Law Office of Scott A. Nelson, P.C.

Maritime attorneys in Corpus Christi and throughout the United States are pleased to see that the relief well is close to being completed for the Macando well at the Deepwater Horizon well site. Transocean’s Development Driller III rig has successfully drilled about 30 feet since Monday, September 13 as it continues to complete the seal off of the well.

Currently, the relief well is less than 25 feet from hitting the well. The relief well should hit the outer cement shell within a day, maybe earlier. This relief well will then inject drilling mud and cement into the various remaining gaps. This should kill the Macando once and for all. The various injecting and testing processes will probably take about four days. The final effort to permanently kill the well should occur between September 18 and September 28.

The remedies of maintenance, cure and unearned wages are based on the obligation of the employer of seaman to provide suitable quarters, provisions and medical care to seaman while they are aboard the vessel. An employer must provide maintenance and cure to a seamman who suffers injury or illness while "in the service of" his or her ship. The remedy is similar to worker’s compensation, as liability for maintenance and cure is imposed upon the employer without regard to fault. Unlike most worker compensation schemes, benefits are limited to the seman’s medical expenses (cure) until he reaches maximum medical improvement for his condition, wages only to the end of the voyage, and a small sum for living expenese (maintenance) during the period of treatment and convalescence.