Maritime Law Attorneys in Houma

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 heavy equipment and are often miles away from immediate medical help.

Some of the most common maritime accidents include:

• Explosions and Fires: These events are often 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 crush injuries or amputation if not properly maintained.
• Vessel Collisions and Groundings: Poor navigation, human error, fatigue, or mechanical issues can lead to catastrophic wrecks.
• 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 maritime law attorneys in Houma 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 or 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 Houma maritime lawyer as soon as possible after an accident.