If you or a loved one works on an oil rig, you know how dangerous a workplace accident can be. Injuries suffered on an oil rig are extremely serious and often include burns, broken bones, and head or spine trauma. The injuries are more serious because you’re dealing with larger equipment, harmful chemicals, and equipment that can be very hot. These injuries are life changing injuries, and action should be taken to protect the injured employee.

The oil rig accident attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have devoted more than 30 years to representing injury victims from oil rigs all across the state of Louisian from Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lake Charles, Monroe, Lafayette, Alexandria and the neighboring small towns. Contact us today at (318) 561-2500, or submit an online request for a free evaluation of your case.

Offshore Drilling Rig Injuries

We know how difficult your job as an oil rig worker is – and that if you are hurt, your livelihood and your ability to provide for your family may be in jeopardy. We also know that too many oil rig accidents are preventable and that your injuries may have been caused by unsafe working conditions or defective equipment. Oil rig accidents can happen for a variety of reasons.

Some of the more common causes include:

	Defective drilling rigs, wellheads and other machinery
	Improperly designed or installed safety features
	Gas leaks
	Structural damage to the rig
	Hazardous weather conditions

The Jones Act

Oil rig accidents are different from other work-related accidents because workers on an oil rig are usually subject to a special category of injury laws. The Jones Act is a law that regulates compensation to injured seamen who become hurt on the job. A seaman is someone who works on a boat or other vessel in the ocean or inter-coastal waterways – and an oil rig worker meets that definition.

Under the Jones Act, an injured seaman has two primary rights:

“Maintenance and cure” – the financial equivalent of the room and board he or she would normally receive at sea, plus medical treatment.

The right to file legal action against the employer if the worker’s injuries occurred as a result of negligence. That is a key difference between Jones Act occupations and traditional jobs covered under workers’ compensation. It’s important to note that employers may be deemed negligent if they fail to provide a safe working environment or if the actual rig or vessel is considered “unseaworthy” (unsafe or otherwise unsuited for the work required).

If you have been hurt in an oil rig accident, take the first step to protect your legal rights and contact the oil rig accident attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault. We’ve helped personal injury victims from Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lake Charles, Monroe, Lafayette, Alexandria and surrounding communities throughout the state. You only have a limited time after your injury to file a claim, however, so you must act quickly. Call (318) 561-2500 today, or submit an online request.

(318) 561-2500