What Are Common Causes of Offshore Accidents?
The years of experience that we have in dealing with offshore accidents have revealed a common thread in what causes these accidents to occur. As unfortunate as it may be, employer negligence is one of the most common causes of accidents for employees who are working offshore. Regardless of the specific occupation title, every offshore worker is put under the care of an employer for the majority of their day. It is the legal responsibility of a offshore employer to maintain a safe working environment and to protect employees against avoidable hazards.
Injured offshore workers commonly suffer injuries such as the following:
These accidents can be caused by fires, falls, equipment failures, or other deck accidents. Every offshore company is required to train employees on current safety standards and practices, but sometimes employers can become lazy or negligent, and it is the workers who pay the price.
Common Offshore Accidents
Offshore Fires & Explosions
Because of the combustible nature of drilling, offshore rigs are at significant risk of fires and explosions. While these types of events occur infrequently, they are usually the most catastrophic type of offshore accident. One of the most notable explosions occurred in 2010 when the blowout preventer on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig failed. The ensuing explosion killed 11 workers and injured dozens more. Fires or explosions can also be caused by poorly maintained pipelines, improperly stored fuel, or collisions between multiple vessels.
Many scenarios can cause a fire or an explosion on an offshore vessel. Vessels carry a large amount of fuel; something as simple as an improperly maintained pipeline can ignite a fire. These incidents are no light matter. After an explosion, the entire vessel may sink. A fire can be equally as damaging and may quickly spread across the entire offshore platform, trapping workers and leaving no room for escape.
If you have experienced the devastating consequences of a fire or explosion while working as an offshore worker, turn to our firm for caring legal help. At Arnold & Itkin, we have seen the ways that an offshore fire can wreak havoc on a worker's life. Serious physical injuries and emotional traumatization are only the beginning. Often, injured workers rack up hefty medical bills due to hospital visits and rehabilitation, leaving them financially overwhelmed. Time and time again, these offshore workers have found relief from their helpless situation by contacting our firm. When you contact an attorney at our firm, we will fight for the compensation you need to make a full recovery and pay off your medical bills.
Oil Rig Injuries
Offshore oil drilling is dangerous work. The complex equipment needed to drill at such depths is a primary source of hazards. Additionally, most companies do not have the experience drilling offshore that they do with onshore oil rigs. The complexity of offshore drilling combined with the lack of experience increases the chances of an accident occurring on the rig. According to data from the U.S. Minerals Management Service (the federal agency that regulates offshore activity), a significant percentage of offshore accidents are caused by human error.
Deck Accidents
The deck has a lot of activity. Workers who are not careful could be struck by heavy equipment, slip on a wet surface, or fall off an unsecured ladder. Additionally, a sudden movement of the ship or vessel could cause workers to lose their balance, resulting in back or head injuries.
Equipment Failure
Equipment failure is almost an inevitable part of life on offshore vessels. Equipment on offshore vessels presents a number of hazards to the workers who are operating the machinery. Limbs can get caught in dangerous parts of the equipment, workers can be pinned underneath a heavy load, or they can be burned or shocked by active equipment. Workers must operate the machines with extreme caution to avoid being injured.
Weather-Related Accidents & Capsizing
While it's true that offshore companies cannot control the weather, but they can protect their crew from storms that they know are coming. Tropical storms and hurricanes present a serious hazard for offshore workers and increase the risk of accidents and even capsizing. This happened to the El Faro, a cargo ship that went down with her entire crew on October 1, 2015, after she steamed straight into the path of Hurricane Joaquin. The entire 142-man crew of the Globetrotter II was left to weather Hurricane Ida in September of 2021, and though no lives were lost, the vessel nearly capsized 3 times and everyone on board thought they were going to die.
Barge & Tugboat Injuries
Tugboats need to be extremely powerful to assist barges back to shore. However, along with their power comes an added risk of injury. Working on a tugboat is increasingly dangerous while the boat is attached to a barge.
- Tow lines parting
- Handling heavy lines and shackles
- Equipment failure
- Crew negligence
- Slippery decks
- Falls overboard
Common Causes of Offshore Injuries
At Arnold & Itkin, we recognize that offshore injuries can be debilitating to the victim. We also know that no two offshore cases are the same. Should you choose to work with our legal team, you will be able to rest assured knowing you will have an advocate on your side who is deeply knowledgeable about all areas of maritime law.
No matter the reason for the offshore accident that caused you harm, you can trust that we will go the distance in our efforts to protect you and your family. We handle cases involving:
Distracted Mariners
Shipping accidents on navigable waters may occur because the navigator of a ship or crew is distracted by a cell or other wireless device. Just as phones and texting can distract drivers on the highway, wireless devices can lead to serious accidents at sea, including collisions and groundings. The U.S. Coast Guard recently issued a safety advisory warning the industry of the risk of use of cell phones and other wireless devices while operating a vessel. Unfortunately, too many mariners don't pay attention to the warning until after a serious accident occurs.
Ships & Cell Phone Use
The Coast Guard strongly recommends ship owners and operators develop policies regarding the appropriate use of cell phones and wireless devices while on duty. When mariners are navigating a ship, the use of wireless devices unrelated to the task at hand may cause lapses of attention, disrupt the exchange of information, and lead to serious offshore accidents involving injuries and fatalities. Similarly, full attention and active communication are demanded when crew members are loading or unloading cargo, taking on fuel or other hazardous activities.
The National Transportation Safety Board has found that the use of cellphones and other mobile communication devices can slow response times, hinder performance, and increase attention lapses of those in safety-sensitive positions. All crew members are supposed to act as lookouts for potential accidents aboard ship. In two recent investigations, the NTSB determined that Coast Guard crew were engaged in texting or cell phone conversations unrelated to work at the time of two offshore collisions involving patrol boats that left 1 child dead and 10 injured.
The casual use of a cell phone or wireless device by a co-worker or crew member before a serious offshore accident may reflect a lack of proper supervision or lack of attention to safety and may be evidence of negligence. The Coast Guard has said it now recognizes the hazard of distracted mariners and says other offshore employers should work to reduce preventable accidents.
Contact a Texas Offshore Accident Lawyer for Help: (888) 493-1629
At Arnold & Itkin, we are acquainted with your rights as an offshore worker. We have dedicated countless hours to studying laws such as the Jones Act and the Limitation of Liability Act so we can provide the best possible legal representation. If your family has lost a loved one because of an accident, our Texas offshore death law firm can help. We can fight for the funeral costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and anything else that the death of your loved one caused. While we can't change what happened, we can fight for answers from those who could have.
If you are suffering from an offshore accident, now is the time to act. Call (888) 493-1629 or fill out our online form for your free, private consultation. We're ready to listen and help.
