If you or a loved one has been involved in a maritime accident, you might be eligible for financial compensation. A seaman injury lawyer serving the Terrytown area can handle your injury lawsuit while you rest and focus on recovery.
Common Causes of Maritime Injuries
Even though maritime law covers a wide range of issues, certain types of injuries are more common than others. Slip and fall accidents on ships are certainly the most common type of maritime accident resulting in injury. Seamen working on ships, rigs, and platforms should be aware of the dangers of slick floors and decks. Maritime injuries can stem from a lot of causes, including:
- Hazardous chemicals
- Exposure to toxic respiratory agents
- Working in tight places
- Lack of safety protocols
- Moving large, heavy objects
- Lack of training
- Repetitive motions such as the twisting, pulling, and lifting that are often required (sometimes for hours)
- Inexperienced or fatigued crewmembers using heavy machinery
Laborde Earles injury was great for me they took care of me very fast and professional. If for any reason I need legal help they will be who I use.
ClientThe Jones Act
A seaman injury lawyer is someone who can help you with your claim and negotiate to get you an appropriate settlement. A Terrytown lawyer can determine if you’re a seaman who is eligible for compensation under the Jones Act. To qualify, you must work onboard a navigating vessel, contribute to its overall mission, and spend at least 30 percent of your working time onboard.
Your attorney can help you understand what to expect as your Jones Act case moves forward, including:
- Keeping you on the right track with your medical care: even if your lawsuit is still pending, keep seeing your doctor and following their treatment plan.
- Keeping copies of all your paperwork: your medical records, accident report, letters from your employer, images from the accident, a list of witnesses, and a journal of your injuries are all important pieces of evidence you’ll need copies of.
- Explaining anything you find confusing: maritime law is complex. Your lawyer can explain any legal details or concepts you don’t understand and answer your questions fully.
If you’ve been injured on the job as a seaman, our Terrytown seaman injury lawyers can help identify who is legally responsible for your accident and what damages you can pursue, guiding you and providing solid legal counsel throughout your case.
I thank God for Digger & David. I don’t know what we would have done if it hadn’t have been for them.
Rick Smith | ClientThe Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act
The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA), governs the payment of benefits to workers who become disabled due to work-related injuries. These injuries include those sustained on navigable waters or in adjacent areas commonly used in the loading, unloading, repair, or construction of a vessel.
Longshoremen, ship repairers, shipbuilders, and port construction workers are all included in the LHWCA’s protections. A claim is valid as long as the injuries occur on or near navigable waterways and accompanying places, such as piers, wharves, loading and unloading piers, and docks.
The LHWCA also covers the payment of survivor’s benefits to the maritime worker’s family if they are killed in a maritime work accident. If you’ve lost a loved one this way, you could be entitled to various damages including loss of companionship, loss of consortium, loss of support, final medical bills, and even funeral expenses. A Terrytown seaman injury lawyer can gently guide you through the legal side of this difficult time.
The reassurance from Digger and his staff gave me that renewed hope that it’s going to be okay down the road.
ClientIs There a Deadline for Filing My Lawsuit?
Under the LHWCA, you must file within one year of the date of the accident. You must also notify your employer within 30 days. Under the Jones Act, you must file your lawsuit within three years of the accident, and you must notify your employer within just seven days of the accident.
They treated us like no other people would. Whenever we needed something they were there for us. I put my trust in them and I don’t regret it.
ClientWhat Benefits and Damages Can Seamen Pursue in Terrytown, LA?
General maritime law provides maintenance and cure benefits. This is a stipend that gives an injured seaman money for rent, food, electricity, and medical care related to the injuries sustained in the accident. If your employer refuses to pay out maintenance and cure, your Terrytown seaman injury lawyer can help.
Severe injuries may qualify for even more damages that you and your lawyer could pursue under the Jones Act, including disfigurement, mental anguish, pain and suffering, vocational rehabilitation, lost wages, and loss of potential income.
How a Terrytown Seaman Injury Lawyer Can Help
Our lawyers are familiar with the Jones Act’s definition of seaman’s rights. Injured maritime workers have the right to seek compensation for their losses. Throughout the years, we’ve assisted many seamen in obtaining compensation. There is a lot your Terrytown seaman injury lawyer can do to help, including:
- Explain your rights
- Determine whether or not you’re eligible for compensation under the Jones Act or the LHWCA
- Investigate your accident to determine the at-fault party
- Gather evidence and speak to eyewitnesses
- Work with your doctor to find out the extent and severity of your injuries and how much they could cost to treat over time
- Determine which damages you qualify for and calculate your settlement
- Negotiate with the insurance adjuster and your employer’s legal team
- Answer any questions you may have and keep you updated on any developments in your case
- Represent you in court if an appropriate settlement can’t be reached
Call Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers Today
Consulting with a Terrytown seaman injury lawyer from our firm comes with no upfront costs or charges. At Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers, we’ll review your case for free in your initial case evaluation. In addition, our off-shore accident lawyers work on a contingency basis.
This means if we win and you receive compensation, your lawyer will simply take his or her legal fees out of a percentage of your total settlement package. If we lose, you don’t owe us anything. No hidden fees. No surprise charges. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.
