SHREVEPORT PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER
Many employees of the oil field and construction industries remain vulnerable to risky work conditions. Even when applying safety measures, construction and oil workers still account for 20% of private-industry worker fatalities. When this work takes place offshore — on ships or offshore oil rigs — additional risks transpire, such as explosions and falling objects. It’s no wonder there’s an entire focus on personal injury law in offshore accident cases.
Attorney Elizabeth Hancock specializes in general personal injury law and emphasizes the oil and construction industry. Elizabeth understands that oil and construction employees work long hours operating dangerous equipment in vulnerable work conditions. In many ways, it’s almost inevitable for accidents to occur. If injured on the job, you don’t have to suffer alone. Personal injury attorney Elizabeth Hancock can help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
The oil and construction industries often exhibit risky work environments for their employees. Due to the nature of the work conditions, many companies and laws mandate and regulate safety measures. If you work in these fields, your employer should provide some of the following precautions to ensure safety on site:
In addition to these specific safety measures, construction and oil sites should take extra precautions to minimize injury. Although there is no way to eliminate the risk of injury, additional methods keep all employees, contractors, and visitors as safe as possible. If neglected and injury occurs, personal injury law, and an attorney like Elizabeth, can help you receive proper compensation.
By merely observing a construction or oil site, you can quickly identify the risks. The high heights of scaffolding, chemical or flammable materials, and the methods of movements (often with cranes) are just some examples that show the risk of working in these industries. Now, add an off-shore element, and those risks inevitably increase.
Some of the most common injuries associated with offshore accident cases include:
As a personal injury attorney in Shreveport, LA, Elizabeth Hancock is no stranger to offshore accident cases within the oil industry. The Gulf of Mexico continues to see its share of disasters. For example, in 2007, 22 people lost their lives in the Usumacinta Jack-up explosion due to an oil and gas leakage. But the most famous incident is the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion, where, in 2010, 11 workers lost their lives when a surge of natural gas caused the oil rig to combust.
But not all incidents and accidents make the news. From 2003-2010, 127 people died from activities in the onshore and offshore oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico. Most of these fatalities occurred during transportation activities. And overall, workers of the oil and gas extraction industry suffer a fatality rate that is seven times higher than all industries in the United States.
Due to a recent rollback of offshore drilling regulations from the Trump Administration, injuries are spiking as safety inspections decrease. The rate of injuries increased by 21% in 2018 and 2019 compared with the previous two years (2016 and 2017). This data strictly includes injuries that require professional medical assistance, not just quick first-aid treatments.
Injuries can occur while using the same equipment that you operate daily, or due to someone else’s negligence. Regardless of how, when, or why you’re injured, you can seek legal assistance. Elizabeth Hancock is a personal injury attorney in Shreveport, LA, and has the industry knowledge to fight for legally owed compensation.
Attorney Hancock looks at each case individually, examining the details to determine if it’s strong enough to pursue. She works with her clients personally to develop solid arguments to secure the compensation you deserve. Elizabeth is here to help if you’ve been injured onsite at your construction or oil industry job.
