Outer Continental
Shelf Lands Act

As described above, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act applies to employees who were injured or who died as a result of work conducted on the outer Continental Shelf. While the technical definition of the Outer Continental Shelf is quite nuanced; simply described, the outer Continental Shelf is submerged land that lies outside state coastal waters, but that is still within U.S. jurisdiction.

Coverage under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act applies in cases including, but not limited to:

• Injuries that happened on drilling platforms, oil rigs, artificial islands, or other fixed structures located on artificial islands, and
• Injuries caused by structure or devices on the outer Continental Shelf.

It is possible for employees injured onshore to have a claim under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court held that an employee injured on kill onshore is eligible for benefits under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act if the employee can establish “a significant causal link between the injury he suffered and his employer’s on-OCS extractive operations.”

Importantly, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act does not cover individuals employed by the government or individuals who were crewmembers on a vessel. In these instances other remedies provided under the Jones Act, state liability laws, or other maritime laws may be available.   

If you are interested in reading the entire Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, please click here.

Being seriously injured in a work-related accident is scary and trying to determine what benefits you are entitled to can be confusing and can cause unneeded stress. If you have been injured in a work-related accident all you energy should be focused on healing. The attorneys at Barnett, Lerner, Karsen, Frankel & Castro, P.A. are experienced with claims under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and will help reduce your stress by navigating the complexities of your claim so that you can focus on getting better.

By extension of the Longshore Act, the benefits provided under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act include both employment-related injury and death benefits.

Medical benefits include “all medical, surgical, and hospital treatment and other medical supplies and services” related to the injury. Expenses can include hospital and doctor’s visits, medications, surgeries, and medical devices. Also covered are the required costs associated with travel and mileage for obtaining the medical care. Injured employees are free to seek medical treatment from a physician of their choice, so long as that physician is approved to provide medical care by the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs.

In the tragic instance of an employee’s death due to work-related injuries, his or her family members or other eligible survivors may be entitled to death benefits. While nothing can replace a lost loved one, it is important to review possible claims under the Non-Appropriated Funds Instrumentalities Act so that surviving family members receive all the benefits for which they are eligible.    

• Funeral Expenses – Up to $3,000 of reasonable funeral expenses may be paid to an employee’s surviving family members.
• Additional Compensation – Surviving spouses receive 50 percent of the employee’s average weekly wage for the rest of his or her life, or until the surviving spouse remarries. If the deceased employee had children, additional compensation is provided at the rate of 16 2/3 percent of the employee’s average weekly wage. In cases where children are the sole survivors, 50 percent of the employee’s average weekly wage is paid with a 66 2/3 percent maximum if there are more than one child is entitled to benefits.

If you are interested in more detailed description of benefits available, please click here.

Timing is very important when beginning a claim for benefits under the Non-Appropriated Funds Instrumentalities Act. An employee, or his survivors, must provide written notice of an injury or death within 30 days of the date of the injury. Additionally, written claims for compensation must generally be filed with the Office of Worker’s Compensation Programs within one year of the injury.