Laboring on a drifting offshore rig or platform for crude oil or gas extraction is widely believed to be one of America's most treacherous jobs. Not only do workers deal with huge and complicated machinery, but they work on the high seas where weather and water conditions can be perilous. And beyond that, negligence by their employers could cause a serious if not disastrous accident on the job.

That's the foundation of cases charged by two survivors and the loved ones of one dead worker who suffered an ordeal in the Gulf of Mexico in early September. On Sept. 8, the liftboat or jack-up oil rig on which they'd been performing seismic examinations began to sink in Mexico's Bay of Campeche as Tropical Storm Nate roiled toward them. Escape was imperative.

Nevertheless, the employees weren't evacuated from the liftboat soon enough. Though a "standby" vessel was close by, it didn't attempt to rescue the men. Thus eventually the employees managed to get on a little life boat, which had no water or food and had insufficient capacity for all 10 humans to be aboard. That meant several had to remain in the water and hang on to the life boat, in shifts.

After three days drifting at sea, the injured men eventually were found by search teams. But ultimately, four of the 10 maritime employees died. One employee was lost in the ocean and later on located. Two died at sea on the life raft, and another died in a hospital onshore after he was rescued.

Lawsuits are trying to seek redress from Geokinetics Inc. of Houston, Texas, which had approved the seismic tests; Mermaid Marine Australia Ltd., which was the owner of the backup vessel; and Trinity Liftboat Services of New Iberia, Louisiana, which was the owner and controlled the stricken liftboat.

When offshore workers, sailors, seamen, marine employees or others who work on the water are injured or get killed in a work accident, they or their survivors have special federal protections under longtime maritime law, the Jones Act. This law enables them to sue an employer for negligence and seek compensation for their medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering.

Massive energy corporations and their consorts have a legal and moral obligation to provide their employees with adequate safety measures to protect them. When this obligation is not satisfied, and when employees are wounded or die as a consequence, then the long-standing law known as the Jones Act could be enforced.

Resource

Where can injured maritime or offshore workers find a Jones Act lawyer? One place to look is the veteran Gulf Coast law firm of Jim S. Adler & Associates. By going over to its Texas-JonesActLawyer.com web site or by phoning 1-800-566-3434, victims can explore their chances for a successful Jones Act lawsuit on their behalf.