An offshore accident is a work-related injury or death that happens on the water or on a structure standing in the water, far enough from land that how the resulting claim gets handled often looks different from an ordinary land-based workplace injury.
This section covers injuries on offshore rigs, platforms and drillships: how offshore work differs from land rigs, and the major offshore disasters that shaped the safety rules the industry works under today. The maritime section covers the federal laws that apply to offshore workers, and the oilfield section covers onshore drilling.
Glomar Java Sea Drillship Disaster of 1983: Facts and Lessons Learned
The Glomar Java Sea, a self-propelled drillship owned by Global Marine Inc., capsized and sank in the South China Sea on October 25, 1983, after encountering Typhoon Lex. All 81 crew members died; only 31 bodies were recovered. Investigators cited extreme weather, structural vulnerabilities, dynamic positioning failure, and gaps in emergency preparedness. Families later received a $51 million settlement, then the largest in U.S. maritime history.How Are Land Rigs Different Than Offshore Rigs?
Land rigs and offshore rigs have several important differences you need to know. Learn how they can affect your health and legal rights.What Happened at the Seacrest Drillship Disaster in 1989?
The DS Seacrest drillship capsized in the Gulf of Thailand in early November 1989 when Typhoon Gay passed directly over it during drilling operations for Unocal. Storm warnings were ignored and the crew was never evacuated. Ninety-one workers died; six survived. Survivors and families of the deceased sued Unocal, alleging negligence and unseaworthiness, and the case settled for millions of dollars before trial.