Texas Jack-Up Rig Accident Lawyer

Jack-up rigs — the three- or four-legged mobile offshore drilling units that tow to location and extend legs to the seabed — are workhorses of the shallow-water Gulf of Mexico. They drill, work over, and complete wells in water depths up to about 400 feet and are operated by companies like Noble, Shelf Drilling, Valaris, Transocean, and Borr. The offshore legal classification of a jack-up rig is well-settled as a vessel in navigation, which means Jones Act, unseaworthiness, and maintenance and cure all apply to injured crewmembers. A Texas jack-up rig accident lawyer at McFarlane Law represents floor hands, derrickmen, drillers, electricians, mechanics, crane operators, and other crew injured on Gulf jack-ups.

Operational Hazards Unique to Jack-Up Rigs

Jack-up rigs face distinct hazards at each phase of operations. During wet tow and dry tow, the rig is transited to location by tugs — and injuries during mobilization and demobilization are common. During preloading, the legs are jacked down into the seabed and the hull is raised clear of the water; an improperly prepared seabed can result in punch-through events where a leg suddenly plunges deeper, sometimes catastrophically. During drilling operations, the rig functions like a platform — with all the drilling and pipe-handling hazards of any rig. During severe weather, jack-ups are at increased risk because they cannot move and must ride out storms or evacuate crew. Many Gulf jack-up casualties trace to seabed failures, weather-related rig failures, or mistakes during the complex preload-and-jack-up operation. Each phase requires a different liability analysis.

Jones Act Negligence on Jack-Ups

Jack-up crews are Jones Act seamen. The Jones Act imposes a very low burden of proof — the employer’s negligence must have played any part, however small, in the injury. Common negligence theories include inadequate training, failure to enforce safe drilling practices, failure to address known equipment defects, inadequate fatigue management, unsafe work methods, and failure to provide proper personal protective equipment. When rig contractors prioritize hitch schedules over safety, when mechanical issues are deferred, or when safety meetings are treated as rubber stamps, Jones Act liability follows. McFarlane Law pleads Jones Act negligence, unseaworthiness, and maintenance and cure in every jack-up case to present the strongest possible case to the jury.

Unseaworthiness Claims on Jack-Up Rigs

A jack-up is unseaworthy when the rig, its crew, or its gear is not reasonably fit for intended purpose. That can include inadequately maintained jacking systems, improperly sized or fatigued drill pipe, insufficient personal protective equipment, inadequately trained crew, and unsafe methods of work. Unseaworthiness is strict liability — the rig owner is liable even without notice or fault. In jack-up cases, McFarlane Law typically retains naval architects, drilling engineers, and former drilling supervisors as experts to establish the specific ways in which the rig fell short of industry standards. American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) classification records, Coast Guard inspection reports, and internal safety audits are routinely subpoenaed to build the unseaworthiness case.

Maintenance and Cure for Injured Jack-Up Crew

Every Jones Act seaman on a jack-up is entitled to maintenance (daily living expenses) and cure (medical care) until maximum medical improvement — regardless of fault. Employers routinely pay inadequate maintenance rates (often $15-$25 per day despite actual living expenses being much higher) and pressure the crew to accept company-doctor MMI determinations. Injured jack-up workers have the right to select their own physician, challenge premature MMI findings, and sue for punitive damages when maintenance or cure is arbitrarily denied. McFarlane Law ensures these rights are honored and pursues punitive relief when employers engage in bad-faith handling of the maintenance and cure obligation.

Related Practice Areas

Related: Texas offshore drilling rig injury lawyer, oil platform accident lawyer, Texas Jones Act lawyer, unseaworthy vessel lawyer. Hub: Texas offshore injury lawyer.

Talk to a Texas Injury Lawyer Today

If you were hurt on a jack-up rig in the Gulf, call McFarlane Law. Free consult; no fee unless we win. Austin (512) 222-4900, Odessa (432) 803-5000.