Offshore and Platform Injury Lawyers in Georgia & South Carolina
Offshore oil rigs, gas platforms, wind energy installations, and other fixed and floating structures present some of the most dangerous working conditions in any industry. Workers face risks from heavy equipment operations, extreme weather, helicopter transport, chemical exposure, fires and explosions, falls from height, and the inherent isolation of working miles from shore. When injuries occur offshore, the legal framework for recovery is uniquely complex — potentially involving the Jones Act, the LHWCA, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), or state law, depending on the worker’s status and the location of the injury.
At Roden Law, our offshore injury lawyers represent workers injured on platforms, rigs, and offshore installations throughout the Southeast Atlantic coast. We navigate the complex jurisdictional issues that determine which laws apply and pursue every available avenue of compensation.
Which Law Applies to Your Offshore Injury?
The law governing an offshore injury depends on the worker’s status and the structure’s classification:
- Jones Act seamen: Workers with a substantial connection to a vessel in navigation — including mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) and floating production platforms — are covered by the Jones Act, which allows negligence claims against the employer plus maintenance and cure and unseaworthiness claims
- OCSLA workers: The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. § 1333) extends the LHWCA to workers on fixed platforms on the Outer Continental Shelf, providing federal workers’ compensation benefits plus third-party negligence claims
- LHWCA workers: Workers on fixed platforms in state waters may be covered by the LHWCA
- State law workers: In some circumstances, workers on fixed platforms may be covered by state workers’ compensation and negligence law
Common Offshore Injuries
The offshore environment exposes workers to severe hazards:
- Crane and rigging accidents: Heavy lifts aboard platforms frequently cause crushing injuries, falls, and struck-by incidents
- Falls from height: Working on elevated platforms, scaffolding, and equipment exposes workers to falls that can cause spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and death
- Explosions and fires: Hydrocarbon processing and storage on platforms creates risk of catastrophic burn injuries and blast injuries
- Chemical exposure: Exposure to drilling fluids, hydrogen sulfide gas, benzene, and other toxic substances
- Equipment failures: Defective or poorly maintained equipment causing crushing, amputation, and entanglement injuries
- Helicopter transport accidents: Workers traveling to and from offshore platforms by helicopter face aviation accident risks
Third-Party Liability on Offshore Platforms
Offshore operations involve multiple contractors and subcontractors working simultaneously, creating numerous potential third-party claims:
- Platform owner/operator: The operator of the platform may be liable for unsafe conditions and safety violations
- Other contractors: A contractor whose negligence injures another contractor’s employee may be liable for negligence
- Equipment manufacturers: Makers of defective industrial equipment used on the platform
- Vessel owners: When injuries involve vessel operations (supply boats, crew boats, lift boats) at the platform
These third-party claims allow full compensatory damages including pain and suffering, exceeding the benefits available under LHWCA or OCSLA workers’ compensation.
Filing Deadlines for Offshore Injury Claims
Filing deadlines vary by the applicable law: Jones Act and general maritime law claims have a 3-year statute of limitations. LHWCA/OCSLA claims require notice to the employer within 30 days and a formal claim within 1 year. Third-party negligence claims under state law adopted by OCSLA follow state filing deadlines — 2 years in Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33) and 3 years in South Carolina (S.C. Code § 15-3-530). Determining which deadline applies requires prompt legal analysis.
