Doyle Dennis Avery LLP has filed an offshore injury case under general maritime and admiralty law against Rowan Companies, Inc., Rowan Drilling, and Rowan Drilling (UK) Limited.
The suit alleges that Rowan was negligent under general maritime law and that the drilling vessel Rowan Gorilla VII was unseaworthiness. Under general maritime law, an offshore drilling operator is required to provide a reasonably safe place to work. Maritime and admiralty law also require the operator to provide seaworthy vessel, with proper safety equipment and a properly trained crew. In this case, the Plaintiff suffered an injury in April 2018, when Rowan failed to properly secure drill pipe that was located on the rig floor. The improperly secured and haphazardly stacked pipes collapsed on Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client’s leg, causing a fractured tibia, fractured fibula, fractured and dislocated toes, deep vein thrombosis, and compartment syndrome. Treatment of these injuries has included various operations, including a fasciotomy to decompress pressure within the leg to save the leg from amputation (caused by compartment syndrome), skin grafting, and placement a metal rod four nails along the tibia, and a fusion of the MTPJ.
Per the complaint filed in District Court, Rowan failed to comply with generally accepted maritime and admiralty standards by failing to use a pipe rack and lines store and secure the drill pipe. Moreover, the complaint alleges that the vessel was unseaworthy under maritime law because the vessel was not adequately equipped and the crew was not properly trained.
The suit was filed in Harris County District Court in Houston, Texas, and is pending in the 113th District Court. A Harris County jury will determine the amount of damages that are due under maritime law, including pain and suffering, lost wages, lost earning capacity, mental anguish, and maintenance and cure. Trial is currently scheduled to take place on February 1, 2021.
If you or a family member have suffered an offshore injury, you may fall within the protections of maritime or admiralty law. Call the lawyers at Doyle Dennis Avery LLP for a no-cost evaluation of your rights under maritime and admiralty law.
