Offshore accidents are a common occurrence in the oil and gas industry. These accidents can be caused by a wide variety of factors, such as faulty equipment, human error, and natural disasters. If you’ve been the victim of an accident on an offshore oil rig or another offshore worksite, then immediately get in touch with an experienced lawyer who can help with these types of cases.
What Is an Offshore Accident Lawyer?
An offshore accident lawyer is a type of personal injury lawyer who helps offshore injury victims get the compensation they deserve. We sue companies for accidents that occur while working on an offshore oil rig or on the water. An experienced offshore injury lawyer can provide legal advice and representation concerning medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
What Does an Offshore Accident Lawyer Do?
Offshore accident lawyers handle cases in admiralty law, which is also known as maritime law. Because offshore accidents involve a unique and highly complex set of laws that were exclusively created for the maritime industry, it’s essential that victims of offshore accidents get help from an offshore accident lawyer who has experience handling these types of cases.
Offshore accident cases are different from other types of personal injury and workers compensation claims because they require a deep understanding of the intricacies of maritime laws. Offshore accident lawyers offer legal representation to people who have been injured offshore, using their specialized knowledge of admiralty law to help people receive the compensation they deserve for their injuries.
What Qualifies as an Offshore Accident?
For an occurrence to qualify as an offshore accident, it must occur on navigable water. Usually, the term “offshore accident” refers to an incident that occurs on a vessel used by an oil and gas company. Offshore oil and gas extraction methods require workers to work in open water on dangerous barges, rigs, and platforms.
Some common examples of offshore accidents include:
- Offshore drilling rig accidents
- Jack-up rig accident
- Offshore oil platform accidents
- Tugboat and barge accidents
- Workboat accidents
- Helicopter accidents
- Fires and explosions
- Mechanical failures
- Equipment malfunctions
- On-deck accidents, such as falling and being struck by an object
What Is a Typical Offshore Accident Settlement?
Offshore accident settlements are usually very high because the injuries are generally very bad. But, because every offshore accident case involves a unique set of facts and legal issues there is no “typical” offshore accident settlement.
The types of damages that will impact the value of your settlement include:
- The severity of the injury
- If surgery was necessary
- Medical expenses
- Long-term health issues
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Mental health care
- Disfigurement
- Vocational rehabilitation
- Long-term care
- Living expenses
If you have been hurt while working offshore, it’s crucial that you speak to a qualified attorney. An offshore injury attorney will identify the laws that apply to your case and be able to maximize your claim. An offshore accident lawyer can provide a concrete estimate of the potential value of your claim.
When Should I Contact an Offshore Accident Lawyer?
If you’ve been involved in an offshore accident, you should contact an offshore accident lawyer as soon as possible. Make sure you do not speak with any insurance companies or lawyers representing the oil company before you have obtained your own counsel. Most attorneys will offer a free consultation to discuss your case.
Do I Need an Offshore Accident Lawyer Near Me?
Because most attorneys are not well-versed in the nuances of admiralty law, it’s essential that you find an attorney with significant experience handling offshore cases. Successfully pursuing compensation for your offshore injuries requires a deep understanding of the complex and specialized area of maritime law. A typical personal injury attorney will not have the knowledge and experience necessary to take on the oil companies after an offshore accident.
Have questions? We protect victims like you every day.
The Victim’s Guide to 18-Wheeler Accident Injuries
Do I need to sue a trucking company after an 18-wheeler accident?
Yes, generally you need to sue the big rig trucking company. It’s important to realize that trucking companies and their insurance companies have whole teams of lawyers working night and day fighting to minimize claims. Their job is to convince the jury that the injured victims were at fault in the accident. And that the injured victim is not that hurt. They will make below case value settlement offers to try and get legal emergency 18-wheeler accident victims to settle their case.
Don’t be intimidated. Hire experienced and aggressive legal emergency representation to help you level the playing field. And don’t go with just any personal injury lawyer. Go with a firm that has a proven track record of success in semi truck and 18-wheeler lawsuits specifically.
Can I sue a trucking company if they say the accident was my fault?
Yes, and the commercial trucking company will say the accident was your fault. Be prepared for that, but never accept it. In Texas, if a driver is found to be more than 50% at fault for a collision, they can recover no damages at all. If a driver is found to be partially at fault, but less than 50% at fault, their monetary damages will be reduced by that percentage. You need a legal emergency 18-wheeler accident lawyer to fight back for you.
If it sounds complicated, it is. Apportioning fault in a semi accident is a complex process and the trucking companies and their insurance companies will use every trick in the book to try to pin the blame on you. That’s why you need a legal emergency attorney with a wide network of top-notch investigative professionals who can prove to a jury that the commercial 18-wheeler accident was not your fault.
Do I have to pay my own medical bills after an 18-wheeler accident?
Yes, you technically do. But, an experienced legal emergency lawyer can help you navigate those troubling waters. If you have health insurance, you may use it to pay your medical bills after the big rig accident. If you don’t have health insurance then your hospital bills will have to be paid out of the settlement proceeds or jury verdict awarded to you after trial. Many clients feel this is unfair, and it is. After all, why should the victim have to pay any out-of-pocket costs upfront for injuries caused by a bad truck driver? An experienced legal emergency 18-wheeler accident lawyer can make them pay the medical bills.
The trucking company’s insurance company does not pay medical professionals directly. Rather, they pay out settlements or court-ordered damages to the harmed individual personally. A good legal emergency personal injury attorney will fight for you, for your medical bills to be paid, your lost wages, for past, present, future pain and suffering, for mental anguish, for permanent impairment, permanent disfigurement, and possibly punitive damages. In our practice we use every strategy at our disposal to speed up the legal process and help our clients get their medical bills paid as soon as possible after an 18-wheeler accident.
How much money will I get for an 18-wheeler accident lawsuit?
The amount of damages you will be awarded after a semi or 18-wheeler accident can vary considerably depending on the facts of the accident, the law, and the severity of the victim’s personal injuries.
That said, our legal emergency lawyers have won millions for our clients. The trucking company’s insurance company will try to get personal injury victims to settle outside of court, but we fight for every last penny for our clients.
Victims of distracted or intoxicated truck drivers may be awarded more damages in an 18-wheeler accident case. The exact amount of money you may receive for an 18-wheeler lawsuit truly depends on the specific facts of the case, the applicable law, and the severity of the victim’s injuries.
What kinds of damages can I get after an 18-wheeler accident?
Monetary damages for a big rig accident may be economic or non-economic.
Economic damages may include:
- Hospital and medical bills
- Property damage
- Temporary or permanent loss of income
- Long-term disability
Non-economic damages may include:
- Past, present, and future pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- Permanent Impairment
- Loss of consortium
- Mental and emotional anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Punitive damages
To ensure you get the maximum possible payout after an 18-wheeler accident, hire a legal emergency lawyer who will pursue all potential economic and non-economic damages.
How soon can I get paid after an 18-wheeler accident?
It depends. With an experienced legal emergency lawyer, some 18-wheeler accidents are settled within just a few months. However, other cases can take years from the time of the accident to the time of settlement or trial. You should always feel free to ask your legal emergency lawyer about what the realistic timeline might be.
It’s important to note that many times the full extent of a victim’s injuries aren’t apparent until well after the accident. Common crash injuries like whiplash, head trauma, and spinal problems may take many months or years to evolve and resolve completely. It is wise not to accept a settlement offer until all potential medical issues caused by the 18-wheeler accident have been documented and treated. An experienced legal emergency 18-wheeler accident lawyer will maximize your recovery. You should not try to fight a trucking company on your own.
How can I prove that an 18-wheeler accident wasn’t my fault?
An 18-wheeler accident usually isn’t your fault, even if you could have responded differently. Commercial truck drivers have special driving regulations that they must follow for different weather and traffic conditions. If they fail to follow those rules they can be held legally accountable. Our legal emergency truck accident lawyers have built many successful cases for our Texas clients using dash cam review, eyewitness testimony, cell phone text and call logs, driver’s logs, vehicle maintenance reports, and expert testimony from medical providers and accident reconstruction professionals. Whatever your situation, always be sure to choose a legal emergency 18-wheeler accident lawyer who knows how to leverage all of these evidentiary resources effectively.
Do I need an 18-wheeler accident lawyer near me?
Accidents involving semi trucks or big rigs are far more complex — and potentially lucrative — than a standard car crash case. This is because trucking companies have complicated federal regulations they must operate under, intricate commercial insurance policies, and sophisticated applications of the law. Be sure to find a legal emergency truck accident lawyer with special expertise in interstate commerce and accident investigation. At Manginello and Musslewhite we have a proven track record of huge wins for clients who have been injured or lost a loved one in an accident with a semi or 18-wheeler. We are fully committed to getting you the compensation you deserve and we won’t settle for anything less.