Offshore Platform Lucius Technician Sues Employer for Workplace Injuries

Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) January 27, 2016 – The statement of claim in this case involves allegations of negligence in the workplace, a vessel servicing Anadarko Petroleum Corporation’s offshore platform Lucius.

Plaintiff Alfred Holmes, who filed a personal injury lawsuit in the Galveston Division of the Southern District of Texas, was living and working on the offshore platform Lucius in Sept. 2014 when he sustained serious injuries while working with and on inadequate and/or malfunctioning equipment. At the time of the accident, Holmes was performing a pipe-tightening operation.

The named defendants in this lawsuit are Stranco Services and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, with head offices in Dallas, Texas.

“Holmes indicated in his statement of claim that he was not at fault for the accident and that others, including supervisors and fellow colleagues were to blame,” said Brooks Schuelke, an Austin personal injury attorney with Perlmutter & Schuelke, PLLC, who is not involved in the case.

The lawsuit alleges gross negligence and the plaintiff is seeking a jury trial, punitive damages, pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages, compensation for physical disability, continuing disability, pain and suffering, loss of earnings, medical costs, mental anguish and physical disfigurement and impairment.

“Nearly 4 million people sustain a workplace injury in the U.S. every year. Some may recover. Some may not recover. Some may die. That works out to more than 10 thousand people sustaining injuries daily. How many accidents were caused by workplace negligence?” said Schuelke. It is a grim picture.

For the purposes of filing a workplace lawsuit, the term negligence refers to “conduct that falls below the standards of behavior established by law for the protection of others against unreasonable risk of harm.”

“To be clear, when negligence in the workplace is discussed, it is usually referring to a failure to adhere to or maintain company standard operating procedures, a breach of protocol, or a pattern of behavior that results in the injury, harm or death or a worker. Too often this failure is simply employers cutting corners,” Schuelke said.

Each case is different and there are various ways to pursue compensation. Although, not all cases may be taken to court, as Texas has a unique workers’ compensation system that allows some companies to opt out of offering workers’ compensation. “The Texas workers’ compensation scheme can be confusing. As a result, it is best to seek competent legal counsel and find out what your legal rights are,” added Schuelke.

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