Offshore Worker Medevaced from Gulf Of Mexico Platform

A worker on an offshore platform in the Gulf Of Mexico had to be airlifted after he suffered injuries in an accident.  According to the Coast Guard, the man was injured on a platform located about 55 miles southwest of Marsh Island.

Crewmembers contacted the Coast Guard Sector New Orleans to alert them that a man on board had suffered serious facial injuries.  The Coast Guard began rescue efforts, and the worker was airlifted and transferred to an offshore supply vessel, and to another platform.  He was later transferred to a hospital in Louisiana.

There is no information about the kind of accident that occurred or the severity of the injuries that the crew member suffered.

Workers who are injured in offshore platforms may be eligible for compensation under the Jones Act, but this depends on whether they meet the definition of a seaman under the Act.  Determining this is not as easy as it seems.  Not all offshore installations meet the definition of a vessel in navigation under the Jones Act, and this is imperative to seaman status.

Determining whether you meet the qualifications required under the Jones Act is best left to a maritime lawyer, with experience in Jones Act cases.  Broadly, the Jones Act requires that a seaman be assigned to a vessel or fleet of vessels, and that the vessel or fleet of vessels be in navigation of the time of the accident.  The seaman must also have a strong relationship with vessel, which means that he should perform work that contributes to the mission of the vessel.

The maritime lawyers at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers represent persons injured in boat collisions and families of victims of boat collisions.