Many factors make maritime jobs dangerous work. Storms, spillages aboard ships, insecure loads, and carelessness are just some reasons why less-than-ideal conditions cause accidents. If you or a loved one suffered injury in a maritime accident, a Crowley maritime injury lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers could help you seek financial recovery.
Sea law can be complex to understand. If you are trying to figure it while injured, it might add only stress to your situation. We know the laws’ nuances and will help you understand how they apply to your case. We will protect your rights and interests while we seek financial recovery for you. You can start with a free consultation today.
How We Can Help Your Crowley Maritime Injury Case
Our legal team will support and guide you through your case. Professional legal representation can guide you through the pitfalls of maritime legislation and ensure that you receive everything that you are due. You will receive comprehensive legal services if you hire us. Our lawyer will manage all phases of your case. Additionally, we will:
- Investigate the incident that led to your injuries
- Name who should compensate you for your damages
- Gather evidence that supports your injury claim
- Explaining Louisiana’s maritime laws to you
- Filing your case paperwork on time
- Calculating each loss that you suffered and assigning it a value
- Reviewing settlement offers you could receive
We take other steps to guide your case and will represent you in court if that’s the next step. We also will take time to help you understand what to expect as you go through process and update you regularly on the developments in your case.
For a free legal consultation with a maritime injury lawyer serving Crowley, call 337-221-9907
Common Maritime Injuries
Even though maritime workers do not have protections under workers’ compensation as land employees do, several federal laws help them recover compensation should they suffer injury in the workplace. Injuries that could lead to a maritime workplace claim include:
- Head trauma (traumatic brain injuries and other head injuries)
- Broken bones
- Neck, back, and spinal cord injuries
- Loss of limb, digits
- Electric shock
- Smoke inhalation
- Exposure to toxic chemicals
- Internal bleeding
- Internal organ damage
- Slip and fall injuries
- Drowning
- Lacerations, burns, cuts, scrapes
Possible Compensatory Damages in a Crowley Maritime Injury Case
Your recoverable damages in a Crowley maritime injury case will depend on your situation, the severity of your injuries and recovery time, and your compensation options. Common damages in these cases include:
- Medical expenses: These include past and future costs, doctor’s appointments, surgery, medication, medical equipment, and rehabilitation services
- Lost wages: This is the income you would have earned for a specific period if your injuries had not prevented you from working.
- Pain and suffering: These damages include how your accident and injuries affected your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Crowley Maritime Injury Lawyer Near Me 337-221-9907
How Injured Maritime Workers Can Seek Recovery for Their Injuries
During your free consultation, we’ll ask you questions about your accident and injuries to get a better idea of what happened. When our Crowley injury lawyer goes over the details with you, they will see if your potential claim fits under one of these legal options:
The Jones Act
Any person who works on a seafaring vessel can directly sue their employer under the Jones Act if it is determined their employer’s negligence or another worker’s negligence caused their workplace injury. The worker must qualify as “seaman” under the act. As the act defines, a seaman as any sea-based worker who spends 30 percent or more of their time maintaining a vessel.
Examples of negligence include an understaffed ship, inadequate training, or working in unsafe working conditions. A claimant has three years from the injury date to file a claim under the Jones Act, per U.S Code 46 § 30106.
The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA)
Maritime workers who work on land also have legal recourse under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). It covers people who build and repair ships and:
- Shipbreakers
- Harbor or dock construction workers
- Longshore operators who work at sea or on land
Injuries that occur during while these workers loading or unload a vessel could be the basis of claim. They also could seek recovery if they get hurt while building or repairing a vessel.
LHWCA claimants must submit their documentation and forms to the U.S. Department of Labor that handles workers’ compensation claims. The governing body at the Department of Labor will review the request. If it rejects the application, the claimant can seek a hearing with an administrative law judge (ALJ).
It is important to note that an injured party has just a year (12 months) to file a claim under this legislation.
The Death on the High Seas Act
The Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA) affords designated relatives to recover losses if a maritime worker in their family succumbs to fatal injuries while working in waters more than 3 nautical miles from the United States coast.
Beneficiaries must show their late relative’s employer, shipowner, or another party was negligent, and therefore, responsible for their loved one’s death. They also can prove wrongful death if they show the vessel was not seaworthy. Per the United States Code 46 § 30303, the damages they could recover would be pecuniary in nature, which are measurable-out-pocket expenditures. They would not be able to recover usual wrongful death damages, such as pain and suffering.
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Call Us Today About Your Crowley, LA, Maritime Injury
If you or someone you know is recovering from a maritime injury in the Crowley, Louisiana, area, the legal team at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can speak with you or them during a free consultation to learn how we could help you pursue damages that could help you pay your medical bills and more.
We can assess your situation and potential claims and advise you of your legal options. We will fight for the financial recovery you need. We are a contingency law firm and will receive payment only if we do not recover compensation for you. Call us at (337) 777-7777 for your free case evaluation today.
Call or text 337-221-9907 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
