Lafayette Offshore Accident Attorney

WHY DO I NEED AN OFFSHORE ACCIDENT ATTORNEY?

The hazards of offshore work are numerous. Maritime laws concerning such work are complex and confusing. A talented Lafayette Offshore Accident Attorney can be a huge help in such trying times.

The Law Offices of L. Clayton Burgess have over 20 years of experience helping real people get real results. We offer a free initial consultation to review your personal injury case and to help you understand maritime law. Having a local firm handling things for you will also give you peace of mind. After all, who could better understand how important the oilfield is than a Lafayette offshore accident lawyer?

YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS

By federal and state laws, seamen cannot file worker’s comp claims like a normal employee would. Maritime law and the Jones Act are in place to ensure that offshore workers are treated fairly.

The Jones Act

Covers any person spending at least 30% of their time working in navigable waters. It offers you coverage for any injury you suffer, including broken bones, back injury, neck injury, eye injury, head injury, hand injury, brain injury, burns and spinal cord injury. Your right to compensation may include:

• Lost wages
• Lost earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish/Emotional distress
• Loss of physical capacity
• Disfigurement
• Medical expenses

The Longshore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act

Covers employees that work at the docks. Shipbuilders and breakers, longshoremen, and harbor construction personnel are covered. This coverage includes medical costs of your injuries as well as missed income.

The Death on the High Seas Act

Is in place to cover funeral expenses and lost financial support should the worst happen. This act is in place not only for workers upon vessels working outside of the three-mile territorial limit but also for passengers.

Maintenance and cure

One of the most basic rights of an offshore worker. This is meant to cover medical expenses and transportation costs for medical appointments. Maintenance and cure enables a worker to have a way to pay the bills until work can resume.

The rights of offshore workers have not always been clearly laid out. In the past, offshore work was looked at as undignified and only fit for the lower classes. Wealthy business owners would attempt to get away with unsafe operations, exposing their employees to dangerous conditions, while making large profits. Fortunately, the political climate these days favors openness and safety minded operations.

Now more than ever, there is extreme social pressure on businesses to operate in an ethical manner. While social media and the news love to point out when a big company gets caught, it doesn’t seem to stop big corporations from trying to deny you your rights. If any of your rights as outlined in these acts has been violated and your employer’s HR department will not do anything about it, then it’s time to seek outside justice.

HOW DOES A LAWYER DEFEND YOUR RIGHTS?

A major part of what makes an offshore case difficult is the specific offshore laws and the differences between them. For example, the Jones Act specifically covers seamen. A seaman must be working on a vessel at the time. Vessels include ships, barges, dredgers, tugboats, and oil rigs of any sort. Even a derelict boat in the process of repair or recovery still counts as a vessel.

Whether you are in shipping and transportation of goods or people or part of a maintenance crew, the Law Offices of L. Clayton Burgess has experience you can rely on. Your free initial consultation will go over your injury and the events leading up to it. The overall seaworthiness of the vessel will be investigated. Maintenance and training records will be checked.

SEAWORTHINESS

A vessel may not be seaworthy for many reasons. Parts and machinery may not fit properly. There may have been negligence in repairs. Most important is the training of personnel aboard a vessel. The owning party of any sea craft has a legal obligation to properly train their staff.

Safety staff are on each vessel to maintain safety and ensure correct training procedures are followed. Your offshore accident attorney will investigate safety and maintenance records as well as review any certifications. Before going offshore, make sure that your own certifications are up-to-date. The company operating the vessel will have their own team of lawyers doing their best to prevent their client from looking responsible for your injuries.

The fact that you will be facing off with a company or corporation in court makes seeking quality legal counsel highly important. You might face pressure or bullying by your employer to keep quiet. They may even threaten to take your job or make sure you cannot be hired by anyone else. These kinds of tactics are illegal.

HIRE PROFESSIONAL LAFAYETTE OFFSHORE ACCIDENT ATTORNEY

Money is often the first thing that comes to mind after an injury that prevents you from making a living. Just like any personal injury claim, medical bills will be piling up. There are costly surgeries and procedures, as well as stubborn insurance companies not wanting to pay for your medical costs. Insurance companies attempt to get clients to settle or to give in to the pressure. You may even think you cannot afford an attorney.

You absolutely can afford a Lafayette Offshore Accident Attorney. Not only is the initial consultation free, but you can also take comfort in the fact that we are a no win/no pay firm. We are only compensated for success. The Law Offices of L. Clayton Burgess exist to give you peace of mind in troubling times.

We can help in evaluating liability factors, such as:

• Failing to properly train seamen
• Failure to hire qualified harbor workers
• Insufficient maintenance proper safety equipment
• Failing to follow or enforce standard safety procedures
• Failing to properly maintain the vessel

No matter what your income or job title happens to be, there’s no need to tackle this alone. Let our Louisiana Offshore Accident Attorney handle the heavy lifting. Our team of legal professionals is well-versed in the verbiage of admiralty law. Offshore accidents can result in significant losses, you need an attorney. Don’t Delay! Call Clay!