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MMS Still Not Doing Enough to Protect Seamen

Posted on Sep 01, 2011

According to Chron.com, federal investigators from Minerals Management Service (MMS) found out there were around 200 environmental and safety violations on Gulf of Mexico rigs and platforms in the five years leading up to the Deepwater Horizon tragedy. Eleven people lost their lives in the accident. Serious steps should have been taken to prevent those deaths, but MMS failed to take those steps. In fact, MMS's own regulations require them to investigate every blowout and yet they didn't even go to a third of the accident scenes and only collected 16 fines.

Working offshore can be very dangerous. Compressors sometimes explode, wells blow out, flash fires are easily sparked, workers sometimes fall through unmakred holes. Overloaded cranes may collapse or drop heavy loads on seamen. If precautions aren't taken to prevent these tragedies, offshore workers will be unprotected.

Deepwater well blowouts are happening more often, with five erupting within a recent 18-month period.

The Jones Act provides protections for seamen, sailors and maritime workers who are injured while on the job. This compensation is often necessary to pay for medical bills, living expenses as well as pain and suffering after an accident.

If you or a loved one is a victim of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, you may be considering filing a claim. Keep in mind that this could prove a difficult process, especially in light of the fact that these companies are making attempts to limit their liability. It is imperative that you seek legal advice. Your financial security could depend on it.

If you or someone you know has been injured on the Deepwater Horizon, you should contact Steve Lee, an experienced maritime attorney at (713) 921-4171 or (800) 232-3711.