Houston Basket Transfer Accident Attorneys

Fighting for Victims of Basket Transfer Accidents in Texas & Nationwide

Working in the maritime industry requires workers to work on lift boats, jack up rigs, drilling rigs, and platforms. These structures are all necessary for the retrieval of gas and oil from mineral deposits. In order to transfer workers to and from their job sites, many companies use personnel baskets, or Billy Pugh baskets, to get the job done. These transfers can be dangerous—especially when they are used in poor weather or conducted by inexperienced operators. Inexperienced crane operators have been found at fault for serious injuries during risky basket transfers.

For years, Arnold & Itkin has fought for the victims of negligence in the offshore and maritime industry. We’ve helped our clients win billions of dollars to recover their medical expenses, lost wages, diminished future earnings, and more. Our basket transfer accident lawyers have helped thousands of people rebuild their lives and provide for their families. Review your legal options with an attorney here today.

If you or a loved one have suffered injuries during a basket transfer, contact our offshore injury attorneys today for a free case review. Call (888) 493-1629!

Abogados de lesiones por accidentes marítimos y en alta mar en Houston

Fighting For Workers Injured Offshore

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Why Billy Pugh Basket Transfers Risk Workers’ Lives

These basket transfers are usually attached to a crane and are used to hold one or more workers onto the Billy Pugh basket’s netting. The crane operator lifts the basket, swings it over the side of the first vessel and lifts or lowers the basket and workers to their destination. If it all goes smoothly, there shouldn’t be any problems—but not everything goes smoothly. There are numerous risks associated with basket transfers.

Many basket transfer injuries occur because of one of the following circumstances:

  • Human Error: Without proper training, crane operators can put workers at risk. Accidents occur when the crane operator lowers the basket too quickly or swing the basket in the wrong direction, causing impact injuries to the workers in the basket.
  • High Wind Conditions: Basket transfers can be far more challenging when there are high winds. When high seas cause one or both vessels involved in the transfer to move, transferring personnel without causing serious injury becomes difficult.
  • Unsafe Sea Conditions: According to the Billy Pugh safety protocols, basket transfers should not be attempted in rough seas. However, many companies ignore these protocols.

Basket transfers are dangerous and should only be attempted in accordance with safety protocols and regard for the safety of personnel. There’s no excuse for attempting to transfer personnel in the middle of high winds, rough seas, or with an inexperienced crane operator.

2017 Billy Pugh Basket Accident

The United States Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has issued a bulletin about an incident in which a Billy Pugh basket was subject to uncontrolled swinging. Four offshore personnel in the Gulf of Mexico were subjected to uncontrolled motion while being transferred from a vessel to a production facility. The basket hit the railing on the vessel which injured three of the four offshore personnel. An investigation found that the crane equipment suffered a structural failure, which caused the accident.

Contact Our Texas Basket Transfer Accident Attorneys: (888) 493-1629

Basket transfer accidents can result in serious back and neck injuries, ending an offshore worker’s career. What happens to these people once their career is over? Who pays for their medical care, for the wages they lost in recovery, or for the future wages they would have earned if they were never injured? In a perfect world, the company who caused their injuries would voluntarily pay for all of these costs. It may not be a perfect world, but our basket transfer accident lawyers fight to make the world a little fairer—especially for people like you.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a personnel basket transfer, you need an experienced and qualified maritime attorney to represent your challenging case. Arnold & Itkin has won billions of dollars for workers injured by negligence or disregard for their safety. We have successfully held companies accountable for their actions and for putting the workers at risk in bad weather conditions or with poorly trained crane operators.

Contact our top-rated basket transfer accident attorneys to get a free case review: (888) 493-1629.

Common Questions

  • What Causes Basket Transfer Accidents?

    Billy Pugh basket transfers can be dangerous if they’re attempted in unsafe weather or sea conditions, if the equipment used to make the transfer is defective, or if the operator is inexperienced or careless. Basket transfer accidents can typically be traced back to one of those three issues: unsafe conditions, defective equipment, or operator error. Understanding the cause of an accident can help injured workers get the fair compensation to which they’re entitled, which should cover medical care, ongoing treatment as needed, lost wages, and future loss of earnings. Compensation may even be available for emotional trauma associated with the incident.

  • Who’s Responsible for My Care & Expenses After a Basket Transfer Accident?

    Offshore injury claims fall under maritime law, specifically the Jones Act, Death on the High Seas Act, and the Longshore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act. Which laws apply to your unique situation will depend on whether your accident occurred in U.S. or foreign waters, what caused the Billy Pugh basket accident, and who is responsible. Your employer will typically be responsible for your medical care and the payment of lost wages, if it was their negligence or improper implementation of safety standards that led to your accident. A manufacturer or other third party could be responsible for a defective basket, crane, or other equipment.

    An attorney who understands maritime law and the hazards offshore workers face will be able to advise you on the approach that’s best for your basket transfer accident case.

  • How Can an Attorney Protect My Rights?

    You work hard for your employer, putting your blood, sweat, and tears into your job. Offshore work may pay well, but it is dangerous–particularly when it comes to basket transfers. When you’re suspended in a basket, you trust that the equipment will work correctly and that every person involved in the transfer knows what they’re doing. But in an instant, you could find yourself swinging or plummeting toward injury. You may think that your employer will treat you fairly after such an incident. This is simply not the case for most offshore workers.

    You need an attorney who can make sure you get the best medical care from the doctor or facility you want. You shouldn’t be pressured into seeing the company doctor. You shouldn’t be pressured into returning to work before you’re ready. Every single one of your injury-related expenses and losses should be covered. An experienced attorney can make sure your interests are protected when no one else is looking out for you.

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