Oil Rig Explosions – Are Companies Placing Profits Over Safety?

As the BP oil rig continues to leak into the gulf, Congress continues to debate whether caps should be raised for oil companies involved in offshore spills. According to the Huffington Post, it has been nearly three weeks since a proposal for raising the liability cap from $75 million to $10 billion was introduced and there’s been no progress on putting this bill into law.

Sadly, smaller – but still devastating and deadly – oil rig explosions and spills happen all too frequently, affecting New Mexican employees and workers throughout the country. Often the companies at fault fail to take responsibility. These companies continue to place profits over safety, with the result being catastrophic accidents involving physical injury and death, as well as horrific environmental damage. With low caps in place, little incentive exists for change.

Placing profits over safety may have played a crucial part in the BP disaster. The Washington Post reports that pressure to save and money may have led to the accident. Rather than paying attention to warning signs, which if heeded could have prevented the explosion, BP workers were pushed to move forward with drilling plans in an effort to save time, which translated into significant savings.

As New Mexico personal injury attorneys are concerned about individual’s safety and the environment, we believe BP, as well as any company responsible for causing gas and oil injuries, death, and environmental damage, must be held accountable.

Companies must place safety first. Unfortunately, with the current cap in place, it’s unlikely $75 million will pay adequately pay for the damage BP has caused, nor will it serve as an adequate deterrent to compel BP or other companies to take the necessary safety precautions to prevent disasters in the future.