Oil rigs are highly complex structures that combine heavy machinery and precarious work conditions. Oil rig workers face significant dangers every day, and even the most safety-conscious of employees can find themselves in perilous circumstances if the slightest thing goes wrong.
Compounding all of these risks is the often enormous pressure that oil rig workers are placed under to produce results as quickly as they can, which can lead to cut corners and mistakes that can end up being deadly.
Knowing it’s possible to suffer injuries on the job is one thing, but actually experiencing losses in an oil rig accident is an entirely different ordeal. You may not know what your options are or whether there’s help available. Read on to learn more about what can cause oil rig accidents, what injuries are common, and what you can do to seek compensation for such oil rig injuries.
Main Causes of Oil Rig Accidents
Everything from the rig’s heavy machinery to ongoing weather conditions can result in accidents that can cause catastrophic injuries to workers.
Specifically, the most common causes of accidents aboard offshore oil rigs are as follows:
Heavy Equipment Malfunctions
Any form of heavy machinery can be dangerous, even when it’s working correctly. But such equipment can be deadly if it malfunctions.
Far too often, the safety measures these machines are equipped with to prevent accidents are the ones to act up. In turn, workers are exposed to all manner of dangerous equipment. And even with careful maintenance and regular checks, breakdowns can occur, leaving disaster in their wake.
Falling Objects and Equipment
Workers can be struck by falling or violently shifting objects, like forklifts, turbines, and cranes. If such equipment isn’t properly secured, these machines can crush limbs. If anyone without enough experience uses complex equipment, injuries can also occur.
Fires and Explosions
Oil rigs handle flammable materials that can easily leak if protocols aren’t followed to the letter or if any piece of equipment is defective. That, in turn, makes fires and even explosions constant risks.
Exposure To Dangerous Substances
Oil rig workers come into frequent contact with solvents, crude oil, production chemicals, and drilling fluids. Without the right safety equipment, workers can experience all manner of illnesses and injuries.
Slips Or Trips
Falls are a serious concern in oil rigs. Weather conditions, unfavorable work environments, and lots of machinery combine to make it easier for people to slip or trip.
Common Oil Rig Injuries
Workers in oil rigs can suffer injuries that range from bruising to broken bones and beyond.
Some of the most common ones include the following:
- Burns
- Broken bones
- Neck injuries
- Organ damage
- Respiratory illnesses
- Limb amputation
- Crushing injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
All of these can require extensive medical care, which results in workers missing out on wages, facing serious medical expenses, and needing to deal with the emotional insecurity of not knowing when they can get back to making a living.
Your Options After Suffering an Oil Rig Injury
If you’ve suffered losses after an oil rig accident, you have two key options. One is to file for workers’ compensation, and the other is to file a personal injury lawsuit against a third party.
Workers’ Compensation
In Florida, most employers must carry workers’ compensation insurance for all of their employees. It works to protect the employer from getting sued if an accident occurs at work while also ensuring that their employees have help if they’re injured.
Workers’ compensation allows you, as an employee, to claim various medical benefits, such as:
- Physical therapy
- Doctor’s visits
- Medical tests
- Hospital stays
- Attendant care
- Medications
- Prostheses
These benefits are broken up into many categories to ensure you get the level of compensation you deserve.
You can also receive your previously lost wages. And in the event that a loved one dies from the injuries, family members can claim death benefits as well. These cover up to $150,000 in death benefits, including funeral expenses, compensation to dependents, and educational benefits to the surviving spouse.
All of these benefits are limited, however. You may not be able to get the help you need if you rely solely on workers’ compensation.
Third-Party Lawsuits
Although workers’ compensation protects your employer from being sued, other parties may have been involved in the accident that caused your injuries. If their negligence led to your injuries, you may be able to file a third-party lawsuit.
On oil rigs, for example, equipment operators are often contractors from outside companies. That means they may not have received the same training that you did, potentially making them negligent and thus allowing you to file against them.
Most of these cases will require proving negligence. You can do that by showing that the defendant owed you a duty of care that they breached, causing losses.
In instances when the accident was the result of a defective machine or piece of equipment, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the manufacturer. Doing so will not require proving negligence. Instead, all you’d have to do is demonstrate that the machine malfunctioned and caused injuries.
With personal injury claims, unlike workers’ compensation claims, you have the chance to obtain not just economic but non-economic damages as well. Economic damages compensate you for financial losses, including medical expenses and lost wages. Crucially, you can also claim future wages if you can’t return to work.
Non-economic damages compensate you for losses that don’t have a clear price tag, like loss of enjoyment of life and pain and suffering. Furthermore, if a loved one dies in an accident or suffers disabling injuries, you could claim compensation for the loss of support and companionship you’ve experienced.
Getting Assistance from Experienced Florida Oil Rig Injury Lawyers
Suffering injuries in an oil rig can be a frightening experience, and the aftermath of such an accident can be a continuation of that nightmare. You’ll be battling injuries and the fear of whether you’ll be able to continue making a living in your profession.
At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand the kind of stress you’re under as you navigate your options. We have decades of experience helping clients recover damages after suffering catastrophic injuries, and we can handle workers’ compensation claims as well as personal injury claims so that you can get the exact assistance you deserve.
If you’ve suffered injuries in an oil rig, our team can guide you through your legal options. Schedule a free consultation with us to learn more about how we can help.
Contact the Florida Personal Injury Law Firm of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
For more information, please contact the legal team of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer in Florida. We have four convenient locations in Florida: Clearwater, New Port Richey, and Tampa.
We serve throughout Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and its surrounding areas:
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Clearwater Office
1811 N. Belcher Road, Suite I-1
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 787-2500
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Congress Ave Office
2360 Congress Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33763
(727) 591-5610
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Tampa Office
6601 Memorial Hwy Suite 202
Tampa, FL 33615
(813) 686-7588
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – New Port Richey Office
2515 Seven Springs Blvd.
New Port Richey, FL, 34655
(727) 815-8442
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – St. Petersburg Law Office
840 Beach Dr NE Suite 202
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 787-2500
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Safety Harbor Law Office
202 9th Ave S Suite A-2
Safety Harbor, FL 34695
(727) 787-2500