Louisiana Offshore Accident Lawyer
The rights of an offshore worker depend on many factors, such as the job he was doing, whether the accident happened in federal waters, state waters, or inland bays, and the type of structure he was working on at the time of the accident. The general maritime law considers crew boats, supply boats, cargo boats, tugboats, pushboats, barges, and other traditional overwater, hulled transportation vessels to be vessels within the definition of cases interpreting the Jones Act. Workers—such as captains, mates, engineers, and deckhands—permanently assigned to these vessels enjoy the status of being Jones Act seamen. Other workers who do transitory work on these vessels—such as blast and paint crews, construction crews, divers, company men, inspectors, and the like—are generally considered maritime employees, but may also enjoy Jones Act seamen status. The injured worker’s legal status as a Jones Act seaman, a maritime employee, or some other classification can only be done properly by detailed analysis.
It is extremely important that your attorney be experienced with the detailed construction, operation, and function of these vessels and the work being done at the time of the accident in order to ensure that the injured offshore worker maximizes his monetary recovery. This often means the difference between winning and losing a case.
