Oil, gas and offshore compensation claims
When it comes to helping victims of oil and gas accident claims, the work of Digby Brown is not confined to just the North Sea.
With a track record of damages secured from companies in USA, Africa, the Middle East, Asia or Australasia, our expertise literally spans the globe. We’ve achieved this via the efficient collaboration between two in-house specialist teams: Offshore in Aberdeen and Foreign & Travel in Edinburgh, meaning sound legal advice can be provided no matter where in the world you were injured.
It is important to remember that making a personal injury claim should not affect your employment rights. Your employer has a duty of care and that includes doing what is right after you have injured whilst carrying out your job.
Getting help after an offshore accident
The risks in offshore work are unlike any other: defective equipment, helideck operations, testing, wireline, rope access, decommissioning, subsea work, explosions, manual handling operations, BOP, FPSO or accommodation modules.
The sheer scale of risks means employees at all levels seek our legal advice: from roustabouts to divers to management, employees, contractors or external consultants, platforms or marine vessels, travelling via the road, fixed-wing aircraft or helicopter.
But regardless of the risks, your employer must – by law – give you training, PPE, a safe environment and a safe method of working. And your rights to safety do not end because you choose to work in the oil and gas sector.
No win, no fee personal injury solicitors
The expression “No win, no fee” is often used in personal injury cases. It is used as a way of funding a compensation claim where the accident victim does not have the means to pay for the costs involved as the case progresses.
A number of solicitors are prepared to handle personal injury cases on a “No Win – No Fee” basis but very few are able to offer their clients complete protection if the case is unsuccessful.
In that event, the client could end up being liable for many thousands of pounds in legal expenses or the case won't be fully investigated and therefore likely to under-settle.
Compensate 'no win, no fee' funding
Digby Brown has its own funding company, Compensate, which provides the funding to allow the case to be fully investigated, employ the best experts surrounding the circumstances of the accident and/or injuries sustained and where and if necessary go to court.
If for whatever reason the case is unsuccessful, Compensate pays all your legal expenses and those of your opponent – you pay nothing.
On average our clients receive over 3 times the pre-litigation offer
Because of Compensate funding Digby Brown's success rate is extremely high and on average our clients receive three times the pre-litigation offer.
In the event the case is successful, a small percentage of your damages will be deducted with VAT to pay for this service. The percentage which Compensate will charge depends on the degree of risk involved. We believe that this is the fairest method of giving clients access to justice whilst ensuring their cases are fully investigated, prepared and funded.
Don’t take our word for it, just read many of the court decisions and case studies on our website.
Beware of compensation offers which may be too good
We know you will have seen many adverts offering 100% compensation or telling you that you will not lose any of your compensation, however we believe there are a number of problems with companies that do this.
- How do they make their money if they don’t charge you anything?
- If they aren’t taking any money from you, the client, what incentive do they have to ensure you receive the right level of compensation, appropriate to the injuries you have sustained?
- Fully preparing a case, finding out exactly what happened and what the consequences of your injuries may mean in the long term, is expensive, how do they do this properly?
- If they aren’t fully preparing these cases will they just accept the first offer they are given on your behalf by the Insurance company?
- It makes simple business sense, the less work they do the higher their profit margin is - they simply have no incentive to work harder on your behalf.
- These adverts in the main are from English firms on national television which operates in a different way and therefore wouldn’t apply to a Scottish person.
We know from the many client cases we mandate from other firms of solicitors (in the main at the request of the client who is extremely unsatisfied with the service received for the other firm) that many shortcuts are taken in preparation and that the first offer received is being recommended for acceptance, regardless of the value.
Getting something for nothing is usually the first sign of poor service.
Correct level of compensation with Digby Brown
Our experience and statistics show time and time again we will achieve the correct level of compensation which will be substantially more than the insurer is initially prepared to offer.
Even after we have deducted our percentage as a success fee you will gain considerably more than you would have achieved using a 100% compensation model.
Contact Digby Brown's personal injury solicitors
We have offices across Scotland in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Kirkcaldy, Inverness, Aberdeen and Ayr.
For further information about no win, no fee, or anything else, call us on 0333 200 5925 or fill in our enquiry form below and someone will get back in touch with you.
How we help with offshore injury claims
Successfully settling offshore injury cases is complex but it is also our bread and butter. Every day we overcome the challenges of international law, safety regulations and the real life and eco-political workings of O&G corporations to secure justice for workers.
Your solicitor will fully investigate your accident on a no win, no fee basis and consider:
Your injury - and any effects it may has on you, your quality of life and ability to work in the future.
Medical treatment – we will take steps to ensure you access the best possible medical care. If this means going private, the costs of this will simply be added to your claim and paid by the other side.
Rehabilitation - Some people may require significant physiotherapy or even help with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Again, this is something we can help you access.
Loss of earnings and accrued expenses - If your injury stops you working (either for a certain period of time or, in some cases, permanently), we will make sure you are not left out of pocket. There are small expenses people can include as part of their claim such as pay for a taxi home or to cover the costs of damages to any personal possessions. It is important to keep any receipts for this purpose as they may become useful at the time you make a claim.
Our client David Upton was working on a vessel off the coast of the Congo when he fell down stairs covered in grease. This case was fraught with jurisdictional difficulties given that Mr Upton is Scottish, his employer was based in Singapore and the vessel was registered in France. But despite the challenges in holding the right people accountable and navigating the jurisdictional difficulties we secured Mr Upton £725,000.
Serious or fatal oil and gas accidents
Sadly, it is a reality that the negligence of an employer or company can sometimes be so severe that it results in a worker suffering a life-changing injury - or even their untimely passing. The dangerous nature of the oil and gas industry means bereaved families looking for answers and justice following the death of a loved one also seek our help.
We do not mention this lightly and we don’t mean to cause upset by doing so. However, we believe it is right that you know where to find help or advice should you ever be affected by a serious accident.
Many people don’t realise this, but if your loved one died as a result of an accident at work then an independent personal injury solicitor can do more than help you recover compensation. We can help shed light on unknown facts around the incident and play a part in the improvement processes to make sure employers never repeat the same mistakes.
Serious or fatal accidents are sensitive and traumatic times but we will do everything we can to support you. We will also provide assistance during any investigations by HSE, the procurator fiscal or a fatal accident inquiry (FAI).
We also have a dedicated Serious Injury department who specialise in helping the survivors of an acquired brain injury or spinal cord injury, and indeed their families. The Serious Injury department’s reputation is recognised by global legal watchdogs which is why they are frequently commended by dedicated support groups like Spinal Injuries Scotland, Back Up and Headway.
Why use Digby Brown for an offshore personal injury claim?
Digby Brown recovers more than £100million every year for clients. For the last 18 years, our expertise has been recognised by Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 for 14 years, which are the go-to guides for accessing legal help.
We have also been recognised as Scotland’s Law Firm of the Year for five out of the last seven years (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2022).
The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has around 50 specialists listed in Scotland and about half of these work at Digby Brown.
Remember - compensation is not an ‘award’. It is a payment made in recognition of your injuries to put you back in a financial position as if the accident never happened. Negligent employers are legally bound to compensate people injured by their failings.
Compensation is your legal entitlement and it can make the difference when it comes to protecting the future for you and your family.
In the first instance we suggest to simply call us we are open 8.00am to 8.00pm Monday to Friday and 12 – 4pm at the weekends, we have a dedicated Legal Enquiry Team who can answer your questions and help clarify whether you should take things further. Or simply fill in an enquiry form and someone can call you back at your convenience.
Because it matters...
0333 200 5926
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Saturday and Sunday: 12pm - 4pm
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