Working as a maritime employee, harbor worker or in another marine-related industry places you in danger every day. Heavy machinery and unstable conditions create a hazardous work environment that requires extreme caution and a high standard of safety by both workers and employers. Injuries suffered at ports, on tugs and barges, production platforms, semisubmersibles, and jack-up rigs can be catastrophic, changing lives forever.
Maritime & Offshore Injury Attorney
New Orleans, Louisiana
If you have been injured in the course of performing your job working as a crewmember aboard a barge, commercial or chartered fishing vessel or ferry, you may be able to seek compensation for your injuries under maritime law.
Maritime laws have been established for the benefit of workers who have sustained personal injuries under a number of situations and circumstances.
What are maritime laws?
The Jones Act, Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA), and Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA), are maritime laws that make it possible for workers injured on offshore vessels to seek compensation if they are injured in an accident.
The maritime law-related acts are explained:
- The Jones Act – This law allows an injured seaman to file a claim against employers for financial compensation. In order to be successful, negligence of an employer or crewmember must be proven. It can also be shown that the accident was caused by the vessel’s unseaworthiness.
- Death on the High Seas Act – This law allows surviving family members to take legal action against a vessel or aircraft’s owner if a loved one was killed in international waters. Negligence must be proven in order to be successful.
- Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act – This law works similarly to the workers’ compensation laws of most states. A no-fault system is in place, and the employer or its workers’ compensation insurance provider is responsible for paying out compensation for medical expenses and lost wages.
What Are the Most Common Maritime Injuries?
The most common maritime injuries for both workers and passengers include:
- Falling overboard or even on board, which can result in concussions, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, or even death
- Exposure to toxic fumes, which can cause poisoning, asphyxiation, or other issues — especially within smaller vessels
- Chemical burns
- Repetitive use injuries
- Fishing injuries
- Broken bones
- Lost limbs
- Shoulder injuries
Who do we represent in maritime cases?
- Seamen
- Fishermen
- Fish processors
- Deckhands
- Ferry workers
- Tugboat workers
- Merchant mariners
- Cruise ship passengers
- Those injured in recreational boating accidents
- Workers injured at ports
- other injured maritime workers
If you’ve been injured on the water, contact David Browne today!
Your employer and its insurance company will try to minimize your claim in order to pay you as little as possible. Let David Browne fight for the full payments you’re owed, based upon your injuries and losses, including money for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
With that in mind, your maritime lawyer at our law firm will evaluate the particulars of your case and any offers your employer or another responsible party may make to you. Early, quick offers may well be far less than what you are legally entitled to receive for your injury.
Whether your injuries were caused by an oil rig accident, offshore drilling accident, offshore crane accident, other type of ship accident, cruise ship accident, or even a shore-based accident, our maritime injury lawyers stand ready to help you win your case.
What types of compensation can I recover in a maritime accident?
- Medical costs
- Loss of earning capacity
- Physical pain
- Mental anguish
- Physical limitations
- Disfigurement
