The April 21 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig which killed eleven men is not the first high-profile to occur at a BP facility. In the past 20 years, BP subsidiaries have been convicted three times of environmental crimes in Alaska and Texas, including two felonies.

 
In 2005, 15 BP employees died and 170 were injured after an explosion at a Texas City, Texas refinery. Temporary trailers that were used as office buildings had been placed next to highly volatile units producing jet fuel. The investigation showed a need for maintenance and better safety devices at the refinery. 

 
In 2006, the BP pipeline in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska burst spilling hundreds of thousands of galloms of heavy crude oil. No one was injured. The investigation found that in order to reduce costs, BP had cut the practice of sending probes through the pipeline to clean and inspect the pipes for damage and corrosion.

 
BP has received the biggest-ever fine for "willful work safety violations" in the United States and is under of a range of safety investigations, including one in Washington state for 13 serious safety violations at the BP Cherry Point refinery near Ferndale, Washington.

 
When companies cut costs and put workers at risk, they are guilty of negligence. A seaman who has been injured because of the negligence of his employer may have a Jones Act Case. To learn more about your rights to Jones Act damages, contact the New Orleans maritime law attorneys at The Young Firm. Call 866-938-6113.