Many Louisiana residents have jobs that take them out on the water, whether to work on an offshore oil rig, or in the commercial shipping, fishing, tourism or other industries. When an accident on the water occurs and a worker is injured, maritime law (also known as admiralty law) governs claims, civil matters, and other disputes. That is when you should talk with an experienced maritime injury lawyer. We know that a lot of offshore workers live around us, including in Covington, Mandeville, Slidell, Franklinton, Bogalusa, Hammond, New Orleans, and Metairie.
If you are injured while working on the water, the questions you have will be similar to those from injured workers who work on land:
- Who will pay for your medical treatment?
- What happens if you are unable to return to work immediately—or at all?
- Are you entitled to a settlement?
- Can you pursue legal action?
Grady J. Flattmann, Attorneys at Law, LLC, provides knowledgeable and aggressive legal representation for individuals who have been injured while working on the water or for clients whose family member was killed in an offshore workplace accident.
Common Maritime Accidents Handled By A Maritime Injury Lawyer
Working on the water presents unique opportunities for serious injuries. Some of the most common accidents our maritime injury lawyer sees off the Louisiana coast include the following:
Man overboard.
Whether from a vessel or an oil rig, when a worker falls overboard, he is at serious risk of drowning, hypothermia, being struck by a vessel, and other injuries.
Enclosed space accidents.
Areas on vessels that are not adequately ventilated can lead to exposure to dangerous gasses and suffocation from lack of oxygen when a seaman is trapped in the space.
Electrical shock.
Exposed wires, unattended electrical connections, and other faulty electrical systems combined with the proximity of water can cause workers to suffer shocks and electrocution.
Explosions and fires.
Generators, compressors, boilers, and other machinery on vessels and oil rigs can explode if not maintained properly. Due to the combustible materials that are often onboard ships, dangerous fires are also common.
Mooring operations.
The docking of large vessels is a complicated and dangerous operation. When proper procedures are not followed, workers on shore and on the vessel can be injured and killed.
Falls from heights.
The most common workplace injury on land or on sea, a fall from a height, can lead to broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and death.
No matter how you were injured--or a loved one was killed or injured--while working on the water, an experienced maritime attorney may be able to help you recover the benefits you may deserve under the Jones Act or other maritime laws.
An Experienced Maritime Injury Lawyer Understands These Unique Laws
Mr. Flattmann has practiced law since 2005. He has a thorough knowledge of maritime law, including the Jones Act, a federal law that governs the liability of marine employers and operators for work-related injuries that occur to seamen. Benefits under the Jones Act include lost wages (maintenance), loss of earning capacity, medical bills (cure), rehabilitation, disability, pain and suffering, and loss of quality of life.
Other laws that may apply to your maritime case includes:
Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA).
Allows a worker's family to collect benefits when a death on the job occurs at least three nautical miles from home.
Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA).
Allows maritime workers, including dock workers and others who are not covered by the Jones Act, to collect workers' compensation benefits.
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA).
Provides an injured seaman the right to bring a lawsuit for incidents that occur on the Outer Continental Shelf, which includes all submerged lands beyond state coastal waters that are more than three miles offshore.
Have You Been Injured On Your Louisiana Maritime Job?
If you've been injured at your maritime job or at sea, you need to speak with an experienced Jones Act attorney as soon as possible. Please contact me online or call my Covington office directly at 985.590.6182 to schedule your free consultation today. I help clients throughout Louisiana including Mandeville, Slidell, Bogalusa, Franklinton, Hammond, New Orleans and Metairie.