The offshore oil rig industry is vital for the local job market, the United States energy sector, and the national economy. Unfortunately, oil rig workers face many risks while completing their job duties. You can turn to a New Orleans oil rig accident lawyer for help if you sustain injuries.
A New Orleans maritime injury lawyer can offer solutions to bring you fair compensation for all of your losses. An experienced attorney from our team at Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers can assist with all your legal needs.
We can apply more than three decades of combined experience to your claim. You can find out more by calling or completing our online contact form.
How You Can Get Compensation After an Oil Rig Injury
Federal and state legislation provides maritime workers, such as those working on oil rigs, the legal right to pursue damages from employers after suffering injuries in an offshore accident. Depending on their unique circumstances, maritime workers, crew, and seamen have different options for taking legal action.
A New Orleans personal injury lawyer can explain all of your options. With the guidance of our New Orleans maritime lawyers, you will learn the specific requirements for seeking full compensation, including who is at fault in the incident.
The most well-known statute is the Jones Act, also commonly called the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. According to 46 United States Code of Laws § 688, the Jones Act allows injured oil rig crew members to recover damages from their employers, including money to pay for:
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504-500-1111Current and Future Medical Expenses
Maritime accidents on an oil rig can result in catastrophic injuries, including concussions, neck and back injuries, broken bones, burns, and drowning. An oil rig accident injury attorney in New Orleans can help injured workers recover money to pay for their:
- Emergency care and transport back to shore and a medical facility
- Time in a hospital
- Medical tests and all required procedures
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation
- Medications
You can learn more about the money available to pay for medical bills caused by severe injuries with a personal injury law firm dedicated to meeting your needs.
Lost Wages
A New Orleans oil rig accident attorney may help you get the money you need to cover the wages you lost while recovering from an oil rig accident. In some cases, you may experience a disability due to the severity of your injuries.
In this case, your maritime injury attorney may help you get funds to cover your lost wage–earning capacity. You can get legal representation to increase your odds of securing fair damages for these losses. You may also receive payment for your vocational retraining costs in some cases.
Pain and Suffering
Oil rig workers injured on the job often face long-term mental anguish and emotional suffering. Your personal injury attorney can calculate the value of these non-economic losses and include them in your Jones Act claim. You can get help during this challenging time by contacting our firm today.
Benefits of Hiring a New Orleans Oil Rig Accident Attorney
An experienced oil rig injury lawyer has the training and experience to guide workers through their claims and successfully secure compensation. A lawyer could also investigate the option of filing suit directly against the employer.
We believe that you deserve professional legal help from a personal injury law firm if you sustained injuries as an offshore worker on an oil rig. Find out more by reaching out to our legal team today. We provide a risk-free initial consultation.
Our team at Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers has over 30 years of combined legal experience and has brought our clients over $100 million in compensation. You can check out our case results to learn more about specific cases we’ve handled.
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504-500-1111Do Not Wait to Secure Legal Support
The law provides victims of an oil rig accident two years from the date of the accident to pursue a legal claim in a court of law. That may seem like a great deal of time, but it rarely is.
During that time, our lawyer will guide you in pursuing a fair settlement from the responsible party for your personal injury claim. If they fail to agree, we then need to take action in a court of law.
As offshore accident lawyers, we know that these types of lawsuits can take a significant amount of time to navigate, and as they do, you have to wait for the support you need. If the insurance company simply will not provide a fair settlement for you, expect our attorneys to seek out a lawsuit to allow the court to decide.
Note that the gas industry and maritime industry as a whole have very aggressive attorneys and insurance companies working for them, and they have no benefit in providing you with fair treatment or compensation.
As a result, it becomes essential that you arm yourself with an equally qualified legal team. Do not put off getting help from our New Orleans maritime lawyers.
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504-500-1111The Minimum Oil Rig Safety Requirements
Every oil rig site must meet minimum safety standards, or the employers will face penalties, including steep fines. These safety standards include:
- Extensive and ongoing employee training to ensure all workers understand the most recent protocols
- The required safety gear for all employees while working on the vessel or rig
- Adequate lighting and handrails for walkways and steps
- Daily safety inspections
- Proper storage of hazardous material
- Random employee drug and alcohol testing
When employers fail to follow safety protocols and crew members suffer injuries while working on oil rigs, federal statutes allow offshore workers to seek compensation from their employer in a negligence claim. You can count on our team to assess your situation and determine if you have a valid case.
Key Maritime Laws That Could Impact Your Right to Compensation
One of the reasons to work with our New Orleans oil rig injury attorney is that we have extensive experience navigating all of the laws related to these types of accidents, including those that you may not know exist to protect you.
If you are hurt in an oil rig accident, set up a consultation with us to discuss how each of these laws impacts your ability to pursue compensation.
Note that this often relates to the type of work being done as well as your role on that rig. There are many situations in which insurance companies and rig owners will take steps to try to prove you were in violation of being on the rig or that you were engaging in activities that put you at risk. Let us explain these laws to you and how they impact your case before you assume the insurance company is treating you fairly.
When you set up a consultation with us, our New Orleans oil rig injury lawyer will discuss the details of your case and then build a strong claim that outlines all potential losses you have as they apply to these situations. You do not need to know what your rights are just yet. Just reach out to us for guidance now.
Longshoreman Workers’ Compensation Act
The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act is a federal law that provides specific protections for you to cover losses related to medical care, vocational rehabilitation, and financial compensation for missed time if you are hurt on the job. It applies to incidents that occur on the navigable waters of the United States or in adjoining areas that are used for loading, unloading, or building a vessel.
If you are an employee in traditional maritime occupations, including oil rig workers, this law may apply to you. Speak with a New Orleans Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act lawyer today about your situation.
Outer Continental Shelf Act
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act is another important law that defines your rights when engaged in activities on the outer continental shelf. It includes any and all submerged lands beyond state coastal waters greater than three miles offshore. If this law applies to the accident that impacted you based on location, you may have the right to pursue fair compensation for your losses.
Seek out our legal team for clarification on who this law applies to and what it means for your personal injury case. A New Orleans Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act lawyer from our team will be able to answer all of your questions and build a case on your behalf.
Hazards and Risks of Working on Oil Rigs
Even in the best circumstances, crew members face many risks while performing their duties. Many of the hazards that present severe risks to crew members come about when employers fail to comply with the minimum oil rig safety requirements, including:
- Employers failing to provide sufficient training to workers for equipment operation
- Slips, trips, and falls on the deck or cathead
- Falling objects
- Toxic fumes and explosions
- Pipe tongs and hazardous grating
- Cable breaks
An oil rig accident attorney in New Orleans could investigate the incident by requesting records and speaking to witnesses so as to determine the cause of the accident and identify the responsible parties.
Seek Out Legal Guidance Now for Insight
Working on an oil rig is among the most dangerous jobs in the U.S.; much of it is done here in New Orleans. When you sustain injuries while working on a crew, you have options for covering medical care, lost wages, and other expenses while you rest and recover at home.
Although you may have access to benefits, the legal system can prove difficult to navigate on your own. Fortunately, you can reach out to a personal injury law firm for personalized attention and legal advice.
Even a minor error could cause significant delays, so call Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers to review your options. Our oil rig accident lawyer in New Orleans will provide sound legal advice, represent you in negotiations, and will not charge for their services unless you win your case.
What to Do After an Oil Rig Accident
If you are hurt in an accident on or near an oil rig, your primary objective is to get medical care, especially if you are suffering any type of emergency health risk, including head trauma, spinal injuries, burns, or bleeding-related accidents.
In these situations, focus on getting medical care. If you are okay to do so, discuss what occurred with your supervisor and determine where to get medical care from based on your injuries. Then, follow these steps when it is safe to do so.
- Report the incident to those in charge. Do not delay in alerting your supervisor of the incident. In the gas industry, this is critical to ensuring your care is covered.
- If possible, document what occurred by taking photos of your injuries and the areas of damage. This could help you later in building your personal injury claim.
- Document any defective equipment, mistakes made by others, lack of security or safety equipment, or other factors that contributed to your case.
Once you take these steps, focus on your health and well-being, and call our offshore injury lawyers for immediate help in pursuing legal action.
Based on the circumstances of your case, our attorneys may be able to seek full and fair compensation for you so that you can focus on recovering and getting back to life. Do not assume the insurance company will treat you fairly. Instead, make sure they take you seriously by hiring our lawyer.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a New Orleans Oil Rig Accident Lawyer
For victims of an oil rig accident, knowing what to do to pursue fair compensation for their incredible losses is not easy. With the guidance of our New Orleans oil rig accident lawyer, you gain an advocate who will support you throughout this process, providing clarity around every turn of your case.
Do not settle your case until you speak to Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers to find out how we can help you. Consultations are free.
