Contractor sues after falling through steel grating on oil rig

MARSHALL�An employee of West Coast Logistics was servicing a rig near Hawkins, Texas, when he fell 14 feet through the rig's steel grating and landed on the concrete floor.

Alleging negligence, Henry Isham filed a personal injury lawsuit against Helmerich and Payne Inc., Helmerich and Payne International Drilling Co. and West Coast Logistics LLC on Jan. 20, in the Marshall Division of the Eastern District of Texas.

After arriving at the oil rig, Isham states he set up his equipment and began servicing the rig's conductor. As he worked his way around, he fell through the rig's steel grating that he was standing on. He states that he fell about 14 feet to the concrete floor of the rig's "cellar."

The plaintiff states that Helmerich and Payne were responsible for the rig's construction and maintenance and alleges one of their employees improperly secured the steel grating.

He states the defendants failed to inspect, warn or fix the grating causing the dangerous condition. Isham believes the defendant should have known of the condition because they employed a "safety man" to supervise the rig's construction and maintenance.

Isham accuses all the defendants of negligence for failing to provide a safe work environment, failing to protect him from work-related hazards, failing to warn of a potential hazard, and failing to act as a reasonably prudent person would have acted under similar circumstances.

The lawsuit argues West Coast Logistics is negligent for failing to provide a safe drilling environment and providing inadequate safety supervision and deficient safety policies.

The plaintiff is seeking damages for physical pain, mental anguish, physical impairment, medical expenses, lost earnings and loss of earning capacity.

Longview attorneys Douglas C. Monsour and Garrett W. Wilson of The Monsour Law Firm are representing the plaintiff.

Jury trial requested.

U.S. District Judge T. John Ward will preside over the litigation.

Case No 2:2010cv00023