Posts Tagged ‘drilling rig workers compensation’

Paul had worked for a Texas-based natural gas drilling company out of Texas for a number of years. The company started to develop drilling sites in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and Paul was put up at a hotel close to the drilling site. Paul had never had an accident in the ten previous years he had worked, despite doing very physical types of activities while working with the various drills on the sites.

Paul’s good fortune ran out though, and he jammed his hand on one of the drill bits, seriously injuring the hand. Paul’s employer was insistent that since Paul was employed out of Texas and the employer was based out of Texas, that he would have to file his comp claim under Texas law.

Issue: Is Paul’s employer correct?

Answer: No. In Pennsylvania, regardless of where an employer is principally located and/or where a contract for hire was entered into, if an injury occurs in Pennsylvania, then Pennsylvania has jurisdiction and Paul will be entitled to benefits under Pennsylvania law. Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation benefits are, for the most part, far more generous, and the injured worker is provided far more protection than in other states, especially states in the South and Midwest.

Disclaimer: The above article is for instructive purposes only and each case is fact sensitive. Consultation with an attorney should be obtained instead of reliance upon the legal issues discussed in this column.

In Pennsylvania, the Department of Labor and Industry monitors and administers the codes and regulations which affect the safety of our workforce. The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (“the BWC”) administers laws which assure that workers are insured against job-related injury, illness, or death. The Health and Safety Division of the BWC is responsible for enforcement of the health and safety regulations of the Workers’ Compensation Act.
The Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety is responsible for the administration and enforcement of various provisions and regulations including the Uniform Construction Code, the Fire and Panic Law, the Universal Accessibility Law, the General Safety Law, the Boiler Law, and the Elevator Law. Also included in the purview of the Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety is the enforcement of the provisions of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Law and the Flammable & Combustible Liquids Law.

With the burgeoning growth of the natural drilling industry in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale field, it’s important that the workers in this industry can be assured of a safe work environment. It’s also important that these workers are aware of the rights and remedies available to them in the event that they suffer a work injury. The team of lawyers at Dougherty, Leventhal & Price are ready to answer your questions on workplace safety and the workers’ compensation system. If you do suffer a work injury, contact us and we will be happy to represent you and guide you through the litigation of your workers’ compensation claim.

Working on or around drill rigs, transporting materials and equipment to and from drill rigs and interacting with drill rig construction and operation can be very dangerous. Companies involved in the operation of the sites and drill rigs are responsible for injuries which occur to workers on site and to the public injured due to company negligence.

If you are a worker injured at a drill site, a worker injured in an off site drill related accident or a member of the public injured as a result of a drill company’s negligence, you may have a claim for money damages.

Drilling rig related accidents can include drill site fires, explosions,chemical exposure, truck accidents, heavy equipment accidents and other accidents which can result in injury or death.

As gas drilling increases in Northeast Pennsylvania the need for experienced personal injury/workers compensation lawyers such as those who work at Dougherty, Leventhal & Price LLP has become more important than ever. If you have been injured on a drilling rig, injured in a drill rig related car or truck accident, or if a family member was killed due to a drill rig accident the lawyers at DLP encourage you to contact our offices immediately to discuss your case. We make house calls anywhere in Pennsylvania.