Hurt on a Transocean rig?
If you were injured working offshore on a Transocean rig — whether you were employed by Transocean or by a service contractor working alongside its crew — you may have far more than a workers' comp claim. What you can recover depends on your job, the rig or vessel 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 Transocean
What are my rights if I was hurt working for Transocean?
If you crew a Transocean drillship or semisubmersible, you are almost certainly a Jones Act seaman, which means far more than workers' compensation. You can recover from Transocean for negligence under the Jones Act, bring an unseaworthiness claim against the vessel, and receive maintenance and cure. What you can recover depends on your job and what failed.
Key takeaways
- Offshore drilling-rig crews are typically Jones Act seamen.
- A seaman can sue Transocean for negligence under the Jones Act, far more than workers' comp allows.
- Maintenance and cure is owed regardless of fault while you recover.
- Unseaworthiness is a separate claim against the vessel owner for unfit equipment or crew.
- Do not give a recorded statement or sign anything before talking to a lawyer.
Who is responsible when a worker is hurt on a drilling contractor's rig.
Transocean is one of the world’s largest offshore drilling contractors, operating mobile offshore drilling units in the Gulf of Mexico and around the world. A worker hurt on a Transocean rig may be employed by Transocean itself — usually a Jones Act seaman with claims against the company as both employer and vessel owner — or by a service contractor brought aboard for a scope of work. When a worker is hurt, more than one company 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 Transocean, or by a service contractor?
If Transocean employed you, you are usually a Jones Act seaman with claims against the company as your employer and as the owner of the rig. If a service contractor employed you, you may have claims against your own employer and against Transocean as the vessel owner, and the borrowed-employee doctrine can decide 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 Transocean injury claims
Am I a Jones Act seaman if I work for Transocean?
Usually, yes. Transocean operates drillships and semisubmersibles, which are vessels, so their crews are typically Jones Act seamen.
Can I sue Transocean for a workplace injury?
If Transocean was your employer and you are a Jones Act seaman, yes. The Jones Act lets a seaman sue the employer for negligence that played any part in causing the injury, on top of receiving maintenance and cure.
What is the difference between the Jones Act and workers' compensation?
A large one. Workers' compensation is a limited no-fault benefit. The Jones Act instead lets a seaman sue the employer for negligence and recover full damages, and general maritime law adds maintenance and cure and an unseaworthiness claim. A seaman's recovery is usually far greater than comp.
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 can I recover after an injury working for Transocean?
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 if I already gave a statement or signed something?
It is not necessarily fatal, but tell a lawyer right away. Recorded statements and early paperwork from an employer or its insurer can be used against you, and the sooner you get advice, the better you can protect your claim.
What should you do after an injury working for Transocean?
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 Transocean or any related company. The Transocean 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 Transocean. 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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