Deepwater Horizon, the owners of an oil exploration rig that sunk into the Gulf of Mexico last Thursday after a exploding into flames 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana, has rescue crews covering nearly 2000 square miles, looking for 11 missing crew members. TransOcean, the company that owns the oil rig, believes they will not be found.
British Petroleum, which contracted the rig, realized almost immediately that there was the potential for a major oil spill, and crews are now working to cap the well below the surface of the Gulf.
A New Orleans attorney, Scott Bickford, reportedly filed the first lawsuit in the rig explosion on behalf of the family of missing worker Shane Roshto of Amite, Mississippi. And more suits have already followed.
Of the 115 crew members who are accounted for, 17 were medevacked from the scene, according to Transocean. Injuries included burns, smoke inhalation, and broken bones. 126 crew members were on board the rig at the time of the explosion. Reports say that spokespeople from LSU hospital in New Orleans said one injured crew member was discharged, leaving only two crew members still hospitalized.
For families of those missing or injured, experts can help navigate the legal process. The Doan Law Firm has extensive experience in personal injury cases. For more information, contact the Doan Law Firm at 1 Riverway, Suite 1700, Houston, Texas 77056. Phone: (713) 869-4747 or (800) 910-FIRM.