Oil Platform Accident Attorneys

Offshore Oil Platform Accidents & Injuries

Drilling offshore for oil or gas is demanding work. Heavy equipment, adverse weather, and long hours make for hazardous work conditions. Offshore oil platform accidents occur all too often, causing catastrophic injuries and claiming workers' lives. Many of these incidents are preventable and caused by employer negligence. 

In many cases, platforms are towed into place and considered vessels in navigation, giving rights under the Jones Act and general maritime law for workers injured while employed by the ship. The Jones Act recognizes the inherent risks of working offshore and gives seamen and many offshore workers and survivors the right to recover just damages.

At Arnold & Itkin, we protect the rights of offshore crew members who have been injured while working on oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and throughout U.S. and international waters. We help workers and their families get the care and support they need to rebuild after the worst accidents, including explosions, fires, falls overboard, and more. Our oil platform accident attorneys have won more than $20 billion for our clients.

To find out how we can help you, call (888) 346-5024 or contact us online.

Have You Been Injured While on an Offshore Oil Platform?

Offshore platforms—no matter whether they are jack-up rigs, semi-submersibles, or fixed platforms—are massive structures often towering 100 feet or more above the water. They house heavy equipment and people who live and work on them for weeks at a time. They can be inhospitable and challenging settings in which to work.

Accidents and injuries on offshore oil platforms can be caused by:

Serious injuries occur frequently in platform accidents involving cranes. Typically, riggers, roustabouts, and deckhands assisting with the crane operations are at greatest risk when accidents occur. Accidents resulting in serious injury and death can also be caused by loss of well control resulting from equipment failure or an underground blowout. A blowout led to the collapse and sinking of Transocean's Deepwater Horizon oil platform as it was drilling about 50 miles off the Louisiana coast in April 2010. 11 crew died in that incident and others were critically injured. We at Arnold & Itkin were proud to represent a third of the crew, successfully recovering life-changing compensation on their behalf.

Offshore Oil Platform Accident Statistics

According to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), which was established to regulate the offshore energy industry after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, there were 117 fires and 4 explosions in offshore oil and gas production in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in 2021. 164 injuries and 2 fatalities were reported that year.

From 2010 through 2020, the BSEE reported:

• 37 fatalities
• 2,549 injuries
• 1,115 fires
• 25 explosions

Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) Accidents

A platform supply vessel (PSV) is a type of offshore ship used to supply oil platforms. These are commonly seen in the offshore oil and gas industry because they are a primary way that goods and personnel get from land and other vessels to the offshore rigs. Depending on the type of task the vessel is commissioned to do, these will come in sizes from 20 to 100 meters long. A major use for these vessels is the supply of cargo. From diesel fuel to tools and cement, these ships carry a wide range of different cargo. However, when vessel owners fail to maintain safety on their PSVs, it can lead to devastating accidents. Workers have the right to pursue compensation for their injuries.

PSVs often travel to offshore rigs located miles offshore. While platform supply vessels increase the productivity of the rigs, they can still put workers at risk of if they are negligently operated or maintained.

Just like other vessels, PSVs put workers in danger of suffering injuries due to: