Oil Rig Injuries: Platform (Maritime) vs. Barge (Jones Act) (Part B)
Maritime Laws and Gulf of Mexico Oil Platforms
Workers on oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico can file an injury claim under the maritime laws. These laws protect the rights of workers employed on or near the water. OSHA doesn't govern the safety regulations of oil platforms, and maritime laws are there to pick up this coverage for workers.
Gulf of Mexico oil platforms can be dangerous worksites with many hazards that could cause serious injury. Some of the common types of injury include the following:
burns;
head trauma;
spinal cord injury;
toxic substance exposure;
impact injuries; and
respiratory damage.
Many of these injuries are suffered on oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and are more severe than land injuries because there's often a delay in getting an injured worker to proper medical treatment. This can lead to longer-than-normal recovery times or more severe disabilities resulting from your injuries. Maritime laws reflect these additional conditions and help make sure workers are fully compensated for these burdens. Filing a Claim for Injury Suffered While On Jones Act Tankers For the Jones Act Law to apply to your oil rig injury claim, you must meet the following 3 conditions to be considered a Jones Act seaman:
you must be employed on a vessel or fleet of vessels;
the vessel(s) must be in navigation; and
you must be employed at least 30% of the time on your vessel.
Most claimants have little difficulty proving the time they're employed, but the type of vessel can offer some problems in filing a claim under Jones Act Law. There's no guarantee that all types of Jones Act tankers or ships are governed by Jones Act Law, so it's best to consult with an attorney first before attempting to file a claim. Contact an Attorney for Workers on Oil Platforms in the Gulf of Mexico
Maritime law provides you with certain protections your employer may not want you to know about. A maritime law attorney from The Young Firm in New Orleans, Louisiana can help you if you have suffered maritime offshore accident injuries in a horrible diving accident or other accident that falls under maritime law or the Jones Act.
When you are ready to get started with your Jones Act injury case, we urge you to contact us today for a FREE case evaluation - call 1-504-680-4100 or toll free at 1-866-938-6113.
Our office is screening and accepting certain oil spill loss of income and economic damage claims from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. To determine if we can help you with your claim, please fill out the simple form below. We will contact you immediately to more fully explore if we can accept your claim. Our office has successfully collected significant damages for hundreds of clients involved in several mass claim cases including the Vioxx claims as well as numerous homeowners on the Gulf Coast arising out of improper application of pesticide in their homes. This form will allow us to get started for you. We look forward to helping you. Timothy Young.
