On April 14, 2021, the vessel Seacor Power capsized off the coast of Louisiana. The vessel, with 19 members of the crew, left Port Fourchon, Louisiana earlier in the day. While ultimately some members of the crew were able to be rescued, several men are still unaccounted for at this time. Initial Reports indicate that the Seacor Power, which is a lift boat or jackup rig, capsized in choppy waters about eight miles from the coast of Louisiana during travel to a drilling platform. A lift boat like the Seacor Power is a self-propelled, self-elevating vessel used in support of various offshore oil and gas operations. The jackup rig Seacor Power was part of the fleet of vessels owned and operated by marine services company Seacor Marine. Seacor Marine from its headquarters in Houston, Texas runs maritime operations throughout the world, including throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Because Seacor Marine does business in a systematic and continuous manner in the State of Texas and Harris County, Texas where they maintain a corporate office, surviving crewmen and the family of any deceased crewmembers can pursue a Jones Act claim in Harris County, Texas.
Doyle Dennis Avery LLP has decades of experience and results as maritime attorneys pursuing Jones Act claims and other legal battles for injured workers and families of deceased seamen around the world’s waterways. The firm has handled numerous cases involving maritime disaster such as when the firm represented injured seamen that recovered a significant settlement after the vessel they were working on exploded. Maritime and admiralty law requires employers to ensure they follow numerous safety measures and practices such as operating a seaworthy vessel to ensure safety. In this instance, as with others, an unseaworthy and ill-equipped vessel can result in devastating injuries and loss of significant lives. Employers such as Seacor must ensure they adequately and sufficiently train and equip the crew of their vessel to comply with maritime law and prevent incidents like the capsizing of Seacor Power. Boats like the Seacor Power are designed to support offshore platforms and drilling rigs by transforming into an offshore platform after dropping three large mechanical legs down to the sea floor. They provide essential services to drilling operations. Maritime and other admiralty laws protect workers in these industries and provide them the legal rights to pursue claims for their employer’s negligence when they suffer as the result.
With the help of experienced maritime attorneys such as Doyle Dennis Avery LLP, the injured workers and the families of any lost crewmembers can pursue recovery for the damage caused by capsizing of the Seacor Power. It appears, based upon initial reports, that Seacor Marine’s failure led to their vessel being in a dangerous and unseaworthy condition. In addition, under the Jones Act, they can be held liable for their negligence when an experienced maritime law firm guides surviving crew and families of any deceased through the legal system. Under the Jones Act, general maritime law, and the doctrine of seaworthiness, potentially significant damages are owed to the families and victims of the Seacor Power incident which include the severity and nature of the death or injury that led to serious physical pain and mental anguish for the survivors or deceased at the time of the incident. Injured crew members will be entitled to seek lost wages, lost future earning capacity, past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, physical impairment, mental anguish and other damages. The family of the deceased are potentially owed damages for the loss of support, loss of inheritance, loss of household services, loss of consortium and the overall loss of companionship/ society/ comfort/ love suffered by the family with the death of their beloved. The family of the deceased and injured crew face suffering and mourning from the incredible mental anguish of this incident and the effects will continue to be felt for a long time for the many people that love and care for the crew. This terrible incident may have stemmed from the repeated negligence of Seacor Marine, by and through its employees, and ultimately resulted in loss of life and significant injuries for the survivors.
Offshore workers are a vital a vital part of not only the United States but also the global economy. As a result of this importance, a complex set of laws, including maritime law, admiralty law, the Jones Act, Section 905(b), and other offshore injury rules, provide legal protections for those employed by American businesses. If you would like to understand your rights under maritime and admiralty law, following an offshore injury, the team of attorneys at Doyle Dennis Avery LLP can assist in providing a free evaluation of your claim. Our firm and legal knowledge based upon decades of experience and success in representing injured offshore workers allows us to seek the best outcomes for our clients. Our track record shows we are not afraid to fight all the way through a trial judgement to get what our clients deserve. Call our firm to discuss your claim for free today.
