Offshore Accidents
Nationwide Maritime Lawyers
If you are visiting this site, it’s likely that you or loved one has suffered a serious injury while working offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. There are no light duty jobs on an
oil platform, barge or cargo ship in the Gulf and, unfortunately, serious accidents are too common. Now you want some answers to your legal
questions. You want to know how you’ll pay your medical bills, what your
employer’s obligations are during your recovery, and what your options are if a serious injury leaves you unable to return to your former job. An
offshore injury lawyer at our firm can help.
At Arnold & Itkin LLP, we are committed to helping people seriously injured in offshore accidents in the Gulf of Mexico and throughout the United States. We’ve created this offshore injury website to answer your questions, and we’re also available to talk to you at no charge. We are experienced
maritime lawyers and have helped injured maritime workers in
Texas,
Louisiana,
Mississippi and
Alabama. An offshore injury attorney at our firm can quickly assess the strengths and weaknesses of your particular case to map out a strategy for success.
You can reach an attorney at our law office for a free consultation by calling (888) 346-5024 or by using our online contact form.
Causes of Offshore Accidents
From our experience, we know that employer negligence causes many common offshore accidents, including
deck accidents, falls,
equipment failures, falling cargo or equipment,
fires and explosions. Negligence by an employer or other
seaman is a cause or contributing factor in many types of serious accidents involving
offshore injuries and
offshore fatalities.
A large number of companies operate in the Gulf of Mexico, and ALL of them are required to provide safe workplaces for employees. Too often, though, turning a higher profit trumps safety considerations, and injured offshore workers pay the price in
back injuries,
head injuries, burn injuries and lost limbs. If you have been seriously injured or have lost a loved one in an
offshore accident, you need to talk to an experienced offshore accident lawyer to get helpful information about your legal rights.
Your Maritime Law Rights
Regardless of who was at fault in your accident, as an offshore worker, you likely have a seaman’s rights. You may be entitled to maintenance and cure benefits and payment of your wages for the duration of the voyage. The principles of
maintenance and cure may entitle you to fully-paid medical care and hospitalization, including diagnostic tests and therapy, as well as room and board, food and transportation, until you are fit for duty again or reach full medical recovery. You also have the right to choose your own doctor and get a second medical opinion if you disagree with a company doctor’s diagnosis or prognosis of your injury.
You also may have a right to file a Jones Act claim to recover damages for your injury if you were injured though the negligence of others while working on an ocean-going vessel, crew boat, supply boat, tugboat, jack-up rig or commercial fishing boat. Workers who hold many offshore jobs and work aboard many
types of vessels have the legal protections of the
Jones Act if they are injured through the negligence of others. An injured seaman, covered by the Jones Act, has a right to seek compensation for lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. Jones Act claims are often accompanied by claims of
unseaworthiness brought against a negligent vessel owner. For example, the lack of proper safety equipment or too few crew members can make a ship unseaworthy.
Maritime law is a complex area of the law. To understand whether you are entitled to the benefits of the Jones Act, it’s important to consult a lawyer who concentrates on maritime and admiralty law and has a track record of success on behalf of these particular clients. The offshore injury attorneys at our firm understand the complexities of
maritime law because we work with it every day to help our clients.
Information on Our Offshore Accident & Injury Site
You will find a great deal of helpful information on this website that pertains to offshore accidents, injuries and related topics. We offer the following information, and so much more:
We are experienced trial lawyers and aggressive advocates for our offshore accident clients throughout the U.S. Our offshore injury attorneys quickly assess the strengths and weaknesses of each individual case and map out a strategy for winning. We measure success in the results we deliver for our clients. We have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for our clients and are ready to see how we can assist you.
Contact an offshore injury lawyer today to discuss your accident and how we can help.
