Worldwide Jones Act Attorneys, Maritime Law Firm, Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris, Advocate for Victims of Oil-Rig Explosion

HOUSTON--(Business Wire)--
The April 20, 2010 Transocean oil-rig explosion and fire off the coast of
Louisiana left 11 crew members unaccounted for and at least seven injured.

Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris, a Houston-based maritime law firm, has
over 45 years of experience representing victims of similar maritime personal
injury cases. The maritime personal injury firm has a team of marine experts
on-hand to the serve as professional council on maritime drowning, exposure
injuries and persistent vegetative states.

Founded in 1964, Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris has been a strong advocate
and representative for maritime personal injury victims. The firm has
represented thousands of maritime personal injury and Jones Act cases and
received outstanding recoveries for clients.

"We have seen this type of devastating situation numerous times and believe that
the plaintiff`s rights must be protected as the defendants file to limit their
liability under the Limitation of Liability Act, 46 U.S.C. § 181 et. seq.," said
Matthew Shaffer, partner of Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris. "Our firm has
over five decades of experience representing clients when companies move to
limit their liability."

In 2008, Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris served on the Plaintiff's Steering
Committee for a similar case in Louisiana in which leaking gas caused the vessel
M/V JILLIAN MORRISON to explode in the navigable waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The firm obtained a confidential seven-figure settlement for the clients against
Jillian Morrison, LLC, Chet Morrison Diving, LLC, Chet Morrison Contractors,
Inc. and Chet Morrison Services, LLC.

That same year, Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris represented a young man who
fell into the water off of a vessel and nearly drowned. The victim was not
discovered in the water in a timely manner, which led him into a persistent
vegetative state. In 2009, the firm settled the case confidentially for close to
$18M. This settlement is believed to be one of the largest Jones Act recoveries
in U.S. history.

"The disastrous injuries possible in the maritime industry are astounding," said
Arthur Schechter, founder of Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris. "Our team of
aggressive maritime trial lawyers at Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris
believe that immediate actions must be taken to improve the safety measures on
oil-rigs and protect the crew members."

In addition to founding Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris in 1964, Arthur
Schechter has served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas,
Board Chairman of METRO and a partner in a national litigation firm. Schechter
received Martindale Hubbell AV rating, the highest such rating available to any
individual lawyer, is a Roscoe Pound Society Lifetime Fellow Honorary President,
and served a member of the American Men`s Club of Nassau for three years. He was
recently named a Texas Supreme Lawyer by Texas Monthly Magazine, one of
Houston`s Top Lawyers for the People by H Texas Magazine and received the
highest civilian award from the United States Coast Guard.

Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris is a firm of aggressive trial lawyers
founded by Arthur Schechter in 1964. The Houston-based maritime law firm has
over 45 years of experience representing victims of maritime personal injury,
providing services in English and Spanish (Espanol). The team of Jones Act
attorneys and maritime lawyers has over 100 years of combined experience in
Maritime Personal Injury Cases and Jones Act Seamen Claims. Schechter, McElwee,
Shaffer & Harris also handles auto accidents, construction injuries and refinery
explosion cases in Houston, TX. The lawyers of Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer &
Harris are prepared to help you win your case and can be reached at
713.524.3500, by visiting http://www.smslegal.com, or via Twitter and Facebook.

integratePR
Allie Herzog, 713-446-6377
aherzog@integratePR.com

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