Jones Act Maritime Lawyer : Houston Jones Act & Maritime Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Arnold & Itkin Law Firm : Offshore Injury, Maritime Law : Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida

A new media report indicates that the Minerals Management Service failed to conduct certain monthly inspections of the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling platform before the rig's fiery destruction.  In the 16 months beginning January 2009 and ending April 2010, the MMS apparently failed to inspect the Deepwater Horizon no less than four times:  May 2009, August 2009, December 2009, and January 2010.

The MMS cited equipment issues, such as the servicing and repair of helicopters needed to reach the platform, and foul weather as some of the reasons why the monthly inspections were not made.

For more information, please visit Arnold & Itkin LLP's ongoing maritime accident and injury coverage at GulfCoastMaritime.com.

Arnold & Itkin LLP also offers additional information about the Deepwater Horizon accident, as well as general maritime legal news updates, at these sites: 

www.Jones-Act-Maritime-Lawyer.com

www.LawyerForYou.com.

For a free consultation, contact a maritime lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP by calling toll free (866) 222-2606.

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A Deepwater Horizon survivor recently spoke about his dramatic escape from the fiery drilling rig during an interview broadcast on the premiere CBS News magazine 60 Minutes.  The experiences described by the worker went beyond the horrific destruction of the drilling rig, however.  As an eyewitness to events on the platform in the weeks preceding its loss, the worker was able to offer key information that contributed to an expert analysis of the catastrophic accident by Whitehouse-appointed investigator Dr. Robert Bea.

For more information, including video of the worker's tale of his narrow escape and Dr. Bea's account of events giving rise to the loss of the Deepwater Horizon, please visit GulfCoastMaritime.com.

More information also is available at Arnold & Itkin LLP's website dedicated to ongoing coverage of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy:  transoceanlawsuits.com.

Arnold & Itkin LLP is a Houston law firm that specializes in maritime injury cases.  For a free consultation, contact a maritime lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP by calling toll free (866) 222-2606. 

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Houston maritime injury law firm Arnold & Itkin LLP has assembled a team of experts to assess the extent of the environmental and economic harm caused by the loss of the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling platform.

Arnold & Itkin LLP is representing several victims of the explosion, which is one of the worst oil spills in U.S. history. The firm, which focuses on maritime and admiralty law, has invested extensive resources in initial discovery and investigation of the explosion’s causes and its growing consequences.

“We are working closely with this investigative task force to collect information and assess what we believe will be immense and far-reaching damage to the commercial fishing and tourism industries along the Gulf Coast, as well as damages to property owners,” said Kurt Arnold, a partner in Arnold & Itkin.

For more information, please visit OilSpillTaskForce.com and TransoceanLawsuits.com.

About Arnold & Itkin LLP

The lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP, a personal injury law firm based in Houston, Texas, understand the complexities and legalities of maritime law and have a successful track record of verdicts and settlements in favor of maritime workers. The firm provides legal guidance on all aspects of maritime law and the benefits offshore workers 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.

The firm handles maritime claims at port cities along the Gulf Coast in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The firm can be contacted toll free at (866) 222-2606 or online through the firm’s Web site.

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The Federal Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently handed down a decision that addressed whether a “situs of injury” test applies when determining if an injured maritime worker is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA).

The Ninth Circuit noted that two other circuits had reached conflicting conclusions on thesame issue. The Third Circuit had rejected a situs-of-injury test in favor of a "but for" test in establishing that an injury occurred "as the result of" operations on the outer continental shelf. The Fifth Circuit, meanwhile, had adopted a situs-of-injury requirement for OCSLA claims. Beyond that, the Ninth Circuit said, there was little precedential authority on the question.  Thus a split of authority exists on this important issue of maritime injury law.

For a discussion of the standard adopted by the Ninth Circuit, please visit Arnold & Itkin LLP's admiralty and maritime injury law blog at GulfCoastMaritime.com.

If you have questions regarding a maritime incident or have suffered a maritime injury, contact a maritime attorney online at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free consultation or call our maritime law office toll free at 866-222-2606.

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Arnold & Itkin LLP maritime injury attorneys Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek have filed suit on behalf of a worker who was injured while helping lift a ship mast. The plaintiff and co-workers were lifting the mast when two of the workers improperly shifted the load onto the plaintiff.  The incident resulted in a severely herniated disc in the plaintiff's back. The injury suit is pending in Galveston County Court.

For more information about maritime injuries and the services offered by Arnold & Itkin LLP, please visit:

www.GulfCoastMaritime.com

www.Jones-Act-Maritime-Lawyer.com

www.LawyerForYou.com.

For a free consultation, contact a maritime lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP by calling toll free (866) 222-2606.

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As anticipated, affiliates of Transocean Ltd. have filed a petition to exonerate themselves from, or limit their liability as to, claims arising from the personal injuries and deaths, property damage, and environmental damage associated with the destruction and sinking of the Transocean Deepwater Horizon drilling platform.  Transocean's admiralty and maritime petition was filed on May 13, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division.

The Houston, Texas, law firm of Arnold & Itkin LLP represents several survivors of the Deepwater Horizon accident.

The firm has released a new website dedicated to the legal questions, issues, concerns, and updates surrounding the Transocean Deepwater Horizon blowout, explosion, and subsequent oil spill. Some of the topics covered by www.TransoceanLawsuits.com include:

• The companies involved and their responsibilities, including BP, Transocean, Halliburton, Cameron International Group, and the MMS.

• Possible Causes including the Blowout Preventer, the Cementing Process, and Methane Pockets.

• Types of Injuries: PTSD, Wrongful Death, and Burn Injuries.

To learn more about the different types of legitimate legal claims and who is eligible to file, please visit:www.TransoceanLawsuits.com.

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Arnold & Itkin LLP personal injury attorneys Jason Itkin and Cory Itkin recently won a $1.55 million jury verdict on behalf of a worker who was seriously hurt while employed as a ship repairman at a Port of Houston marine terminal operated by APM Terminals North America, Inc. Defendant APM Terminals disputed liability and attempted to minimize the extent of the plaintiff's significant neck injury. The highest pretrial settlement offer from APM Terminals was only $35,000.

Arnold & Itkin LLP is proud to have stood by its client and to have recovered the compensation that he deserved. The case was pending in Harris County, Texas, with the Honorable Jaclanal McFarland presiding.

For more information on the jury verdict, please visit:

www.GulfCoastMaritime.com

www.Jones-Act-Maritime-Lawyer.com

www.LawyerForYou.com.

For a free consultation, contact a maritime lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP by calling toll free (866) 222-2606.

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The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and Minerals Management Service (MMS) have announced that they will co-chair an investigation starting May 11, 2010, to identify the factors leading to the explosion, loss of life, sinking, and subsequent oil spill of the Deepwater Horizon Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit, which began on April 20, 2010.

A public hearing for the joint investigation will be held May 11-12, 2010 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CDT) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 2829 Williams Blvd., Kenner, La.  A list of witnesses and additional information can be found on the Deepwater Investigation Web site:  www.deepwaterinvestigation.com.

For more information on the Transocean Deepwater Horizon accident, please visit Arnold & Itkin LLP's new maritime injury blog, GulfCoastMaritime.com, and its dedicated coverage at transoceanlawsuits.com.

Arnold & Itkin LLP provides additional maritime personal injury coverage via Twitter and Facebook.

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During a recent appearance on Anderson Cooper 360, CNN's premiere nightly news program, maritime injury attorney Kurt Arnold described how Transocean officials sought to protect the company at evacuees' expense in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic explosions and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon.

Arnold explained in particular how Transocean representatives pressured employees to sign statements in which they disavowed being injured or having witnessed the horrific accident aboard the oil platform.

"What you really need to understand is that the litigation machine took place right away.  Most of these survivors were on a boat that should have gone to shore, but instead, they kept them out right by the drilling rig, watching the fires, essentially where their friends had perished or were missing.  And they kept them there, so that . . . they could get their litigation machine essentially in place," Arnold admonished.

Arnold observed in closing that Transocean's consistent response toward the evacuees in the days following the accident has been to claim publicly that the company intends to take responsibility for the harm done to its workers, while at the same time it has been taking private steps to "ultimately put them in a bad situation."

For more information on the Transocean Deepwater Horizon accident, please visit Arnold & Itkin LLP's new maritime injury blog, GulfCoastMaritime.com, and its dedicated coverage at transoceanlawsuits.com.

Arnold & Itkin LLP provides additional maritime personal injury coverage via Twitter and Facebook.

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Maritime injury attorneys Kurt Arnold, Michael Pierce and Jason Itkin obtained a $925,000 settlement on behalf of a deckhand who was injured when his leg became entangled in a rope after the captain accelerated his boat unexpectedly.  Although the defendants claimed contributory negligence, the Arnold & Itkin LLP attorneys marshaled evidence showing that the training afforded the new deckhand was insufficient and that the captain was negligent in his handling of the boat.

For more information, visit Arnold & Itkin LLP's new maritime injury blog.

For a free consultation, contact a maritime lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP by calling toll free (866) 222-2606.

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Maritime injury attorneys Kurt Arnold and Paul Scrabanek obtained a $900,000 settlement in favor of an oil platform worker who suffered injury during a basket transfer between a jack-up rig and a crew boat.  The operator of the crane that was hoisting the basket dropped the worker too quickly.  As a result of being slammed down in the basket, the oil rig worker suffered a herniated disc that required surgery.

For more information, visit Arnold & Itkin LLP's new maritime injury blog.

For a free consultation, contact a maritime lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP by calling toll free (866) 222-2606.

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The Houston, TX law firm, Arnold & Itkin have released a new website dedicated to the legal questions, issues, concerns, and updates surrounding the Transocean Deepwater Horizon blowout, explosion, and subsequent oil spill. Some of the topics covered by www.TransoceanLawsuits.com include:

• The companies involved and their responsibilities, including BP, Transocean, Halliburton, Cameron International Group, and the MMS.
• Possible Causes including the Blowout Preventer, the Cemeting Process, and Methane Pockets.
• and, Types of Injuries: PTSD, Wrongful Death, and Burn Injuries.

To learn more about the different types of legitimate legal claims and who is eligible to file, please visit: www.TransoceanLawsuits.com

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In an interview with Bulletproof Blog (http://www.bulletproofblog.com), Attorney Kurt Arnold offers advice to BP about their current response strategy. Addressing three primary questions:

• If you were counseling the defendants, what strategy and messages would you advise them to endeavor?
• You mention BP’s assertions of taking full responsibility. How resonant is that assertion in the current Court of Public Opinion?
• How will the Oil Pollution Act be specifically “tested,” as news reports have suggested?

Click here to read the full text of this interview.

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Maritime attorney Kurt Arnold represented a seaman from Leesville, Louisiana, who injured his hand while working on a drilling rig in the Bay of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico. Arnold filed suit on behalf of the seaman in Texas, where the drilling company was based. The suit sought recovery of future medical expenses, past and future lost wages, and damages for pain and suffering. After months of negotiations, Arnold obtained a $3,000,000 settlement for the injured seaman.

For more information, please visit:

www.Jones-Act-Maritime-Lawyer.com and

www.LawyerForYou.com.

For a free consultation, contact a maritime lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP by calling toll free (866) 222-2606.

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Houston maritime injury lawyer Kurt Arnold filed suit in Galveston County, Texas, on behalf of an offshore oil industry worker who was injured in the April 20, 2010, explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants named in the lawsuit acted with negligence and wanton disregard for the health and safety of the plaintiff and his co-workers.

After being thrown from his bed by the force of the explosion, the plaintiff made his way through the ensuing fire and was one of the last crew members to reach a life raft. The plaintiff attempted to assist a friend who suffered fatal injuries in the second blast on the rig, then took steps to account for members of his crew on the life raft. 

For more information, please visit:

www.GulfCoastMaritime.com

www.Jones-Act-Maritime-Lawyer.com

www.LawyerForYou.com.

For a free consultation, contact a maritime lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP by calling toll free (866) 222-2606.

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Houston maritime injury lawyer Kurt Arnold filed suit on behalf of a Louisiana resident who was injured on the DEEPWATER HORIZON following the oil rig's explosion on April 20, 2010. The injured plaintiff was knocked unconscious by the force of the blast. After he recovered, the plaintiff had to free himself from a collapsed ceiling. He then made it to a life raft, but not before suffering serious injury.

Arnold filed the case in Galveston County, Texas, which is the same county where the BP Texas City explosion occurred, killing and injuring hundreds.

For more information, please visit:

www.GulfCoastMaritime.com

www.Jones-Act-Maritime-Lawyer.com

www.LawyerForYou.com.

For a free consultation, contact a maritime lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP by calling toll free (866) 222-2606.

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