Injured on a jack-up rig, oil platform or maritime vessel of any kind? If you have sustained any type of offshore injury or been involved in a maritime accident, you need to involve a Plaquemines Parish Port offshore injury attorney. You have legal options and may be entitled to financial compensation under general maritime law, the Jones Act, the Death on the High Seas Act, or the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. A lawyer with experience in maritime law can work to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.
The Jones Act lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP have considerable experience in handling maritime claims of all kinds. We've recovered billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements and can handle cases involving injuries at and between all U.S. ports and inland waterways as well as in foreign waters. Find out how we can help you by calling (888) 346-5024 to determine where your next step is.
Plaquemines Parish Port, Louisiana lies on the last leg of the Mississippi River as it enters the Gulf of Mexico in Plaquemines Parish. The parish is both urban and rural; the northern portion of the parish is in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan Area. The southern portion of Plaquemines Parish is rural, with numerous opportunities for hunting, fishing, and water sports. The southern portion of the parish is primarily a maritime culture, with a large percentage of the population (last totaled at 20,942 according to U.S. Census 2009) involved in maritime activities.
Plaquemines Parish Port is the gateway to the Port of New Orleans, the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, and to the entire Mississippi River Valley corridor. The Plaquemines Parish Port Harbor and Terminal District cover the last 80 miles of the Mississippi River. The Plaquemines Parish Port is governed by the Plaquemines Parish Commission Council, headquartered at Belle Chasse. The port district does not own or operate any docks, wharves, or facilities except at Belle Chase and Point a la Hache. The port is also home to two of the largest coal terminals in the nation.
Plaquemines Parish is the operational center for the offshore oil and gas industry. Major heliports, an extensive petroleum infrastructure, a large pipeline network, storage facilities and both deep and shallow draft wharfs operated by Chevron Pipe Line Company, Chevron Oak Point, Conoco-Phillips Inc., Halliburton Services, Marathon Oil Company, Marathon Petroleum Company and Shell Offshore, Inc. have made Venice the a primary location for support and supplies to the Central Gulf. In addition to being the debarkation point for people working in the Gulf, Venice is a commercial fishing port and sport fishing paradise.
When oil, natural gas, and sulfur were discovered in Plaquemines Parish in the beginning of the 20th century, the parish became one of the richest ones in Louisiana. After several devastating hurricanes and a general slowdown in the oil, gas, and sulfur industries, Plaquemines Parish’s economy again is powered by the commercial fishing and seafood industry, as well as the industries associated with offshore oil rigs.
Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana is a world-renowned fishing destination with freshwater, marsh, and offshore fishing available. Numerous fishing tournaments are held each month from February to October each year. The commercial seafood industry is one of the leading employers in Louisiana and Plaquemines Parish produces millions of pounds of shrimp, oysters, crabs and fish annually.
The Plaquemines Parish southern communities of Phoenix, Davant, and Point a la Hache depend heavily on oyster harvesting and shrimp trawling. The catastrophic BP oil disaster threatened both the economies and the proud maritime heritage of these communities. Sadly, a move to save marshes from the oil has backfired in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. Water from the Mississippi River was supposed to flush the oil back out to the Gulf. Instead, thousands of acres of oyster beds have been harmed from the lack of salt water.
Taking a look at some of the injuries frequently sustained by seamen and maritime workers, it is easy to see why these result in considerable medical expenses and lost wages. It may be an accident on deck, a fire or explosion caused by a well blowout, an accident caused by equipment failure, or a fall caused by a pitching vessel in rough waters. In any of these circumstances, the worker may be entitled to financial relief through maritime law, which protects all offshore workers, seamen, and harbor workers.
Serving the Plaquemines Parish Port area and all of Louisiana, our offshore injury attorneys are committed to seeking the highest amount of compensation possible for each of our clients. We work with qualified experts in maritime safety, medicine, economics, and various other fields to properly ascertain the value of a client's claim and to prove the true extent of their injuries in negotiations and in court. From relatively minor injuries to fatalities, we are there to support our clients and protect their legal rights to the fullest extent.
If you have been injured while working in the maritime industry, you may deserve more compensation that you think. Contact Arnold & Itkin attorneys to let us evaluate your case at no cost to you.
Arnold & Itkin represented nearly a third of the crewmembers injured in the Deepwater Horizon explosion.
Because maritime law is so complex and so complicated, it is crucial that you work with an attorney who has an in-depth understanding of how it works and who has proven themselves in similar cases before.