Mississippi is home many of the one thousand eight hundred and sixty two drilling platforms present today in the Gulf of Mexico. The state ranked 13th in oil production and 12th in natural gas production. Sixteen million nine hundred and forty five thousand nine hundred and fifty barrels of oil where produced in 2018, along with thirty four million eight hundred and sixty three thousand three hundred and sixty six cubic feet of gas. As of June of 2012 there was oil or gas production in forty two of Mississippi’s eighty two counties, information gathered by the Mississippi Oil and Gas Board. This means thousands of direct and direct jobs connected to the oil and gas industry in Mississippi, which means many men and women engage in dangerous offshore jobs every day. Injuries and accidents, such as fires and explosions, that take place at sea fall under a different law than those that happen inland.
Unfortunately, the oil and gas industry is an innately dangerous one, wherein many disasters, injuries, and even the dead of employees can take place at any moment.
The main contributing factor to the dangers of the oil and gas industry is the flammable nature of the substances it deals with, but the toxic fumes they produce must be accounted for, too. As signaled by the Occupation Safety and Health Administration the main hazards offshore workers have to face are getting caught between objects, working in confined spaces, falls, fires and explosions.
Offshore accidents can leave workers and their loved ones exposed to an onslaught of long term consequences, such as injury, chronic pain, mounting medical bills and possible disability. In the most extreme cases, these accidents can lead to the dead of those involved in them.
But, often times, offshore accidents have a human factor to them that comes into play whenever a company, person or entity is irresponsible or negligent in a way that affects or compromises the safe development of the task at hand. Examples of these situations are the following:
- Preventable exposure to harmful or toxic materials.
- Engine failure due to lack of maintenance.
- Accidents that involve falls caused by insufficient protection, carelessness or weather conditions.
- Leaking or uncontrolled flammable materials that catch fire or explode.
- Operator negligence that leads to accidents in helicopters or water vehicles.
- Un-prepared or under-trained workers being charged with the management of heavy machinery.
- Defective equipment.
These kinds of accidents are relatively common in the oil and gas industry, and since 2016 the fear that these accidents will increase and become more frequent and more dangerous is growing, in light of the Trump administration intentions of rolling back many of the safety rules and regulations that were instated after the Deep Water Horizon explosion, including vital well control rules and those that require a third party inspection of critical equipment that, in case of failure, could increase the risks to the well being of workers.
But, offshore workers are not left in the dark when it comes to the delicate matter of workplace accidents and facing their consequences. The Maritime Law, also known as the Jones Act and the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, is a federal law in effect in the United States that serves the purpose of protecting the interests of offshore workers, allowing them the opportunity of seeking compensation in the case of finding themselves involved in an accident leading to injury.
The Jones Act covers injuries that include: burns, lacerations, injuries leading to brain trauma or permanent brain damage, broken bones, traumatic amputations and lung damage caused by inhalation of toxic chemical fumes. Workers that suffer injuries in offshore drilling facilities benefit from the coverage of the Maritime Law.
The Jones Act grants offshore workers the right to sue companies or entities, captains, ship owners and fellow crew members if any of the aforementioned parties’ negligence leads to an accident or injury, or in the case that the vessel in question was not in conditions that would be considered a safe work environment. To be considered someone that falls under the protection of the Jones Act an employee must have what is described as a substantial connection to the vessel in question, both in time duration and nature. The Merchant Marine Law provides vita provisions to workers should they find themselves involved in an workplace accident, such as what is known by the name of “Maintenance and Cure” a type of worker’s compensation that guarantees the affected employee will receive a weekly pay of medical benefits and wage.
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Oil Rig Accident Attorneys
Offshore workers that have been involved in accidents that sustained injuries may qualify for compensation under the Jones Act, as may the surviving family members of those who die as a result of one of these accidents. The Maritime Law protects workers from having to pay any medical treatments that come as a consequence of a workplace accident out of pocket. After an offshore drilling accident; workers affected by it, and especially those who have sustained injuries or their surviving family members in case of a fatal accident, must work with an specialized attorney in their area too fight for the maximum compensation possible through all means available to them.
