Lafayette Maritime Lawyer

Lafayette Maritime Attorney

Louisiana has a 397-mile coastline and 30,000 people employed on oil rigs, in shipping, offshore, and in the fishing industry. Maritime accidents, injuries, and even deaths can happen. In these types of cases, it’s crucial to ensure that your rights and interests are protected by a seasoned Lafayette maritime lawyer.

It is important to remember that an experienced admiralty lawyer can help you navigate your maritime accident. The Lafayette maritime injury lawyers at Gaar Law Firm can be great resources on which to lean.

Common Causes of Maritime Accidents in Lafayette

When it comes to maritime accidents in Lafayette and surrounding areas, they can emerge under different circumstances, from unsafe conditions to a lack of personnel training. At Gaar Law Firm, our experienced personal injury team can help clients who are mostly affected by these common causes of maritime accidents:

• Slip and fall incidents. Poorly maintained walkways and slippery floors are unfortunately all too common in the maritime industry, leading to significant injuries like hip fractures and even traumatic brain injuries.
• Malfunctioning equipment. Machinery that fails due to poor design, manufacturing, or maintenance can lead to severe injuries, such as crushing of bones. Furthermore, inadequate personal protective equipment can exacerbate these injuries.
• Conditions at sea. Extreme conditions at sea, including high waves and changes in the weather, can lead to hazardous conditions on board if staff is not adequately trained or equipment is not adequately maintained to account for these conditions.
• Employer negligence. A lack of training, pressure to work long hours, and a failure to provide adequate safety measures can cause accidents in the maritime industry that otherwise may have been preventable.
• Fires and explosions. Particularly in settings that involve the mining or processing of oil and gas, accidents that include spills and explosions can lead to injuries of a catastrophic nature.

Employees in the maritime industry in Lafayette and surrounding areas can also suffer from injuries or illnesses caused by certain behaviors or exposure to conditions over time. For example, cargo ship loaders can suffer from chronic pain or serious musculoskeletal conditions due to the strain of lifting and handling heavy objects as part of their daily tasks.

Despite the type of injury you might be dealing with or the cause of your condition, an empathetic and experienced Lafayette maritime lawyer from Gaar Law Firm is here for you during this challenging time to champion your case and help you recover the compensation to which you are entitled.

What You Should Know About Maritime Laws

Admiralty and maritime laws refer to the body of law that governs seamen, passengers, cargo, and owners of sea-going vessels. Admiralty and maritime law can include:

• Acts like the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (Longshore Act) which protect seamen and other professionals.
• Governing an operator or shipowner’s responsibility toward their
• Protecting shipowners and operators from malfeasance or bad faith.

General maritime law applies to the situations noted above. Under the law, shipowners have a duty of reasonable care to their passengers. Shipowners cannot create dangerous conditions, or negligently allow dangerous conditions to exist without taking steps to remediate them.

A maritime injury attorney will help you determine whether your injury resulted from shipowner negligence, and where and when to file your claim. General maritime law allows a three-year statute of limitations. Many cruise tickets establish shorter periods, and even limitations on where you can file suit. Maritime injury attorneys can help you parse those rules and recover for your injuries.

How Can You Get Compensation for Maritime Injuries?

Congress recognizes international shipping and the seafood industry as dangerous types of employment. However, Congress also understands that these industries are vital to a strong and healthy economy. The Jones Act in 1920 and the Longshore Act in 1927 were passed to improve workers’ compensation schemes in these industries. These acts are designed to help injured employees who are harbor workers or are on sea-going vessels.

It is important to know that not every lawyer is qualified to handle the issues of admiralty and maritime law. You need an experienced admiralty lawyer who can properly evaluate your case and also has the knowledge necessary to help you resolve it.

What Type of Claims Do You Have?

We encourage you to explore our website and read further about this area of law. We also encourage you to engage one of our experienced attorneys about your case.

• Jones Act Claims
• Louisiana Jones Act Claims
• Offshore/oil rig accidents
• Admiralty and maritime laws
• Admiralty attorney in Louisiana
• Injuries from maritime accidents

Were You a Passenger on a Vessel?

Cruise passengers and other passengers are protected by general maritime law while on ocean-going vessels. Federal law implements a three-year statute of limitations for these types of cases. This is the time frame in which injured passengers must bring forward a legal claim. If you are a cruise passenger injured in an accident, you should engage an experienced attorney who can help you.

Were You Injured Working At Sea?

The Jones Act governs almost all offshore injuries to crewmembers. Whether you work on a cruise ship, a restaurant boat, a cargo ship, a fishing boat, a barge, or almost any other type of vessel, Jones Act law governs your employer’s responsibilities and obligations in the case of an injury.

If injured as a seaman, the Jones Act obligates your employer to pay transportation and wages until you return to shore, and then to pay maintenance and cure. Maintenance costs should match the reasonable costs of board and lodging while you pursue medical care necessary to get you back to work. Cure payments should cover the cost of all medical care until you are well enough to return to work or until you reach your maximum medical improvement.

Maritime attorneys can help ensure that your employer does not balk at paying your medical costs or the costs of board and lodging. They will also help determine whether negligence or unseaworthiness contributed to your injury, creating grounds for additional compensation.

What to Do After a Maritime Injury in Lafayette

Whether you’ve been hurt as an employee on a vessel or as a passenger, it is crucial to take certain steps so you can increase your chances of securing compensation. Be sure to put your health and safety first and foremost by seeking adequate medical attention. During any visits with medical professionals, be sure to collect relevant documentation of your conditions and save all evidence of payment for services.

Work with an experienced personal injury attorney in Lafayette to adequately report the incident to the right person, whether it be the vessel operator or your employer. Depending on your case, be sure to document the scene where your accident happened, including taking photos and videos of your injuries and the accident site.

A skilled Lafayette maritime accident lawyer can assist you with collecting evidence to link liable parties to the cause of your accident, in addition to showing the extent of the damages you have suffered as a result of the incident. They can negotiate with insurance companies or employers on your behalf, working to gain an optimal settlement out of court. However, if these parties refuse to cooperate, a lawyer can help you champion your case in court.

Contact a Louisiana Maritime Accident Lawyer

At Gaar Law Firm, we take all of our cases on a contingency fee basis. This means it will cost you nothing to have an attorney on your case. We collect our fee when you collect from the persons responsible for your injuries. Contact the Gaar Law Firm today at 337-202-2292 to learn more about our services. Your initial consultation is always free.