vessel had he or she not been injured.

Generally, maintenance payments range between $15 - $40 per day.  Many lawyers for injured seaman have argued for higher maintenance payments, but courts have not been particularly receptive to this argument.

The obligation to pay maintenance continues until the seaman reaches "maximum medical improvement," which is defined as the point at which all future medical care is "palliative" in nature only.

The right to "Cure."

Cure means medical treatment.  Like maintenance, cure is not dependent on negligence or fault.  A seamen is entitled to cure until he reaches maximum medical improvement.  Injured seamen must mitigate their medical expenses to the extent possible, but the seaman's employer bears the burden to prove that medical expenses are excessive or unreasonable or unnecessary.

The right to "Unearned Wages."

Seamen are entitled to wages they would have earned had they not been injured.  For example, if a seaman is injured at the beginning of his or her work on an offshore mobile drilling rig or a ship, he or she will be entitled to what they would have been paid had the injury not occurred.

The right to maintenance and cure should be resolved in favor of injured seaman.
 
The law on a seaman's entitlement to maintenance and cure is well-settled.  Courts have consistenly held that all doubts or ambiguities with respect to entitlement to maintenance and cure should be resolved in favor of the injured seaman. 

If an employer wrongfully or willfully denies maintenance and cure, they may be required to pay an injured seaman's attorney fees for obtaining maintenance and cure.

Conclusion.

Injured seaman are entitled to maintenance, cure, and unearned wages regardless of fault or negligence if they are injured or contract an illness while in the service of a ship.  However, some employers refuse to provide maintenance, cure, and unearned wages.  This is unfortunate but all too common.

Like any maritime dispute, an injured seaman should consider consulting an experienced maritime lawyer if his or her employer wrongfully refuses to live up to their maintenance, cure, and unearned wages.