A 40-year old chief engineer aboard an offshore diving vessel suffered terrible third degree burn injuries when the diving support vessel he was aboard exploded in the Gulf of Mexico during a pipeline abandonment project on March 11, 2008. The engineer survived the explosion and was air-lifted to Our Lady of Lourdes in Lafayette, Louisiana where he received treatment before again being flown to the burn unit at Baton Rouge General Hospital. The engineer passed away approximately 38 hours after the explosion.

The engineer’s family brought a wrongful death and survival action against the owner of the vessel, which was also the engineer’s employer, under general maritime law, as well as, the provisions of the Jones Act, which applied given the engineer’s legal status as seaman.

The case proceeded to litigation where it was discovered that the vessel owner/employer had recklessly violated numerous federal safety regulations during its completion of the pipeline abandonment project which directly caused the vessel to explode south of Marsh Island in Gulf of Mexico.

Prior to trial, our firm successfully negotiated a settlement in the amount of $4,000,000.00 for the engineer’s surviving family.