We've Helped Offshore Workers After Serious Maritime Disasters & Accidents
According to the U.S. Department of Labor statistics, Louisiana leads the nation in maritime jobs. For example, Louisiana is the top employer of captains, mates, pilots of water vessels, sailors, marine oilers, and ship engineers. As the maritime industry is one of the most dangerous industries to work for, it is not uncommon for offshore workers from all over Louisiana to suffer serious accidents.
Working as a seaman in the maritime industry is a high-risk job because they work with heavy loads and large equipment while dealing with hazardous vessel conditions and the natural risks of working offshore. For example, if a worker gets seriously injured hundreds of miles offshore, it is difficult for him or her to get immediate medical attention—making offshore jobs extremely dangerous. Mitigating the risks you face is a vessel owner’s responsibility. If they fail in that responsibility, you can hold them accountable under the Jones Act. The Baton Rouge Jones Act attorneys at Arnold & Itkin have helped our clients win billions of dollars to rebuild their lives.
What Is the Jones Act?
The Jones Act is the common name for the Merchant Marine Act of 1920—a federal statute that governs maritime commerce transported between U.S. ports. It also sets regulations over the maritime industry and protects U.S. workers when they’re injured at sea. The Jones Act allows offshore workers who suffer injuries due to unseaworthiness or negligence to file a claim against their employers. If a maritime worker has experienced a wrongful death, the Jones Act also allows immediate family to fight for compensation under the Jones Act.
Under the Jones Act, injured workers can claim:
- Cost of living during recovery
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Lost wages
- Medical care
- Mental anguish
- Physical pain, suffering, and disfigurement
Filing a Jones Act claim should be handled with the guidance and experience of a Baton Rouge Jones Act attorney. Navigating the unfamiliar waters of admiralty and maritime law requires a deft and seasoned hand—with your family’s future at stake, you don’t want anyone less than someone who has won billions in court. Arnold & Itkin LLP is among the most renowned maritime firms nationwide, providing industry-shifting counsel for the largest cases in recent history. If you want to know what to do next, speak with us in a free review of your case.
Maritime Worker Rights Under the Jones Act
The Jones Act allows qualified seamen to seek compensation after suffering serious injuries while aboard a vessel due to unseaworthiness, vessel hazards, or general negligence. You can file a claim whether your injury was caused as a result of the vessel owner, operator, or another employee’s negligence. Every maritime worker has the right to a safe work environment under the Jones Act.
A seamen’s rights under the Jones Act include:
- The right to a reasonably safe work environment
- The right to make a claim if injured by negligence
- The right to maintenance and cure
- Additional compensation if a vessel is unseaworthy
- The right to punitive damages in some cases
Claims of Unseaworthiness Under the Jones Act
Under the Jones Act, the ship owner is required to keep the vessel seaworthy (or free of preventable hazards) for employees. A vessel owner is not allowed to shift this obligation to anyone else. While there's no hard-and-fast definition of "unseaworthiness" under the law, there are a broad set of conditions that would qualify a ship as unseaworthy. If your ship's unseaworthiness caused your injuries, you can claim more compensation.
An offshore vessel can be considered unseaworthy due to the following:
- An inadequately sized crew
- Improperly stowed cargo
- Lack of appropriate safety guards or rails
- Lack of fire suppression equipment
- Lack of proper elevators or hoists
- Lack of sufficient food
- Unsafe living conditions
- Untrained crew or captain
Our Louisiana Jones Act Lawyers Have Recovered Billions for Clients
If you work in the maritime industry in or near Louisiana and are considering utilizing the benefits provided in by the Jones Act, call the Louisiana personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Itkin at (888) 493-1629. We are experienced in this area of law and have won billions of dollars for our clients. Arnold & Itkin wants to be the team to fight back against the large maritime companies and strive toward making the industry a safer place.
Call our Louisiana Jones Act lawyers today for help at (888) 493-1629. Your consultation is free, confidential, and will help you easily discover what your options are.
