Working offshore is dangerous duty as the April 20, 2010 oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico once again emphasizes. If you are a seaman, an oil rig worker or a crew member and were injured in an accident aboard a ship or on an oil platform accident, you may be entitled to receive monetary compensation.

Call the maritime injury lawyers today at Arnold & Itkin toll free at (866) 222-2606 or contact us online using the form on this page. We file civil lawsuits and Jones Act claims on behalf of injured maritime and offshore workers. With a proven track record of verdicts and settlements, we are aggressive advocates for your rights.

In April 2010, an explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon, a massive oil rig owned by Transocean Ltd., in Houston and leased to BP PLC. The accident took place as the rig was drilling about 52 miles southeast of Venice, La., in 5,000 feet of water. Most of the 126-member crew escaped from the burning oil rig but at least seven suffered critical injuries and early reports indicated 11 crew members were missing.

Unfortunately, the fire on the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon is only the latest example of the perils that oil rig workers in the Gulf of Mexico face.

• March 2001—A blowout and fire in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana caused the collapse of the Ensco 51’s derrick, resulting in extensive damage to the platform.

• November 1989—An explosion on a Penrod Drilling Co. oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico injured 12 workers.

• February 1984—One man was killed and two others injured in an oil rig explosion off Texas in the Gulf of Mexico.

• June 1964—The C.P. Baker drilling barge, operating about 80 miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico, burned and sank after a shallow gas blowout, killing 21 crew members and injuring 22 others.

Maritime workers including offshore workers who work on jack-up rigs, barges, drill ships, crew boats or other movable vessels are covered by the Jones Act. The federal law recognizes the dangerous work conditions that maritime workers face offshore and allows workers and their families to bring legal actions based on claims of negligence and to recover damages for injuries.

The lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP understand the complexities of maritime law and the dangers that maritime workers endure to do their jobs. We are members of the National Mariner's Association, an advocacy and watchdog group that works to improve the safety and health of U.S. Mariners.

If you have been injured in an oil rig or other maritime accident, our goal is ensure you get the compensation you deserve. We have the expertise to handle maritime claims at port cities along the Gulf Coast in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

For a free consultation, call us toll free at (866) 222-2606 or contact us online using the form on this page. We can advise you on all aspects of maritime law and the benefits you are entitled to under the Jones Act, the Death on the High Seas Act, the principle of maintenance and cure, or the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act.