The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act is an extension of the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. It is designed to protect workers who are working on oil rigs as well as those working on the development or exploration projects on the Outer Continental Shelf of the coast of the United States.
This act was created on August 7, 1953, to help make sure that those injured at sea while working on these projects would be able to seek fair compensation. Now, workers injured on the outer continental shelf may seek compensation through the LHWCA and OCSLA.
What are injured sea workers able to seek in compensation?
Whether you were involved in a scuba accident or hurt approaching the shelf while on a vessel, you may be able to seek compensation. You may be able to seek compensation to cover:
- Medical costs
- Lost earning capacity
- Disability
- Mental anguish
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
This act also allows your family to make a claim after a wrongful death.
How much compensation will you receive after getting hurt at sea?
The amount of compensation you’ll get will depend on how seriously you were hurt. Your employer will be required to make the claim payment to you promptly, but this is where many people begin to see problems.
It is possible for the employer to undercut or fail to make those payments to you. If they do this, it’s important that you speak up and look into taking legal action. If the employer doesn’t pay you, then they can be fined and penalized. They may even have to pay you more if they fail to pay you on time.
If you were hurt working on the outer continental shelf, it’s your right to seek fair compensation for what you’ve been through. This act applies to all submerged lands identified in Section 1301 of the Submerged Lands Act, which will help you determine if this or the LHWCA is the right act to make your claim under. Your employer should be willing to help with your claim, but if they are not, then you can take steps to seek legal support and make your claim.
