Maritime Law Attorneys in Terrebonne Parish

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 standard workers’ compensation laws, maritime law provides distinct 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 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 classified as seamen but are 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 more than 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.

Determining which law applies to your case is itself a complex legal question. Each framework carries different eligibility standards, filing deadlines, and recoverable damages. That’s why it’s critical to work with an attorney who understands maritime law before taking any steps with your employer or insurer.

Common Maritime & Offshore Accidents

Maritime work is among the most dangerous in the world. Offshore and vessel-based workers face extreme conditions, long hours, and heavy equipment, often miles from shore and emergency medical care.

Some of the most common maritime accidents include:

• Explosions and Fires: Gas leaks, electrical malfunctions, or unsafe equipment on oil rigs and vessels can trigger catastrophic fires.
• Slips and Falls: Wet or uneven deck surfaces lead to serious falls, particularly in rough seas.
• Equipment Failures: Cranes, winches, and hoists can cause catastrophic injuries, including crush injuries or amputations, when they malfunction or aren’t properly maintained.
• Vessel Collisions and Groundings: Poor navigation, fatigue, or mechanical failure can lead to collisions, groundings, and sinkings.
• Overboard Incidents: Rough weather or unsafe conditions can send workers overboard, resulting in drownings and hypothermia.
• Toxic Exposure: Prolonged contact with fuels, chemicals, or fumes can cause respiratory illness, burns, and other serious injuries.

Many of these accidents result from preventable safety failures: poor training, inadequate supervision, or deliberate corner-cutting by employers. When that’s the case, injured workers and their families have the right to seek accountability, and our Terrebonne Parish maritime lawyers are ready to help them do it.

The Impact of a Maritime Injury

A serious maritime injury can end a career without warning. Recovery is often long and painful, and because maritime work is physically demanding, even a moderate injury can make it impossible to return to sea. The financial consequences follow quickly: lost income, mounting medical bills, and deep uncertainty about the future.

Maritime laws exist specifically to hold employers and vessel owners accountable when they fail to provide a safe working environment. Understanding those rights and acting on them promptly is how injured workers and their families begin to rebuild.

Your Rights as an Injured Maritime Worker

If you’ve been injured working offshore or aboard a vessel, federal maritime law gives you important protections. Depending on your role and the circumstances of the accident, 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

Filing Deadlines Depend on Which Law Applies

Deadlines vary depending on which law governs your claim. Jones Act claims carry a three-year statute of limitations from the date of injury. LHWCA claims require notice to your employer within 30 days and a formal claim within one year. Workers injured on fixed offshore platforms may also have rights under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which incorporates LHWCA benefits.

Because the applicable law depends on your role and the structure you were working on, speaking with a maritime injury attorney in Terrebonne Parish as soon as possible after an accident is important. Early action also preserves critical evidence: vessel maintenance records, accident reports, and witness accounts that become harder to obtain over time. Waitz & Downer is available to take your call and provide clear guidance during a free, no-obligation consultation.