American workers employed in offshore jobs know that their occupations are not easy. Often offshore workers are required to perform backbreaking labor in harsh environments located for away from their families. The rewards associated with working such difficult conditions are worth it to offshore workers that want to take care of their families. However, offshore workers are seven times more likely to suffer an accident while at work than their counterparts working on the mainland. This means that there is a far greater chance that an offshore worker will suffer an accident that may end or their lives or put their ability to earn in jeopardy. Because of this worker that suffer an offshore accident should consult an attorney as soon as practicable. Waiting to contact an attorney may result in the worker and their family being denied the compensation that they deserve.
Workers employed in an offshore capacity understand their jobs are different from those on the mainland. There is a special level of training and sophistication that is entailed with offshore jobs. Because of this injury sustained as the result of an accident in an offshore job are likely to be more severe and different from those sustained on the mainland. Not all attorneys are qualified to deal with these types of accidents. The circumstances and terminology associated with these accidents are going to be different by the accident occurring offshore. An attorney that only handles accidents on the mainland will be at a disadvantage when dealing with one of these accidents. Therefore, it is important to research potential attorneys and identify those that have experience with offshore issues. Those that do will have a higher chance for success in these often complicated and difficult cases. Choosing the right attorney will increase the chances that the injured worker will receive the proper compensation and not be shortchanged because of an unprepared attorney.
In the years following the offshore Deepwater Horizon disaster that injured workers and caused significant environment damage the oil and gas industry has continued to make a profit. It is true that regulations have tightened, but these companies continue to operate at high levels. This means that there could very be another major accident at any moment. Furthermore, these companies have the resources to hire the best attorneys to fight against legitimate claims by injured employees. It is not in the company’s best interest to pay full compensation to an injured worker. The company would rather pay attorneys to reduce the amount of compensation providing to protect their bottom lines. Therefore, injured workers without an attorney are at a significant disadvantage and are likely to be tricked into taking a settlement that is less than fair by attorneys that only have the interests of the company in mind. The best decision that a worker injured offshore can make is to call an attorney that specializes in these specific types of accidents. With the proper representation the worker should be able to receive every dollar that they deserve.
