Hurt on a BP offshore platform or rig?
If you were injured working offshore on a BP-operated platform or project — whether you worked for BP or for one of the many contractors on the job — you may have far more than a workers' comp claim. What you can recover depends on your job, the vessel or structure you were on, and who was responsible. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP tries offshore and maritime injury cases for workers across the Gulf.
Results shown below were obtained in other matters and were not against BP
What are my rights if I was hurt on a BP project offshore?
It depends on who employed you and what you were on. Offshore workers are often employed by contractors rather than by BP itself, so a claim against BP is frequently a third-party negligence or premises claim against it as the operator or platform owner, while your employer faces a Jones Act or Longshore claim. If BP was your employer and you were a seaman, you may have a direct Jones Act claim. Who employed you, and what you were on, decide your remedies.
Key takeaways
- Most workers on BP projects are employed by contractors, not by BP directly.
- You can often pursue BP as a third party for its own negligence or an unsafe condition.
- Crew on a vessel may be Jones Act seamen; fixed-platform workers usually fall under OCSLA and the Longshore Act.
- What you can recover turns on your classification and who employed you.
- Preserve evidence early and do not sign anything before talking to a lawyer.
Who is responsible when a worker is hurt on an operator's project.
BP is a global energy company whose offshore operations include deepwater projects in the Gulf of Mexico. On a large offshore project many companies share the deck: the operator that holds the lease and runs the facility, the drilling contractor that owns the rig and employs the crew, and a long list of service and construction contractors. When a worker is hurt, more than one of them may be legally responsible — and they often point at each other.
Which law applies turns on where you were and what you were doing. A crew member of a vessel or a mobile offshore drilling unit is usually a Jones Act seaman, with a claim against the employer and an unseaworthiness claim against the vessel. A worker on a fixed platform on the Outer Continental Shelf generally falls under the LHWCA, with the borrowed law of the adjacent state applied through OCSLA, and may have a § 905(b) vessel-negligence claim. How much control the operator kept over the work can matter a great deal.
None of that is decided by the logo on your paycheck. It is decided by the facts — and they are worth having looked at closely.
Employed by a contractor, not BP itself?
Most people on a major's offshore project are employed by a drilling or service contractor, not by the operator. That does not narrow your rights — it can widen them. You may have a claim against your own employer, against the vessel or rig owner, and against other companies on the job, and the borrowed-employee doctrine often decides who your Jones Act employer really is. Sorting out who controlled the work is one of the first things a maritime lawyer does.
Offshore workers on major operators' projects.
The people who build, drill, and run offshore facilities do some of the most dangerous work in the energy industry. We represent injured offshore workers whatever their role or employer on the project:
Drill, deck, and marine crews
Drillers, floorhands, roughnecks, roustabouts, crane operators, mates, and deckhands hurt by equipment, falls, or unsafe methods.
Service and construction contractors
Wireline, coiled-tubing, completion, welding, rigging, and maintenance workers brought on for a scope of work.
Foreign nationals and internationally based crews
A non-U.S. citizen, or a worker injured overseas, can still have a U.S. maritime claim.
Families in a wrongful-death case
When an offshore incident is fatal, the family may have claims under the Jones Act, general maritime law, or DOHSA.
What an injured offshore worker can recover.
If you are a seaman, you are not limited to a workers' comp check. You generally have three overlapping protections: a Jones Act negligence claim against your employer; an unseaworthiness claim against the vessel owner for a rig, equipment, or crew not reasonably fit for the job, which does not require proving negligence; and maintenance and cure — a daily allowance and full medical care owed from the moment you are hurt, regardless of fault.
If you were on a fixed platform, the analysis runs through the LHWCA, OCSLA and Chapter 95, and any vessel-negligence claim. If you were just hurt, start with what to do in the first 72 hours; if you have been told you are only a workers' comp case, read Jones Act vs. workers' comp.
Frequently asked questions about BP offshore injury claims
Can I sue BP if I worked for a contractor?
Often, yes, as a third party. When BP is the operator or owner of the platform or vessel but you were employed by a contractor, you can pursue BP for its own negligence or for an unsafe or unseaworthy condition, separate from your employer's Jones Act or Longshore exposure.
Am I a Jones Act seaman on a BP project?
It depends on what you were on. Crew on a vessel such as a drillship or semisubmersible are usually Jones Act seamen; workers on a fixed BP platform usually fall under OCSLA and the Longshore Act.
What law applies on a platform versus a vessel?
A worker on a fixed platform on the Outer Continental Shelf generally falls under OCSLA, which borrows the adjacent state's law and the Longshore Act. A crew member on a vessel is usually a Jones Act seaman. The classification is frequently contested.
Do I have to prove fault?
Not entirely. Under the Jones Act you need only show the employer's negligence played some part, however slight, which is a very worker-friendly standard. An unseaworthiness claim requires no negligence at all, only that the vessel or its equipment was not reasonably fit. Maintenance and cure is owed to a seaman regardless of fault.
What can I recover after an injury on a BP project?
Recovery is measured by category rather than a fixed amount: past and future medical care, lost wages and lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, and maintenance and cure while you recover. The total depends on the facts, so no honest lawyer can promise a number up front.
What is maintenance and cure?
Maintenance and cure is a no-fault maritime benefit owed to an injured seaman: maintenance covers daily living expenses and cure covers medical care, until you reach maximum medical improvement, regardless of who was at fault.
What should you do after an injury on a BP project?
Get medical care and make sure the injury is reported in writing. Preserve evidence early, including incident reports, photos, equipment, and witness names, and do not give a recorded statement or sign anything before talking to a lawyer.
Talk to a firm that tries offshore injury cases.
Doyle Dennis Avery LLP represents injured offshore workers across Texas, the Gulf Coast, and internationally. If you were hurt on an offshore platform or rig, a case review costs nothing and there is no obligation.
This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or otherwise associated with BP or any related company. The BP name is used only to identify a company an injured worker may have worked for or around; all trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Any case results described on this page were obtained in other matters and were not against BP. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome; every case is different and depends on its own facts. Whether the Jones Act, maintenance and cure, or any particular claim is available in your situation depends on your specific circumstances. For advice about your case, speak with a qualified maritime attorney.
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