Maritime Law Attorneys in Houma

What Is Maritime Law?

Maritime law, also known as admiralty law, governs accidents, injuries, and disputes that occur on navigable waters, including offshore platforms, oil rigs, ships, barges, and other vessels. Unlike typical workers’ compensation laws, maritime law provides unique protections for seamen and offshore workers injured on the job.

Some of the key laws that may apply to a maritime injury include:

• The Jones Act: The Jones Act allows qualifying seamen who are injured due to an employer’s negligence to file a lawsuit for damages, including medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
• The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA): The LHWCA covers dockworkers, harbor workers, and other maritime employees who aren’t considered “seamen” but are still injured on navigable waters or adjoining areas.
• The Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA): The DOHSA provides compensation to families of maritime workers who die as a result of negligence or unseaworthy conditions occurring beyond three nautical miles from shore.
• General Maritime Law: General maritime law protects workers from injuries caused by unseaworthy vessels and provides maintenance and cure benefits to those hurt while serving a vessel.

Filing a claim under these different laws involves following individual legal requirements and procedures. Simply determining which one applies to your case can be complex. That’s why it’s critical to work with an attorney who is experienced in maritime law.

Common Maritime & Offshore Accidents

Maritime work is some of the most dangerous in the world. Offshore and vessel-based workers face extreme conditions, long hours, and the dangers of using heavy equipment. They are often miles away from shore and emergency medical aid. These factors combine to make the maritime industry especially dangerous.

Some of the most common maritime accidents include:

• Explosions and Fires: These events can be caused by gas leaks, electrical malfunctions, or unsafe equipment on oil rigs and vessels.
• Slips and Falls on Decks and Other Areas: Wet or uneven surfaces can lead to serious falls, especially in rough seas.
• Equipment Failures: Cranes, winches, and hoists can cause catastrophic injuries, such as crush injuries or amputations, if they malfunction or are not properly maintained.
• Vessel Collisions and Groundings: Poor navigation, human error, fatigue, or mechanical issues can lead to catastrophic wrecks, groundings, and sinkings.
• Overboard Incidents: Rough weather or unsafe working conditions can lead to overboard incidents, drownings, and hypothermia.
• Toxic Exposure: Prolonged contact with fuels, chemicals, or fumes can cause respiratory illness, burns, and other serious injuries.

These accidents often result from preventable safety failures such as poor training, inadequate supervision, or a company’s decision to cut corners to save time or money. When this is the case, injured workers and their loved ones have the right to seek justice, and our Houma maritime lawyers can help.

The Impact of Maritime Injuries

A serious maritime injury can turn a worker’s life upside down. Recovery is often long and painful, and many injuries leave lasting physical and emotional scars. Because maritime work is physically demanding, even a relatively moderate injury can make it impossible to return to sea.

For families, the challenges are just as great. Lost income, medical bills, and uncertainty about the future can create overwhelming stress. That’s why maritime laws were designed to hold employers and vessel owners accountable when they fail to provide a safe working environment.

Your Rights as an Injured Maritime Worker

If you’ve been injured while working offshore or on a vessel, you have important legal rights under federal maritime law. 

Depending on your circumstances, you may be entitled to:

• Maintenance and Cure: Payment for living expenses and medical treatment until you reach maximum recovery
• Unseaworthiness Claims: Compensation if the vessel was inherently unsafe or improperly maintained
• Jones Act Negligence Claims: Damages for lost wages, pain and suffering, and long-term disability
• Wrongful Death Benefits: Compensation for surviving family members under the Jones Act or DOHSA

Because maritime law is complex and filing deadlines can be short, it’s important to speak with a maritime injury lawyer in Houma as soon as possible after an accident. Waitz & Downer is standing by, ready to take your call. We can provide answers, guidance, and support during a completely free, no-obligation consultation.