More Safety, Not Overtime | Texas Maritime Lawyers Discuss Workplace Safety

Texas workplace accidents cause Texas workers and our Houston work accident lawyers to want safety to be the primary concern for our workplaces. A new study was released which showed safety in the workplace continues to be the biggest priority for American workers.

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NTSB Takes on the Coast Guard: Need to Avoid Distracted Driving Extends to Coast Guard Crewmembers

Distracted Driving also known as Distracted Boating killed an 8 year-old boy in California last year. The NTSB is taking on Coast Guard policies about using wireless devices by crewmembers while a vessel is in navigation.

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BP Bottom Kill Process Delayed | Texas Oil Spill Claims Lawyers

Texas Maritime Lawyers watch as Admiral Allen delays bottom kill procedure, final phase of BP Gulf Coast Oil Spill after Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig explosion April 20. Bottom kill should resume this coming week and take four days to complete.

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Churches, Nonprofits File BP Oil Spill Claims

As maritime lawyers, we would encourage individuals and businesses or any organizations that have suffered financial losses because of the oil spill, to file a claim even if they're not sure if their claim will be successful. At this point, there are a lot of gray areas about BP oil spill-related claims, and there's no way to tell for sure what kinds of claims will be successful, but we would encourage you to file a claim if you have suffered financial losses because of the spill.

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How to File Your Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Claim

Texas Maritime Lawyers tell you how to file your Deepwater Horizon Gulf Coast oil spill claims with BP for industries such as shrimping, fishing, or coastal hospitality. Please read if you have suffered damage to your personal or commercial property along the Gulf Coast or are dealing with business interruption, loss of income or other oil spill issues.

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Three People Survive Helicopter Crash in Gulf Of Mexico

At least three persons who were on a helicopter that plunged into the Gulf of Mexico this week, are believed to be safe. The three persons were on a transport helicopter that crashed into the Gulf of Mexico, about 40 miles off Port O'Connor. The helicopter was operated by PHI, a Louisiana-based company that provides transport services to the oil and gas industry.

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Federal Agencies Look at Stepping up Cruise Ship Security against Terrorist Threats

Maritime Security: Varied Actions Taken to Enhance Cruise Ship Security, but Some Concerns Remain report recommended existing screening processes for cruise ship passengers be enhanced. The Customs and Border Protection agreed and will consider security benefits from an automated PNR system. The study will also look at the cost of the system.

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Transocean Files Limitation of Liability in Houston, Texas Federal Court

Transocean filed for Limitation of Liability today in Houston, Texas in US District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. Matthew Shaffer represents three clients who were injured in the Transocean Deepwater Horizon explosion on April 20.

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Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Explosion: Blowout Preventer Confirmed as Cause

Investigators have determined that the blowout preventor used in the BP oil rig Deepwater Horizon that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico last month had a leak which caused the accident. BP may have known about problems with the blowout preventor and the oil rig before the explosion.

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Staten Island Ferry Crashes Again Andrew J. Barberi | Ferry Crash Lawyers

The Staten Island ferry boat Andrew J. Barberi crashed into the St. George Terminal Pier at the Staten Island Ferry terminal Saturday morning, leaving at least 60 people injured. Fire official estimated 38 injured but 17 of those have been hospitalized. Two of the injured were police officers assigned to work on the ferry docks.

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Safety Award for BP? You've Got to Be Kidding!

British Petroleum was to receive an award for its pollution control methods at an Interior Department- sponsored event yesterday. The agency, however postponed the event, with no confirmed date for when it will be held again. Fishing communities along coastlines are waiting with dread for the Transocean explosion-related spill to reach their shores. Fishing activities have been prohibited in the areas affected by the oil spill. In a situation like this, it would have been absurd to go ahead with the event, where one of the winners of the evening would have been BP with its "exemplary" safety record.

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BP Tries to Contain Massive Oil Spill After Oil Rig Explosion in Gulf of Mexico

BP "pollution containment chamber" to be tried this week to contain oil spill after oil rig explosion in Gulf of Mexico. BP hopes to reduce the underwater gusher by more than 80 percent and provide the first successful effort to control the spill that began April 20 with an explosion and fire on an offshore rig.

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Coast Guard Issues Safety Alert on Watertight Doors after Fatal Houston Boat Accident

In the wake of a recent push boat maritime accident in Houston, in which one crew member was killed, the Coast Guard has issued an alert, urging crew members and vessel owners to ensure that watertight doors are kept closed.

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What is a Blowout Preventer and Did it Cause the Transocean Explosion?

The MODU (mobile offshore drilling unit) Deepwater Horizon, owned by Transocean, exploded last Tuesday. Many experts are now saying that the explosion or series of explosions and ultimate sinking of the vessel was caused by a faulty, damaged, or defective blowout preventer. A blowout preventer (BOP) is a large valve at the top of an oil drilling well that may be closed by the drilling crew. By closing this valve (usually operated remotely via hydraulic actuators), the crew can avoid overpressure from fluids entering the wellbore and threatening the rig. By closing the BOP, the drilling crew usually regains control of the reservoir, preventing explosive pressure release, and procedures can then be initiated to increase the mud density until it is possible to open the BOP and retain pressure control. "Mud" is a term familiar to those of us who work consistently in offshore settings or on vessels. Mud refers to the drilling fluid used in drilling operations. The invention and use of BOPs were instrumental in the end of oil gushers, which were dangerous and costly.

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Two Persons Injured in Barge Explosion in Louisiana

According to the Coast Guard, a tank barge exploded on the Mississippi River this week, leaving two people with injuries. The explosion occurred on Saturday afternoon. Workers were loading benzene onto the barge at the LBC Tank terminal in Louisiana when it exploded. There is no information about the kind of injuries the workers suffered.

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Several Investigations Expected into Transocean Oil Rig Explosion

Transocean explosion lawyers realize that since Coast Guard has officially called off its search efforts for the 11 offshore workers who went missing after the Transocean rig exploded off the Louisiana coast, investigations will begin in earnest into what is being described as the deadliest offshore disaster in decades.

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Transocean Explosion Survivors Could Face Risks from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

More than 100 offshore workers, who were working on the Transocean oil rig during the explosion last week in the Gulf of Mexico, were able to make it to rescue lifeboats in time to avoid serious injury or death. These workers did not have to be airlifted, and were the lucky ones who managed to escape the raging inferno in time. However, that doesn't mean that these workers have been left unscathed in this tragedy. The maritime lawyers at our firm have recently signed on a roustabout who was working on the Transocean rig at the time of the explosion. He suffers from Post traumatic stress disorder, and we are concerned that other workers like him who were not physically injured in the explosion could be at risk from PTSD, and not know it.

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Sunken Transocean Deepwater Horizon Oil Drilling Rig and the Future of Oil Exploration

If the sunken Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig spews millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, this environmental devastation, combined with the loss of life in the Transocean oil rig explosion, will negatively affect the drilling industry in several ways. The wind and water current might drive leaking oil out to sea and this would make an already tragic situation even more catastrophic. The situation would not only cause suffering for oil workers and their families, but also threaten the environment, thus hurting us all.

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Search for Missing Transocean Oil Rig Workers Suspended

On Friday, Coast Guard officials suspended the three-day search for 11 workers missing since an explosion rocked the Deepwater Horizon. It is believed that the men never made it off the platform. The 11 missing workers came from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Neither the Coast Guard nor their employers have released their names. Steven Newman, CEO of Transocean Ltd., which owns the rig, said Friday night that 8 of the 9 missing Transocean workers were part of the crew that operated the platform's drills. The other 2 workers were employees of a BP contractor. The other 115 crew members made it off the platform; several were hurt but only two remained hospitalized Friday. The most seriously injured worker was expected to be released within about 10 days.

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Transocean Rig Explosion Survivors Gave Statements Before Seeing Family

Transocean Horizon Deepwater Oil Rig Explosion survivors able to make it ashore sequestered with company lawyers and a stenographer. These survivors of one of the largest oil rig explosions in history had to first give statements to company lawyers before they were able to see their families.

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Gulf of Mexico Oil Rig Explosion

Eleven people unaccounted for after an offshore drilling rig explosion Tuesday night off the coast of southeast Louisiana. The MODU rig Deepwater Horizon was operating in the Gulf of Mexico and is owned by Transocean and operated under a lease by British Petroleum (BP). The rig can operate in water depths up to 8,000 feet and was built in 2001 by Hyundai Heavy Industries Shipyard in South Korea. A semi-submersible rig is floated to a drilling site. It has pontoons and a column that submerge when flooded with seawater. It doesn't touch the sea floor, but sits low with a large portion of it under water, moored by anchors.

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Maritime MRSA Claims on the Rise and Difficult to Contain

Consistent effort over time can reduce drug-resistant pathogens such as MRSA, according to at least one study completed over 15 years by French researchers. The intensive program was aimed at reducing the impact of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on Parisian hospitals, and was reported in Archives of Internal Medicine. While formerly confined largely to a hospital setting, today MRSA has gone offshore and its potential damages are encompassed under maritime law. As maritime injury lawyers, we feel that offshore employers should make the same efforts to change the MRSA trend from increasing even further than the present explosion. Failure to do so can render a vessel unseaworthy. In close quarters such as those maintained in a maritime employment setting, keeping infected or suspected infected parties more isolated or removing them from the rig or vessel as soon as possible would greatly reduce the risk of the rapid spread of MRSA. Employees should be required to wear protective gear such as disposable gloves, paper coverings, etc. to prevent their infected body parts from coming into contact with common machinery or even food items. All offshore vessels and jack-up rigs must be equipped with hand sanitizer gel or hand washing stations to control potential outbreaks among the crewmembers.

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OSHA Guidelines on Preventing Injuries to Shipyard Workers

Workers in the shipbuilding, ship breaking or shipyard industries face a multitude of occupational hazards, including exposure to dangerous toxins like asbestos, dangerous fumes, electrocutions and electrical shocks, fall accidents, and fires. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a new document out that lays down guidelines to minimize the effect of such hazards. The document called Safe Work Practices in Ship Breaking outlines measures that employers can take to prevent the risk of injuries to shipyard workers. The booklet encourages employers to take up safe practices during several ship breaking processes.

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Safety Risks of Marine Highway Program Concern Maritime Lawyers

This week, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that his agency would seek to encourage transport and commerce on inland waterways and domestic seaports. Sec. LaHood made the announcement at the 7th annual North American Marine Highways and Logistics Conference in Baltimore. The Department of Transportation is proposing the development of marine transportation corridors. Regional transportation agencies will be able to apply for such corridors if they meet certain eligibility criteria for marine highways. Individual projects too could be sanctioned under this new initiative.

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Man Arrested for Making Hoax Bomb Call on Carnival Cruise Line

Passengers on board the Carnival Sensation got a much more sensational experience than they were promised, when a man on board announced that there was a bomb on the cruise liner. Fortunately, no bomb was found on the ship, and the man has been arrested. Fortunately, there was a happy ending to this drama. As maritime lawyers, we were quite pleased to note that the Carnival Sensation cruise line set off a well-prepared and well established plan of action, after first being intimated about the bomb threat. All law enforcement agencies responded as they should have. However, it does serve as a reminder that we live in interesting times. It's a wake up call that, although this threat was a damp squib, terrorist attacks are a very real danger to vessels.

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