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 satellite-based GPS, already operational in parts of Florida, could lead to fewer helicopter accidents as oil rig workers are transported to and from platforms.

The ADS-B, or Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system, is part of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) $20 billion plan to revamp the country’s antiquated air traffic control system over the next decade. The system is expected to be in place within the next 5 years, but in parts of Florida, pilots are already using the satellite-based GPS data to obtain the same information air traffic controllers can see on their monitors. The GPS allows controllers to locate the position of an airplane far more accurately than they currently do with data from ground-based radars. With the new system, pilots and air traffic controllers will be able to access data generated by the second.

The ADS-B system will be especially beneficial in the Gulf of Mexico, where helicopter flights carrying oil rig workers currently operate without air traffic control monitoring. With an ADS-B system installed on a helicopter, the pilot will be able to observe the movement of other aircraft in the vicinity, thus reducing the risk of accidents. In addition to making offshore helicopter travel safer, the new system will also increase efficiency.

Helicopter Safety

Helicopters have replaced watercraft as the primary means of ferrying oil rig workers to and from shore. Using these helicopters has lead to greater efficiency and reduced travel time, however, as offshore helicopter traffic in the Gulf of Mexico has increased, so has the number of accidents. Earlier this year, a Sikorsky helicopter carrying offshore rig workers crashed in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. The helicopter was carrying nine oil rig workers from Louisiana to a Shell oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2007, a Bell helicopter crashed south of Sabine Pass; five oil rig workers including the pilot were killed in that accident.

Offshore helicopter operators will benefit greatly from installing the new system on their fleet. They stand to gain from greater safety, increased efficiency, and fewer maritime accidents and injuries.

If you've been injured in a helicopter crash or other maritime accident, you may be able to recover compensation with he help of a maritime lawyer. Contact a maritime attorney at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free evaluation of your case.

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The maritime attorneys at Arnold & Itkin LLP are proud to represent a Louisiana maritime worker in a personal injury lawsuit against his employers for failure to provide proper medical treatment.

The seaman, David Charbonnet, filed the lawsuit under the Jones Act against his employers, Grand Oil and Gas, Laredo Offshore Services, and Laredo Offshore Constructors in January. Charbonnet was employed as a seaman on the vessel L/B Petite, a Class 150 lift boat used for work on offshore drilling rigs and platforms. In March of 2007, when he began experiencing stomach pains, Charbonnet requested that his employers provide medical care; his request was denied. At the time, the vessel was just off the Jefferson County shore. Lack of immediate medical attention intensified Charbonnet's symptoms and, as a result, the seaman suffered extreme “physical pain” and “mental anguish”. Charbonnet was later diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. The lawsuit claims that the illness resulted in physical impairment, discomfort, distress, and mental anguish. It also alleges that the employers were negligent in: their failure to provide immediate medical attention, their failure to supervise crew and train employees, and their failure to provide safety equipment and a safe workplace.

Maritime Injuries

Offshore workers who regularly work many miles from land and away from families have a right to expect timely medical attention, if necessary. Medical care can include access to a doctor, as well as, access to any medications necessary to treat an illness. Offshore workers work in an isolated environment, far from the general community; this can easily cause emotional suffering when one falls ill or suffers an injury. Any delay in providing medical care to these employees can extend their suffering and leave them permanently debilitated. Failure to provide immediate medical care can, therefore, be the basis for a claim against a company. A maritime lawyer can help in drafting such a claim. 

If you have been injured in a maritime accident, contact a maritime accident attorney at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free consultation.

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A new maritime safety law that requires workers to have identification cards in ports and riverfront plants in Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and other ports around the country went into effect in much of Louisiana 3 weeks ago.

The rules, mandated by the Maritime Transportation Safety Act, require workers who need access to the riverfront to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC). Having TWIC cards to identify workers is expected to enhance maritime safety. Those who fail to obtain the cards will have no access to their usual work areas until they get one. Under the rules, any one who wishes to access the dock or go through the riverfront to report for work at a plant must have the TWIC. Workers who do not have the identification card will require an escort to access these areas. In Louisiana, the program went into effect on January 13th and will follow in all American ports by April 14th. Industries have been preparing for the roll-out for several months now and many of them report that their workers are equipped with the cards. Workers who have delayed in siging up for their card will spend several weeks being escorted to docks and riverfront facilities. This is because the procedure involves intensive background checks before the card can be issued. According to the Transportation Security Administration, approximately 800,000 workers have already registered for the identification card program and 1.2 million are expected to be equipped with the cards before the final deadline in April.

Across the region, other ports including, Houston, Texas City, Galveston, Port Arthur, Orange Beaumont and Port of Lake Charles are hard at work trying to comply with TWIC rules before the April 14th deadline. The ports of Corpus Christi, Brownsville, Victoria and Point Comfort met their compliance deadline November 28th of last year. The Port of Mobile Alabama District's compliance date was December 28th, while the Saint Petersburg Florida District and New Orleans District was January 13th. The rules that aim to bolster maritime safety at our ports apply to higher management at companies that work in these regions also.

Maritime Safety

Oil companies, drilling companies and other maritime employers are required to make sure that work conditions for their employees are as safe as possible, this includes providing a secure environment in light of the new threats our ports face.  Damages for maritime injuries suffered by a worker in the absence of such safe working conditions can be claimed under several maritime laws including the Jones Act, the Longshore & Harbor Workers' Compensation Act as well as other laws that protect maritime workers from employer negligence.  A Louisiana maritime attorney can help you evaluate your claim and get the compensation you deserve.

If you have been injured in a maritime accident, contact a maritime accident lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free evaluation of your claim.

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A New Iberia maritime worker, who was injured while working aboard an off shore jack up drilling rig, was denied his claim for benefits and has now appealed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Gary Dance worked as a supervisor for Ensco Offshore Company of Broussard, Louisiana. On the day of the accident he was working aboard an off shore rig called the Ensco 93. There were fewer workers than were needed to set rigging up and Dance, who was only required to supervise employees, had to join in the rigging efforts along with the other workers. As he bent down to pick up a C clamp, he injured his back and suffered extreme pain; doctors later diagnosed the injury as a herniated disc. Dance sued the company, claiming that on the day of the accident he informed his higher ups that the rig was short staffed and he would need more employees. He also asked for additional equipment, but the company ignored both his requests. Dance's lawsuit claimed that the oil rig was unseaworthy and that the company failed to provide him with a safe working environment. Last year, a court dismissed his $3 million lawsuit. He has now appealed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Ensco was so confident they would win the appeal that their officials made a pitch for more workers as they left the court, citing their established safety record in the Gulf of Mexico.

Covered under Jones Act rights, oil drilling companies are required to make working conditions safe for employees, this includes making sure all processes are handled by an adequate number of trained staff members who have access to proper equipment. Failure to do this can result in unforeseen injuries like the one that left Gary Dance permanently disabled.

Louisiana Maritime Injury Attorneys

These large corporations have access to considerable financial and legal resources, which help them deny claims to injured workers. Going up against one of these companies for a benefits claim can be a tiring and time consuming process, therefore, it is necessary to have an expert Louisiana maritime attorney on your side, building a winning case for you.

At Arnold & Itkin LLP, we have years of experience representing maritime and off shore oil rig workers in benefits claims and lawsuits, and helping them recover the compensation they deserve.

If you have been injured on an off shore oil rig, contact a Louisiana maritime attorney at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free evaluation of your claim.

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Investigations are ongoing in an early January helicopter crash in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana that killed 8 offshore rig and maritime workers and injured at least one person.

The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting investigations in the crash involving a Sikorsky S-76C owned by Petroleum Helicopters Inc. (PHI), a Lafayette based company. The helicopter was on its way to a Shell Oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico when it crashed into a marsh near Bayou Penchant. The 8 people killed in the crash were offshore rig workers. At least one family has already filed a lawsuit against Petroleum Helicopters Inc.

In recent years helicopters have become one of the main modes of transportation used to ferry rig workers and maritime equipment to offshore platforms. As technological advances allowed the construction of rigs in deeper waters, maritime companies and oil companies began to find it cheaper and more efficient to transport rig workers and equipment by helicopter rather than by ship, as was the case earlier. According to statistics from the Helicopter Safety Advisory Conference, which collects data from about 15 operators in the Gulf of Mexico region, close to 3 million passengers on 600 helicopters traveled the Gulf of Mexico region last year. With more and more helicopters being pressed into service, the risk of accidents has increased.

According to an earlier report by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Gulf of Mexico helicopter fleet is at a higher risk for accidents than the national rate. Petroleum Helicopter Inc. operates 162 aircrafts that regularly transport workers and equipment to platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. In the past decade alone, accidents involving helicopters owed by the company have killed at least 30 people, including those who died in January.

Offshore workers like engineers, riggers and laborers are constantly required to travel between platforms. While workers may disregard such nominal things as transportation risks, the fact is their mode of transportation is a risky one.

Investigating a Maritime Helicopter Accident

There are several factors that can go into the investigation of a maritime helicopter crash. Fleet records should be investigated to rule out mechanical malfunction of the chopper, and the possibility of pilot error must be probed thoroughly.  A maritime accident lawyer must have access to resources that will make such investigations possible.

At Arnold &Itkin LLP, we have represented dozens of maritime workers over the years and have obtained fair and just compensation. 

If you have been injured in a maritime helicopter accident, contact a Louisiana maritime accident lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP.

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