Experienced maritime injury attorneys
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Offshore or maritime litigation involves some of the most complicated laws any attorney can handle. Maritime laws are complex and very different from the laws that cover injuries that occur on land. If you have been injured as a result of an accident that took place while you were working on a vessel of any kind, it is important that you are represented by an maritime lawyer who has special training in maritime law.
Maritime laws are also referred to as admiralty laws. They are the special rules and regulations written specifically to address activities that take place on American waterways, whether ocean, lake or river. The laws are complex and were largely written for the protection of the people who work on ships and offshore vessels.
Maritime Lawyers have Specialized Knowledge
Because maritime law is a separate branch of law, distinct from the laws that govern the land, it is essential that if you are involved in a legal matter that occurs on the water you work with a offshore injury attorney who is familiar with all of the intricacies of this very special area of law. Our law firm has the experience and knowledge to help you win your case.
Admiralty Law and Maritime Law
Admiralty law and maritime law are written to cover and regulate a great number of events that can occur in national and international waters, but the areas of the law that are of the greatest importance to lawyers are those that are written for the protection of the men and women who work on the ships.
These federal laws create the rules about what happens and who is responsible when a worker is hurt or even killed while offshore. Without these laws the owners and operators of offshore vessels could take terrible advantage of their employees, but maritime law establishes rules about fair reimbursement and medical care.
Keeping Things Fair for Offshore Workers
Working with a maritime lawyer means that you can be sure that your interests will be well represented by somebody who understands the laws and uses them to protect you. Martime lawyers have years of experience fighting against ship owners trying to take advantage of those who don’t know their rights.
Because maritime law is so different, the shipping companies and those responsible for reimbursing you for your damages try to take advantage of lawyers unfamiliar with the ins and outs of this special area of law. That is why it is so important for you to work with a offshore attorney who is knowledgeable in this area. Our maritime lawyers can help.
Louisiana and the Jones Act
Did you know Louisiana has almost 400 miles of coastline and 30,000 people employed in maritime industries? The Jones Act, passed in 1920 and the Longshore Act of 1927 entitle those injured while employed on sea-going vessels or as harbor workers to more benefits than ordinary workers’ compensation.
The Jones act requires maritime employers to pay the cost of transportation and wages until the injured worker can be returned to shore for treatment. Once ashore, they must pay maintenance – the cost of room and board, and cure – the cost of medical treatment.
A Louisiana Jones Act claims attorney can help you get reluctant employers to pay fair maintenance and cure. Usually a strongly-worded letter from a Louisiana Jones Act attorney is enough to convince recalcitrant employers to pay.
Different Maritime Laws
There are a number of different maritime laws that have been written for specific types of injuries and events. Our intuitive knowledge of which law is applicable for your particular injury or loss is an essential part of the knowledge and experience that we bring to providing you with the level of protecting that you need.
Maritime laws include:
- Maintenance and Cure
This is also known as general maritime law, and it says that your company is responsible for taking care of you if you are hurt while working at sea. Whether that involves food and lodging, medical care, hospitalization or any other care, your employer is required to pay.
- The Jones Act
The Jones Act is one of the best known maritime laws. It was written to make sure that if a maritime worker is injured or killed on board ship as a result of negligence by another person on board, or the ship owner, or if the ship isn’t seaworthy, that all of their expenses and damages are paid by the owner.
- Long shore and Harbor worker’s Compensation Act
Written for those who don’t actually go to sea but still work on ships, this act helps provide a form of workers’ compensation for anybody hurt wile working on navigable waters in the United States. If you are unable to work or have medical expenses, it requires your employer to pay.
- Death on the High Seas Act
If you or someone you love is killed while working on board an American ship sailing in international waters, this law protects your rights, enabling your survivors to get compensation and benefits if the ship owner is found negligent or the vessel is determined to have been unseaworthy.
Making Sure You Get the Benefit of the Laws
If you or someone you love is injured or killed while working on a ship or on navigable waters, the laws that are written to protect you are not enough. You need representation by a Jones Act lawyer who will fight for your rights against employers who try to fight having to pay.
Working in the maritime industry is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Whether you work at sea, on the docks or in America’s waterways, you are constantly at risk of serious injury, or even death. Attorneys hold maritime workers in the highest respect, and work hard to make sure that they are treated fairly and that their rights are protected.
Maritime attorneys are personal injury attorneys who specialize in the area of maritime law. This means that in we are committed to protecting the rights of those who have been hurt as a result of the negligence or reckless of others. Unfortunately, this is all too often the case in maritime environments.
Maritime Laws Were Written Because of the Dangers of Working at Sea
Maritime laws have been in existence for a long time, and the ones that address the treatment of workers were specifically written because America’s lawmakers recognized that seamen, long shore and harbor workers, and others who work in the industry are in constant peril and need special protection.
Though the laws were in part created to encourage the ship owners and management companies to ensure that the work environments that they are responsible for are safe, in those cases where appropriate measures have been taken they are also used to provide a remedy for those who have been injured.
Jones Act Lawyer
The Jones Act is a federal law that was specifically designed to provide protection and compensation for employees of sea-going vessels injured or killed as a result of negligence. Originally established during the beginning of the twentieth century as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, it allows seamen and their families to file lawsuits.
The Jones Act is one of a number of maritime laws written because working at sea is so dangerous. Offshore injury attorneys have the special training and knowledge that you need on your side if you’ve been the victim of an offshore injury. Call us today and put our years of experience to work for you.
Benefits of the Jones Act
The Jones Act is designed to protect the rights of seamen, who work in a notoriously dangerous field. Their risks are high but offshore employers have traditionally been slow or unwilling to provide those who have been hurt or the survivors of those who are killed with the compensation that they are entitled to. The law changed that.
As a result of the Jones Act those who have been hurt or whose loved ones are killed in an accident determined to be due to the negligence of the employer or a fellow employee, or due to the lack of seaworthiness of the vessel that they were working on, are entitled to file lawsuits for compensation.
Jones Act Cases
There are a number of different types of Jones Act cases. The compensation that you are entitled to depends on many things, including whether you’re a seaman who was injured while working or a family member of a seamen who was killed. Each case is different, and every case’s value is determined by its specific details.
Understanding the specific differences of a Jones Act case requires a very specific knowledge of maritime law, and personal injury lawyer assistance protects the rights of those who work offshore. For highly skilled maritime law representation, call us today.
Passenger Protection
General maritime law protects cruise passengers and passengers on any ocean-going vessel. If injured while on a vessel, you’ll need the assistance of an accomplished admiralty attorney to file your claim correctly.
Offshore Injury – Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need a maritime lawyer?
Maritime law is a law that has been established by the federal government that specifically applies to accidents that happen while at sea. Because so many companies and vessel owners try to avoid paying injured workers what they deserve, you need a maritime injury attorney well versed in maritime law to protect your rights.
What kind of offshore injuries fall under maritime law?
The Jones Act, which is the law most frequently used in maritime law, establishes rights for those injured or killed on any vessel in active operation, whether it is moving or not, and applies to all seamen, a term that is loosely defined.
If negligence is involved in an offshore injury to an employee that contributes to the vessel’s operation, the Jones Act probably applies, but only an experienced maritime attorney who has reviewed your case can answer with confidence. Call our office today and set up an appointment with one of our skilled maritime lawyers.
How much will it cost me to hire you?
Attorneys will not charge you anything for our services unless we win your case for you, and when we do win we get paid from the amount that you will receive. You’ll never have to pay us anything out of your pocket.
My boss wants me back at work. Should I go?
All too often the owners and managers of companies that employee offshore workers try to make them return to work before they have recovered completely or received adequate medical treatment. Our offshore injury attorneys can help preserve your rights.
How much is my offshore injury case worth?
It is difficult to tell exactly what the dollar value of a case will be because there are so many determining factors. These include the degree of negligence that was exhibited by your employer, what the condition of the vessel was, how badly you were injured and how much you lost or will lose in wages due to your injury.
Once we have looked at all of the details of your case we will be able to provide you with a better idea of its value, but you can be sure that the offshore injury lawyers have the experience and skill needed to get you the highest compensation possible under the law. Call us today for more information.
