Oil Rig Explosion Lawyers

The maritime lawyers of Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, LLP have been handling oil rig explosion cases in the Gulf of Mexico and vessel explosion and fire cases around the world for over 45 years.  We have obtained multi-million dollar settlements for our clients and their families where an offshore worker was injured or killed due to a maritime blast.

Currently, at least 11 people are missing and seven were critically injured after an explosion on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.   The explosion happened around 10:00 p.m. yesterday evening on an offshore oil rig named the Deepwater Horizon located about 52 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana.  The Coast Guard believes that at the time the rig exploded, 126 crewmembers were on board the rig.  Several people were hospitalized and many crewmembers remain unaccounted for at this time.

The names and hometowns of injured persons are being withheld until family members can be notified.

SMSH has handled similar cases in the last few years.  We represented a young man who fell into the water off of a vessel and nearly drowned in March 2008.  He was not timely discovered in the water and this led to him going into a persistent vegetative state. We settled his case confidentially for close to $18 million less than one year after he was hurt.  This recovery is believed to be one of the largest, if not THE largest single-event Jones Act recoveries in history.  We have the marine experts for medical conditions like his at the ready for workers who were hurt in the same way.  We also have marine liability experts who have testified in thousands of trials who can help make your case against the employer more sound.

We have also handled cases where the explosions were so loud that it caused local authorities to assume it was a terrorist attack.  We represented the family of Ford Ebanks in their death case against Bouchard Transportation Company.  He was killed while working as a tankerman on their barge when it exploded.  The explosion was so severe that it caused hot metal to rain down miles and miles away from the accident scene.  We obtained $4 million for his wife, children and family.

Our maritime attorneys served on the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee for a recent Louisiana case in which leaking gas caused the vessel JILLIAN MORRISON to explode in March of 2008 in the Gulf of Mexico.  We alleged that the dangerous and unseaworthy conditions of the vessel and the companies involved failing to take reasonable steps to insure the crew’s safety led to this tragic blast where many died and even more were severely injured.  We obtained confidential seven-figure settlements for our clients in this case against multiple defendants.

An experienced maritime lawyer can tell you whether or not your oil rig explosion case will deal with a law called the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act which will significantly limit your Statute of Limitation or the time within which you have to file your lawsuit.  The type of maritime lawyer you want to hire will assist you with finding the best medical care, help you with living expenses when legally allowed, fly out to visit you in the hospital or at your home if you are injured, and speak to you outside of regular business hours to discuss the immediate and important needs you may have related to the traumatic injuries you sustained in the blast.

The maritime lawyers of SMSH are no strangers to rig explosion cases.  We have represented numerous clients in cases against Transocean and in cases where the vessel, rig or platform they were working on caught fire and/or exploded.  We suspect that many of the crewmembers associated with this incident will suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, exposure injuries, burn injuries, orthopedic injuries from the force of the blast and impact with the water, and even death. We have the marine liability experts you need to establish your case, we have access to the mental health professionals you will need to help you deal with the stress of this incident, we have the staff and financial resources to work up your case in the best way possible.  Do not delay in getting help or advice.  We take pride in our over 45 years of representation of the hard working men and women who work offshore in sometimes dangerous settings. Contact your Transocean attorney today.

For immediate legal assistance with your Gulf of Mexico Oil Rig Explosion case, please e-mail info@smslegal.com or call us at 1-800-836-5830.