Between the years of 2003 and 2010, 128 individuals died in offshore oil and gas operation incidents. This figure divides into an average of 16 deaths during each of the included years. All but one of the fatalities occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, the body of water that New Orleans residents enjoy using for its beaches and water sports. The fatality rate for workers in this incredibly dangerous industry is around seven times higher than the fatality rate of workers in other industries and the work presents individuals with serious dangers that do not exist in other fields of employment.
Many of the oil rig and gas extraction deaths included in these figures occurred because of accidents in transportation; both vessel and helicopter accidents contributed to deaths for workers in this industry. Other deaths result from explosions on rigs such as the Deepwater Horizon explosion in 2010, exposure of workers to equipment or machinery on the rigs, or exposure of workers to dangerous or hazardous substances.
When incidents occur on rigs and sea-bound vessels it can be next to impossible for individuals to receive the medical care they need to survive their injuries. It is therefore the responsibility of the entities that employ men and women in these dangerous fields of labor to train them property and provide them with the tools they need to perform their work without unnecessary risks.
However, as demonstrated by the information shared in this post, accidents occur too frequently on ships, rigs, and other water-bound platforms. When maritime and water-based incidents claim lives and cause losses, victims may have rights to seek compensation for what was taken from them and may choose to utilize the services of personal injury attorneys to guide their claims.
