The Impact of Oil Spills

Oil spills not only wreak havoc on our ecological environment, the conditions in which they occur often causes serious injury or death to oil rig workers. In addition, the spill can harm marine life, disrupt the fishing and tourism industries, and cause extensive property damage. If you or a loved one has been harmed as a result of an oil rig explosion, or if your livelihood has been affected by an oil spill, you may be entitled to compensation. Plaintiffs in the Exxon Valdez oil spill case were awarded $507.5 million in damages; if your life has been seriously affected by an oil spill, you may be eligible for restitution.

Environmental and Economic Damage

Oil spills can be devastating to the local environment and industry. The spill can threaten the lives of birds, fish, plants, and other life. This not only has a significant affect on the local ecological environment, it can also completely shut down local industries that rely on the health of the ocean and marine life in order to prosper. Those who work in the fishing and tourism fields often suffer severe economic losses due to oil spills.

Explosions

Unfortunately, explosions on oil rigs or at refineries are not all that uncommon. A March 2005 explosion at a BP refinery in Texas left 15 people dead and more than 170 injured; in early April of 2010, a fire and explosion at a Tesoro Corp. refinery in Washington killed six people and critically injured another. The Gulf Coast oil rig explosion and subsequent oil spill occurred later that same month, leaving 11 workers dead and 17 injured.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an explosion, you can file a lawsuit against the person or party that was responsible for the accident.

Contact an Oil Spill Attorney

If your life has been affected by the Gulf Coast oil spill, or another oil spill or explosion, contact an attorney as soon as possible. You may be entitled to damages for loss of income, property damage, and any other personal injuries that are related to the oil spill.