Platform Worker Injuries

Platform workers have one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. Working on an offshore platform exposes a worker to a number of potential accidents, such as slipping on chemicals, getting hurt with mechanical equipment, or suffering exposure to flames or fumes, among many others. Fortunately, workers who have suffered an accident at an offshore platform may be protected by the Jones Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and many other similar maritime laws. Whether you work as a rig manager, driller, derrickhand, motorman, or roughneck, the law may entitle you to the compensation that you need. You need the very best platform worker injury lawyers in Houston.  The experience of our attorneys at The Merman Law Firm can help you navigate through the complexities of these laws. Our dedicated platform worker injury attorneys will carefully review every detail of your case in order to maximize your compensation.

 It is well known that platform workers endure a high number of dangerous risks on a daily basis. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, an oil rig worker is seven times more likely to suffer a fatal accident than any other worker in the nation. Furthermore, a study made by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention showed that fatal platform accidents were mostly related to transportation, contact with dangerous equipment, and fires or explosions. At the end of the day, our firm knows that many of these platform accidents are due to factors such as dangerous weather, mechanical failures, misuse of equipment, long work hours, and lack of safety controls and systems.   

Each of those dangerous factors can lead to a wide range of platform worker injuries. For example, a mechanical failure on the platform may cause a platform worker to get hit, cut, burned, or even fall. Any of these injuries may lead to severe or fatal consequences. A clear example is the recent case of a young father from Texas who lost his life after falling while working on a platform. The accident occurred while he was working on an elevated piece of equipment at an offshore oil rig. Suddenly, the dangerous conditions of the platform caused him to fall for nearly 100 feet of altitude into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In that case, even though the young father lost his life, his family may still be entitled to compensation for his wrongful death. Other types of compensation may result from transportation injuries, such as when platform workers get injured in a crew boat as they are being transported to or from the platform. Ultimately, like the worker who fell into the gulf or the workers who were injured on the crew boat, all workers who have been injured on a platform may be entitled to compensation for themselves and their families.

More than just a physical injury, an accident on a platform can also cause serious financial and emotional damages to injured workers and their families. If you or a loved one has fallen victim to a platform accident or injury, you need the best platform injury lawyers by your side. The platform worker injury lawyers at the Merman Law Firm are professional and experienced in the field of platform injuries. We can help you through this difficult time by carefully analyzing your specific case and making sure that you and your family receive the compensation that you deserve.    

Sources:
https://www.dol.gov/owcp/dlhwc/ocsla.htm
https://www.boem.gov/ocs-lands-act-history/
https://www.cdc.gov/Mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6420a4.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6216a2.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/09/AR2010080904083.html
http://www.12newsnow.com/news/local/body-of-port-arthur-man-who-fell-from-off-shore-rig-in-sabine-pass-found/311223229