Maritime Work Is Dangerous. That Doesn't Excuse Accidents.
Ships and offshore rigs are inherently dangerous places to work. Adding to this danger is the fact that these massive pieces of modern engineering float on unpredictable seas. Shipowners have a heightened responsibility to maintain proper safety standards aboard their vessels to keep workers as safe as reasonably possible. When employers fail to create a safe work environment, they must be held accountable for the sake of all offshore workers.
Maritime incidents that often occur due to employer negligence include:
Know Your Rights Under Admiralty Law
Whether you serve on a jack‑up rig in the Gulf or load containers at the Port of Baton Rouge, admiralty law grants you powerful protections. You have the right to work on a seaworthy vessel—one that is properly manned, equipped, and supplied for the task at hand. If an owner or operator allows defective equipment, understaffing, or poor maintenance to put you in danger, you can bring a claim for the full cost of your injuries, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
You also have a separate, unconditional right to “maintenance and cure,” meaning the company must cover your basic living expenses and medical care until you reach maximum medical improvement, no matter who caused the accident. Should negligence or recklessness play a role, the Jones Act and general maritime law allow you to pursue additional damages—including punitive awards designed to punish a company for putting profits over safety.
To make sure these rights aren’t stripped away, act quickly and deliberately after an offshore accident:
- Insist on medical treatment from a doctor you trust, not just the company’s preferred physician.
- Report the incident immediately, but avoid signing statements or settlement papers that limit your future recovery.
- Keep copies of pay stubs, accident logs, and any correspondence with supervisors or insurance adjusters.
- Most importantly, speak with an experienced Louisiana maritime injury lawyer before the company’s investigators or insurers start shaping the narrative to suit their own interests.
A skilled Baton Rouge maritime attorney can secure critical evidence, shield you from corporate retaliation, and fight to ensure every dollar you’re owed ends up in your pocket.
Common Causes of Maritime Accidents in Louisiana Waters
Louisiana’s busy ports and offshore platforms present daily dangers that go far beyond rough seas or heavy weather. When any of these hazards stem from negligence or wrongdoing, a Louisiana maritime injury lawyer can work to hold at-fault shipowners, operators, and third‑party contractors accountable.
Typical triggers include:
- Equipment Failure: Rusted winches, faulty valves, and poorly maintained cranes can snap or collapse.
- Inadequate Training: High‑turnover crews are sometimes rushed onto vessels without proper safety drills.
- Slips and Falls: Oil slicks, unsecured cargo, and missing anti‑skid coatings are all OSHA and Coast Guard violations.
- Explosions & Fires: High‑pressure gas lines, volatile drilling mud, and aging electrical systems can ignite instantly.
- Collisions & Allisions: Heavy barge traffic on the Mississippi River and Intracoastal Waterway increases the odds.
The Importance of Safety & Maintenance at Sea
Vessel owners and operators are required to uphold a certain set of safety standards while conducting business. This is to ensure both the production of the ship as well as the safety of its crew.
Three crucial aspects of the ship need to be maintained under maritime law:
- Manning: This refers to the proper functioning of the staff onboard. Shipowners may be liable if an accident occurs because of poor leadership, running a vessel that is understaffed, or failing to train the seamen onboard properly.
- Equipping: This refers to the equipment used on the vessel to conduct its business. If the equipment is not properly maintained or is not provided, and this leads to an accident, the shipowners may be responsible.
- Supplying: The crew is entitled to an adequate supply of provisions onboard. Supplies need to be planned to match the length or difficulty of the voyage. Incidents regarding a lack of provisions might be subject to shipowner liability.
All of these contribute to the evaluation of a ship as “seaworthy.” When the seaworthiness of a vessel is called into question as a cause for an accident, any crew members who were injured may be able to seek retribution.
Providing for Injured Workers Under General Maritime Law
The courts have unilaterally found that shipowners must provide for their workers if they become injured or sick during the voyage. This provision is known as “maintenance and cure” and provides compensation for the seaman until they fully recover. If a seaman becomes injured or ill and needs to be taken back ashore for medical attention, they may be eligible to receive the wages expected to earn during the full length of the voyage.
However, these are terms usually laid out in the finer points of an employment contract.
The Specifics of Maintenance & Cure
Although this practice is designed to take care of injured workers through their injury or illness, there are limitations to medical improvement, and shipowners will not be able to provide for treatment forever. To avoid the highest benefit payout, shipowners will instead resort to a maintenance rate between $15 and $35 a day, or pick and choose the medical treatments they will cover. The courts, however, will generally favor a commercial shipping crewman if the integrity of the shipowners’ payout can be properly called into question in a court of law.
The Jones Act & Catastrophic Injuries
In 1920, the Jones Act was passed to help injured offshore workers recover compensation for accidents that their employers or other parties could have prevented. While maintenance and cure only covers part of an injury's cost, the Jones Act makes it possible for injured parties to receive maximum compensation. Specifically, this law is most useful when a worker sustains life-altering injuries—also known as catastrophic injuries.
Catastrophic maritime injuries include:
These injuries are notable because they have lasting implications. The Jones Act can help injured workers recover lost wages, medical care, and other expenses. It can also help them stabilize their finances with compensation for the lost ability to work, the cost of future medical care, and pain and suffering caused by their accident.
The best way to learn more about the Jones Act is to call our Louisiana maritime attorneys at (888) 493-1629.
Types of Compensation Available Under Maritime Law
After an offshore injury or loss, the bills don’t stop at emergency care. Maritime law recognizes that seamen, longshore workers, and their families can face lifelong medical costs, months or years of lost income, and the heavy burden of physical and emotional pain. Depending on the statute that governs your case—whether it’s the Jones Act, the Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, or general admiralty law—you may pursue far more than basic medical coverage. You can seek damages that account for every dollar you’ll spend adapting to life after the accident, every paycheck you’ll miss, and every hardship you and your loved ones will endure.
Below are the primary categories of compensation a skilled Baton Rouge maritime attorney can fight to recover on your behalf:
- Past and future medical expenses (surgeries, physical therapy, prosthetics)
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
- Disfigurement and loss of life enjoyment
- Household services and long‑term care
- Wrongful death damages for surviving spouses, children, and dependent parents
- Punitive damages when an owner willfully ignores safety rules or withholds maintenance and cure
Our firm has recovered billions by aggressively pursuing every category of damages available under maritime law.
We've Represented Victims of History's Most Tragic Maritime Disasters
The legal team at Arnold & Itkin has extensive experience in maritime law and any other category that may fall under personal injury. As the leaders in maritime law, we have been involved with countless cases involving offshore injuries and accidents. For example, after the tragic Deepwater Horizon accident, more than a third of the crew turned to our team of Louisiana maritime injury and death lawyers for assistance. We stood up for them and helped fight for the compensation that they needed to take care of themselves and their families.
In addition to the Deepwater Horizon, we were there to assist the widows left behind after the El Faro sank. We’ve also reached a record-setting settlement of $29 million for a family who lost someone they loved during a fatal maritime accident. It’s believed to be the largest known settlement for a wrongful death that occurred offshore. The list goes on, and we believe that it is indicative of our law firm’s passion for protecting offshore and maritime workers. To see for yourself the difference that we have made, we encourage you to visit our victories page today!
Free Consultation with Experienced Louisiana Maritime Lawyers
One of the oldest law codes in the United States comes from centuries-old maritime laws. Many of these laws were designed around the dangers of the sea. Though we’ve come a long way, offshore jobs remain one of the most dangerous occupations. From shipping vessels to energy production on oil rigs, American industry relies on offshore workers facing serious hazards every day.
Maritime accidents can leave you with a lot of questions, anxiety, and fear about your future. It can be difficult to know where you’re going to get the help that you need and if you will be able to take care of yourself and your loved ones. At Arnold & Itkin, we want you to know that we are here to help you through this.
Over the years, we have helped countless individuals who were in the same spot that you are now. We have stood by their side, refusing to back down when companies failed to protect them and then failed to assist in the recovery process. If you would like to get answers and take the first steps toward recovery, contact us immediately. We offer completely free, confidential consultations, and we’re ready to help you.
Call our offices today at (888) 493-1629 to schedule a free consultation with a Baton Rouge maritime lawyer.
