Maritime Accidents Articles

Currently, with the oil industry at a low point, Americans know to expect layoffs and tightening of budgets in a wide variety of offshore companies and companies that support the oil industry. What can also be expected are vessels that may be undermanned or maintained by smaller crews with less resources while facing increasing pressure…

On June 3, 2017, it was announced that the sizeable Herbon oil platform started its two week journey from Bull Arm, St. John’s, to the Grand Banks. Eight tow vessels were used to carry the massive platform to its destination. ExxonMobil started working on the Hebron project in 2011. Since then, ExxonMobil has been paying…

Last month the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service (CBP) announced that it will suspend and reconsider a set of regulatory amendments to the Jones Act that were proposed by the Obama administration. Under the Jones Act, established in the 19th Century, vessels carrying cargo between U.S. ports are required to staff U.S. crews and…

In 2011, Furie Operating Alaska, an Alaskan oil and gas company, transported the Spartan 151 jack-up drill rig from the Gulf of Mexico to Alaska using a foreign-flagged vessel. The company agreed to pay a record $10,000,000 fine for failing to get pre-approval from the U.S. government to use a foreign-flagged vessel for the transport….

On March 9, 2017, the Supreme Court of Washington held that a Jones Act seaman could recover punitive damages in an unseaworthiness claim. At least within the state of Washington, this ruling clarified previous confusion regarding applicability of common law damages for unseaworthiness claims. The case involved a plaintiff who lost two of his fingers…

Like most maritime accident claims, injuries to longshoremen and stevedores can involve a complex web of state and federal laws. The Longshore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act (LHWCA) and case law interpreting the LHWCA outline three duties that vessel owners and operators owe to longshoremen and stevedores. First, the vessel owner and operator have a…

Unlike typical personal injury lawsuits, claims involving ships and vessels may be subject to special rules that can limit the damages an injured party is entitled to receive following a lawsuit. While most lawsuits seek recovery for the entirety of medical and property damages incurred by an injured individual, these admiralty actions, known as Limitation…

Yesterday, four oil platform workers jumped off an oil production platform off the coast of Louisiana into the Gulf of Mexico in an attempt to flee an early morning fire that threatened to cause serious bodily injury. Luckily, the workers were quickly recovered from the water by a responding vessel. No injuries have been reported…