Proven Attorneys For Injured Seamen

Lafayette Maritime Injury Attorneys

Louisiana has a 397-mile coastline and 30,000 people employed offshore, in shipping, on oil rigs and in the fishing industry. Regular maritime injuries, accidents and sometimes deaths create an environment in which even lawyers without much experience in the field are tempted to hang out a shingle as admiralty attorneys.

Do not be fooled: it takes an experienced admiralty lawyer to properly protect your rights. Schedule a free consultation with the Lafayette maritime injury lawyers at Gaar Law Firm.

What You Should Know About Maritime Laws

Generally, admiralty and maritime laws refer to the body of law – civil, public and private – that governs sea-going vessels and their owners, seamen, passengers and cargo. In the United States, admiralty and maritime law include:

  • Specific laws to protect seamen and similar professions, such as the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (Longshore Act)
  • Common law rules that govern a shipowner or operator’s responsibility toward his or her passengers
  • Old traditions protecting shipowners and operators from bad faith or malfeasance by those who hire them to transport cargo, and vice versa

How Can You Get Compensation For Maritime Injuries?

Because Congress recognized international shipping and a healthy seafood industry as particularly dangerous forms of employment that remain vital to a strong national economy, it passed the Jones Act in 1920 and the Longshore Act in 1927 to improve on nascent state-based workers’ compensation schemes. The acts entitle people injured while employed on sea-going vessels or as harbor workers to more generous benefits than ordinary workers’ compensation. If injured under such circumstances, you need a practiced admiralty lawyer to ensure you receive maximum compensation.

Although all lawyers are licensed to practice in all areas of law, passing the bar exam does not in fact qualify every lawyer to deal with issues of admiralty and maritime law. Modern statutes have modified a body of law that evolved from diverse sources over the past 2,000 years. Admiralty lawyers know and understand this complexity and can help protect your rights.

What Type Of Claim Do You Have?

We invite you to read more about this specific area of the law on our website. To discuss your case in greater detail, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with a lawyer at our firm.

Were You A Passenger On A Vessel?

General maritime law – not specific statutes – protects cruise passengers and other passengers on ocean-going vessels. Unless otherwise specified by the cruise or charter operator, federal law creates a fairly generous three-year statute of limitations in which injured passengers must bring suit, and defines the scope of the vessel owner or operator’s responsibility. If injured as a cruise passenger, you need the assistance of a skilled admiralty attorney to make sure you file your claim on time and in the right 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.