Offshore Injury Claims: 2015 Year in Review

During 2015, we covered a number of topics affecting injured offshore workers on our blog. As 2016 gets underway, we thought we would recap our articles from last year and consolidate them into a useful resource for individuals and families of individuals who get hurt while working offshore.

Click the links below to learn about your legal rights and check our blog regularly for new updates during 2016. Of course, you can always schedule a free consultation with one of our Houston offshore injury lawyers as well.

1. Deepwater Horizon: Have the Oil Companies Learned Their Lesson?

April 20, 2015, marked the five-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The investigators’ findings were brutal for BP and the other companies involved, but has the oil industry truly learned its lesson? Unfortunately, some commentators have suggested that the oil companies are not doing enough to prevent another major catastrophe in the Gulf. To find out what happened and what the oil companies are – and are not – doing to protect offshore workers, read our complete retrospective and continuing coverage of Deepwater Horizon:

• Deepwater Horizon Retrospective, Part 1
• Deepwater Horizon Retrospective, Part 2
• Deepwater Horizon Retrospective, Part 3
• Deepwater Horizon Retrospective, Part 4
• Five Years Later: Have We Learned Our Lesson from Deepwater Horizon?
• BP Pays $18.7 Billion To Settle Government Claims

2. Seeking Compensation for Offshore Injuries

As a seaman, do you know your legal rights if you suffer an injury while working offshore? The Jones Act and other federal laws provide special protections for offshore workers who get injured on the job. Find out if you qualify as a seaman under the Jones Act and then read all about seeking compensation for offshore injuries.

3. Understanding Your Right to Maintenance and Cure

Part of the compensation available to offshore workers is what is known as “maintenance and cure.” In How Much Is Maintenance and Cure?, we answered questions like:

• What is included in the amount of maintenance?
• Can my employer refuse to pay maintenance because I have disability insurance?
• Can I see my own doctor under the Jones Act?

We also discussed offshore workers’ rights to punitive damages when their employers fail to pay maintenance and cure, and covered one seaman’s lawsuit involving denial of maintenance and cure that made its way to the United State Supreme Court.

4. Can You Sue When a Family Member Dies Offshore?

As offshore injury lawyers in Houston, we hear numerous tragic stories about families who have lost loved ones working in the Gulf of Mexico. If you have lost a spouse, parent, child, or other close family members in an offshore accident, find out about your legal rights.

5. Offshore Drilling Updates

Throughout the year we posted several updates on drilling activity in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere around the globe. These updates are important for offshore workers, as they reflect not only the amount of drilling activity in the Gulf, but also shed light on potential safety hazards and health risks with new projects getting underway. Read our 2015 offshore drilling updates for more information:

• New Gulf of Mexico Projects – June 2015
• Offshore Drilling Update – June 2015
• Offshore Drilling Update – July 2015
• Offshore Drilling Update – October 2015
• Offshore Drilling Update – December 2015

Morrow & Sheppard LLP | Your Houston Offshore Injury Lawyers

Attorneys Nick Morrow and John D. Sheppard provide experienced legal representation for offshore injury victims and their families. To find out if you are entitled to compensation, call (800) 489-2216 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation today.