If you work at sea, it’s important to remember that you have certain rights and protections. In fact, if you suffer an injury while working, you have the right to seek remedies. That said, pursuing compensation can be difficult. You’ll want to hire a New Orleans maritime injury lawyer to help you pursue the compensation you need to cover medical expenses and other losses.
At Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers, we know that maritime work is hard work and we understand that you shouldn’t pay out of pocket for any injuries that occurred while you were working. That’s why we’re here to help you seek the results you need to recover. We’ve won over $100 million for injured clients, so you can trust us to file a strong claim on your behalf.
About Admiralty Law
Our New Orleans personal injury lawyers are closely familiar with admiralty law, or maritime law, which refers to the laws of the sea. If you work offshore, you may not be covered like employees who work on land. Instead, you have a completely different set of rules that determine how you should be compensated if you’re ever injured on a vessel.
If you’re injured on the job on land, you can file a workers’ comp claim and be done with it. Or, if your employer was negligent, you can sue them for whatever damages you feel you’re owed. If you’re an offshore worker, it’s a completely different game. You can pursue compensation, but an admiralty court will hear it, and you’ll be represented by an admiralty or maritime lawyer.
How does the Jones Act Apply to Me?
The Jones Act was first passed in 1920 and has undergone several revisions since then. At its core, the Jones Act is intended to protect American maritime interests and ensure that American ports are served by American vessels, operated by American companies, and (largely) American crews.
However, the Jones Act also provides important protections for maritime employees. If you work at sea, the Jones Act gives you the right to seek financial compensation from your employer in the event of injury, negligence, or unseaworthiness. This compensation can include money for your medical care and lost wages.
A New Orleans Jones Act attorney can offer legal representation, help you exercise your rights as a maritime employee, and get you the compensation you deserve.
Maritime Work is Dangerous. Lawyer Up
Working on a ship is hard work. It involves heavy machinery, wet and uneven surfaces, and a certain kind of chaos that can only occur on the high seas. Of course, any injury has the potential to put your life on hold for weeks or months, or even longer, if the injury is serious enough. How do you make ends meet if you’re out of a job and trying to recover?
Whether you were injured by a crane, by slipping on wet stairs, or in another offshore accident, you deserve to be compensated for your accident at sea. That’s where our New Orleans Jones Act lawyers can help.
We Know Your Rights
Work on ships, docks, rigs, and other maritime employment is inherently dangerous. That said, as Jones Act attorneys in New Orleans, we know that there are many standards and safety measures that maritime employers must comply with. The Occupational and Health Administration (OSHA) has many regulations for almost all fields of labor.
However, maritime jobs come with many regulations specific to that type of work since it is a unique field with unique dangers. Therefore, the Jones Act offers employees protections that are relevant to the work that they perform on a daily basis that other fields of work would never encounter.
It is important that you know your rights if you’ve been injured or witnessed unsafe and illegal work practices taking place. Our team can explain this to you in detail as it relates to you and your situation. Don’t wait to give us a call and schedule your consultation, where you can ask questions, get legal advice, and more.
Workers’ Compensation and the Jones Act
Workers’ compensation is a somewhat general term referring to workers receiving compensation from their employer to cover the costs of an injury that they suffered while on the job. Workers’ compensation is a part of the Jones Act as it is specifically written for maritime employees.
If you’ve been injured while on the job, you likely have a right to workers’ compensation, and our team can explain your options and help you prepare your workers’ compensation claim. Going through this process on your own is not recommended because you will likely miss items that can be included in your claim, such as lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
A Jones Act attorney from New Orleans will help you every step of the way to ensure that nothing is missed. Many employers try to avoid paying workers’ compensation or attempt to get you to accept a lowball offer that will not cover your expenses. If this is the case, that’s all the more reason to hire a dedicated maritime injury attorney from our team.
Three Reasons to Lawyer Up
There is no reason to go through this alone. Our team of maritime attorneys will be happy to work with you and guide you through the legal process to come. Here are three of the benefits you’ll enjoy by hiring our experienced attorneys and letting us take legal action for you:
Get the Most for Your Claim
Having a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim is always recommended because they know what your claim is worth and won’t accept an offer that is too low. A Jones Act lawyer from New Orleans will know the intricacies of the law as it pertains to maritime workers specifically, allowing them to seek the full value of your claim.
Employers and insurance companies will try to intimidate you and tell you half-truths (or even lies), but our lawyers do not intimidate easily and know how to deal with these parties by demanding the compensation that you deserve. No matter how severe your injury was or how unseaworthy your conditions were, you can count on us to get the most out of your claim.
Know Your Options
We know that you aren’t an expert in the legal field and probably haven’t been through a legal case like this before. But we have. We have experience in the specific legal field of the Jones Act, maritime laws, workers’ compensation, and more.
We can use our experience and legal knowledge to help you make informed decisions throughout your case. Right from the start, you will need to know all of your options so that you can make informed decisions that you understand and feel comfortable and confident in.
Our New Orleans Jones Act lawyers will answer all of your legal questions and explain your options in detail, arming you with the information necessary to make the many decisions that will come up throughout your claim.
Reduce Stress
It isn’t particularly fun or easy to go through a legal claim, and it can cause a lot of undue stress that you don’t need right now. You should be focusing on your healing and recovery, not trying to learn the law and the complexities of the legal system. We’ve already done that and are ready to help you with your claim.
You can rest assured that we have what it takes to handle your claim while you take care of other important things in your life, like your loved ones, your mental and emotional health, and your physical recovery. We’ll also reduce financial stress by working on a contingency fee basis. In other words, we won’t charge for our services unless we win your case.
Other Ways a Jones Act Attorney from New Orleans Can Help
In addition to the benefits listed above, a lawyer with experience in the Jones Act can also provide valuable advice on how to prevent accidents and injuries from occurring on vessels. They can work with employers to develop safety protocols and procedures and advise on best practices for preventing common types of accidents in the maritime industry, such as falls.
Furthermore, a lawyer can assist employers in conducting investigations following an accident or injury. They can help to gather evidence, interview witnesses, and determine the cause of the accident. This information can then be used to improve safety procedures and prevent similar accidents from happening in the future.
It’s worth noting that the Jones Act is not the only law that applies to the maritime industry. Other laws and regulations, such as the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and the Oil Pollution Act, also apply to various aspects of maritime commerce.
A lawyer with experience in these areas can provide additional support and guidance to clients who work in the maritime industry.
The Injury Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Any injury can put your life on hold. You’ll have to deal with your recovery (and it can take weeks or months before you’re back on your feet), but you’ll also have to deal with a growing pile of medical bills. To make matters worse, you can’t clock in and collect a paycheck, even if it’s the only thing keeping you from falling behind on your mortgage or other debts.
If your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, you shouldn’t have to face it alone or pay for it out of pocket. And if you were hurt on the job, you definitely should be compensated for your injuries.
Instead of covering your medical expenses and other losses out of pocket, hire a Jones Act lawyer from New Orleans and demand the remedies you’re owed.
A New Orleans Jones Act Attorney Can Represent You at Admiralty Court
The sea is governed by laws and courts that are different from those on land. In the event of a work injury on land, an employee is able to seek workers’ compensation – or, failing that, he or she can sue for damages in a civil court if an employer was dangerously negligent.
Injuries at sea fall under the realm of an admiralty court instead. Federal laws dictate how a claim should be settled if an injury occurs at sea, and these claims need to be heard by specialized courts that know the intricacies of maritime law.
Our team has a deep understanding of maritime law and can represent you in court. We’ll present compelling evidence and legal arguments, fighting tirelessly to get the verdict you deserve. Whether you were injured by dangerous working conditions, equipment failure, or another form of negligence, we’ll protect your best interests at trial.
Causes of Sea Accidents We Can Investigate
Our team has handled countless cases involving sea accidents and is familiar with nearly every type of incident that can happen offshore. We can draw on our experience, investigative skills, and extensive resources to properly investigate your case and gather the evidence we need to file a winning claim.
Here are some of the common factors behind maritime accidents and injuries we can identify and potentially pursue damages for:
Inadequate Training
Working at sea requires incredible skill and attention to detail. That is why maritime workers must undergo thorough training. Unfortunately, some workers do not receive the training they need or may not be qualified for the job.
For instance, if a crane operator is not trained properly, he or she can cause an accident by positioning the loads incorrectly or not knowing what hazards to look out for. If you were injured by a worker who was poorly trained or not qualified for the job, we can gather evidence to hold your employer accountable for their negligence.
Bad Weather
When you work out at sea, you are bound to see bad weather. Big storms can increase the risk of accidents and injuries on a ship. Although vessel owners can’t control the weather, they can take measures to reduce the risk of injuries related to natural events.
Depending on the weather event you were injured in, our team may be able to pursue compensation for your medical bills and other losses. During a free consultation, we can assess your unique situation and discuss how we can help. Reach out to us soon so we have the time we need to gather evidence and construct a strong claim.
Enclosed Spaces
Maritime workers may also suffer harm if they are in enclosed spaces, like cargo areas. These areas may not have proper ventilation and can easily get contaminated with toxic gasses like carbon monoxide. To make matters worse, these areas can be difficult to escape from. Workers may have trouble breathing or suffer poisoning from being in an enclosed space.
If you were hurt in an enclosed space during a toxic gas leak or another unsafe condition, our New Orleans Jones Act attorneys can investigate the incident. We’ll gather important evidence and pursue maximum compensation for the injuries and other setbacks you’ve been burdened with.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Ships have many slip and fall hazards. When unseaworthy conditions are present, workers can slip and fall and suffer serious injuries, like broken bones, head injuries, and spinal cord injuries. Employers can reduce the risk of these accidents by installing anti-slip surfaces.
If you’ve suffered a serious injury in a slip and fall incident, our New Orleans traumatic brain injury lawyers and other representatives can seek damages on your behalf. Additionally, if you’ve suffered spinal damage, you can count on our New Orleans spinal cord injury lawyers to pursue the remedies you’re owed.
Fires and Explosions
Fire and explosions on ships can pose a great danger to maritime workers. Most of these accidents result from misusing flammable liquids on the vessel. Workers can suffer severe burn injuries from fire and explosions that require immediate medical treatment.
Our team can use your medical records and bills to recover the compensation you need to support your physical recovery. We’ll handle your entire case so you can focus on attending medical appointments and getting the rest you need to recuperate.
Getting Caught in Moving Parts
A ship has a lot of moving parts, which can be a danger to maritime workers. If workers are not paying attention when they are around a moving part or get their clothes caught in it, they can sustain serious injuries, like limb loss.
If you’re an injured seaman who was hurt in an incident involving moving parts, our legal team is here to help. We can investigate the equipment that caused your injury and build a claim on your behalf.
Faulty Equipment
Even the most experienced and skilled maritime workers can get injured if they work with faulty equipment. In this situation, the worker may be able to file a third-party lawsuit against the manufacturer. If you’re an injured worker who was hurt by faulty equipment, our team can inspect the equipment and gather evidence for your case.
We’ll pursue damages from the company responsible for manufacturing the defective equipment and keep you updated on our progress throughout your case. Whether a manufacturing company, equipment repair company, or another party is at fault, our New Orleans offshore accident lawyers will work hard to recover the remedies you need.
Why You Need a Workers Compensation Lawyer
Maritime injury claims can be incredibly complicated. From investigating accidents to complying with maritime laws, filing a winning claim can be a difficult, uphill battle. The good news is that our Jones Act attorneys from New Orleans are here to offer their experience and commitment to client success.
Here’s why hiring an attorney is a smart choice to make if you want to get the most out of your claim:
Knowledge and Experience
Maritime law is a complex and specialized area of law, and it takes an experienced and knowledgeable lawyer to help get through the complicated and stressful legal process. A lawyer from our team can draw from their experience to make your claim as strong as possible.
Protection of Your Rights
When you have been injured in a maritime accident, your employer and their insurance company will likely try to minimize their liability and pay you as little as possible. After all, they care about the bottom line above everything else. A Jones Act lawyer from New Orleans will fight to protect your rights and ensure that you receive fair compensation for your injuries.
Handling of Complex Cases
These types of cases can be complex, involving multiple parties, complex legal issues, and large amounts of money at stake. A lawyer will have the experience and resources necessary to handle even the most complex cases effectively.
If you are a maritime worker who has been injured while working, don’t hesitate to seek the help of a qualified New Orleans Jones Act lawyer from Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers as soon as possible. With our knowledge, experience, and commitment to protecting your rights, you’ll have an excellent chance of receiving the compensation you need to move forward with your life.
Get in Touch with a New Orleans Jones Act Attorney
At Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers, we know that maritime work is hard work. It’s an important job, but it’s also dangerous. If you work on a ship, you may be exposed to hazardous materials, heavy machinery, and wet or uneven surfaces. These are all dangerous to your health, safety, and your livelihood.
If you’re injured at sea, you deserve legal help from a law firm that has your best interests in mind. Reach out to our firm today to learn what a New Orleans Jones Act lawyer from our office can do for you. We always fight for the win and aim to provide exceptional service. You can count on us to make the right choices for your case at every stage of the legal process.
