Why Choose Our Lafayette Maritime Attorneys from Anderson Blanda & Saltzman?
Cases involving maritime or admiralty law differ from other claims. That’s because many ordinary state laws that apply to accidents on land do not protect workers who are offshore. If you are injured in an accident that occurred on a seafaring vessel — including a military or commercial vessel — or if you are hurt in another offshore setting such as working on a dock or offshore oil platform, it is vitally important that you hire a Lafayette personal injury lawyer who is experienced in this specialized legal field.
Anderson Blanda & Saltzman is here to help you in these complex cases. Over more than 100 years of collective experience, members of our legal team have successfully represented a wide range of injured maritime workers including, but not limited to:
- Deckhands
- Tankermen
- Pilots
- Engineers
- Oilers
- Drilling crew members aboard jack-ups and semisubmersibles
- Navy divers and welders on pipeline barges
Whether you are a blue-water seaman, a brown-water seaman, or a dock-based worker, there are special laws that may apply to your case if you are hurt while doing your job. Our experienced offshore attorneys in Lafayette can help ensure that you receive the best possible legal representation to recover all of the damages that you deserve.
Give us a call today at (337) 233-3366 to schedule a free consultation and learn more about the assistance we can offer.
We’ve recovered millions of dollars on behalf of workers injured in maritime or admiralty accidents including:
- $4.3 Million for a client injured in an offshore oil platform explosion: Recovery for a welder who suffered severe back injuries, burns, and PTSD in an explosion on an offshore oil platform.
- $4.0 Million for a client injured in an offshore barge accident: As a result of an offshore accident on the barge – client suffered serious injuries to the brain, face, and spine.
- $3.8 Million for a client injured in an offshore oilfield accident: Recovery for a worker who required back and neck surgeries after being injured in a fall on an offshore oil platform.
- $3.2 Million Jones Act Claim: Recovery for Jones Act seaman for head and neck injuries from offshore vessel incident.
- $2.7 Million for a client injured in an offshore boating incident: Reovery for offshore crew boat incident on a gang plank, client suffered career-ending injuries to the left ankle.
- $2.3 Million Jones Act Claim: Recovery for Jones Act seaman who suffered knee and back injuries in a fall on an offshore vessel.
- $1.7 Million for a client injured in an offshore explosion: Offshore explosion/fire on platform resulting in burns and multi-level back surgery.
- $1.7 Million for a client injured in an offshore crane incident: Recovery for an offshore worker who required neck and back surgery after personnel basket transfer accident.
Types of Maritime Accidents
Maritime accidents are incidents that occur on seafaring vessels, on docks, or in other offshore settings including oil rigs. Some common examples of incidents that could fall under maritime law include:
- Defective products aboard vessels, barges, or rigs on navigable waters
- Dock and pier accidents including crane and winch accidents, fires and explosions, and electrocutions
- Accidents due to inadequate training of seamen
- Injuries and incidents due to unseaworthy vessels, including drowning or near drowning due to unrepaired hull damage
- Exposure to toxic chemicals board vessels or while working offshore such as while working on an oil rig
- Vessel sinkings due to issues such as navigation mistakes, lack of watertight doors, or failure to follow severe weather warnings
- Offshore oil rig explosions
These are just some of the many different kinds of maritime accidents that can occur while you are working on or near the navigable waterways of Louisiana. When you or someone else is injured in these types of maritime accidents or in other types of incidents covered by admiralty law, you need to know your rights.
Common Injuries Suffered by Victims in Maritime Cases
Some of the most common injuries suffered by victims in maritime cases include:
- Burn injuries
- Loss of limbs
- Head injury
- Neck injuries
- Spinal fusion
- Back injuries
- Broken bones
When you suffer these and other injuries, you may be entitled to receive various types of benefits, including payment of medical bills and disability benefits. There are different laws that apply to ensure you are appropriately compensated in specific situations. Working with a maritime accident lawyer can help you to better understand the process for recovering payment for your damages, no matter how they occurred.
Types of Maritime Laws That Protect You
There are many federal rules and regulations that apply to provide you with benefits and compensation following a maritime accident. Some of the laws that may protect you include:
- The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act: Employees not eligible for state workers’ compensation, including harbor workers, shipbreakers, and workers on recreational vessels, may all be eligible for benefits under this Act if they work on or near navigable waters.
- Maintenance and cure: Eligible maritime workers can recover maintenance and cure benefits after an on-the-job injury regardless of negligence. Maintenance benefits pay for daily living expenses while cure benefits pay for medical expenses.
- Death on the High Seas Act: If maritime workers pass away while they are working aboard a vessel that is three or more nautical miles offshore, this law ensures compensation is available for surviving family members for things like monetary losses and the trauma associated with losing a loved one.
- The Jones Act: This act ensures compensation is available for anyone employed in any capacity upon a vessel if they sustain job-related injuries. Victims must demonstrate employee negligence in order to be eligible to recover compensation under this statute.
- The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act: This law extends benefits available under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act to injured workers who are performing their jobs on the Outer-Continental Shelf. Affected workers who are exploring the Outer Continental Shelf can pursue a claim for benefits if they are hurt on the job.
Determining which specific law, or laws, apply to your case can be complicated, as can proving that you meet the requirements to recover benefits and compensation under each of these statutes.
You need a dedicated and experienced admiralty and maritime accident attorney in Lafayette who can help you get justice. Anderson Blanda & Saltzman has more than 100 years of collective experience representing injured victims including those hurt while working at sea or on offshore rigs. We know these specialized laws inside and out and our legal team will help you find the legal options that maximize the compensation you receive when something goes wrong.
Taking Legal Action After a Maritime Accident
Our maritime lawyers have an in-depth understanding of admiralty law including The Jones Act, the Longshore & Harbor Workers Compensation Act, and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.
Our legal knowledge and experience can allow our attorneys to give you the best possible representation in handling claims in both state and federal court.
Our maritime attorneys can assist you with many important aspects of your claim including:
- Identifying which laws cover your case
- Gathering evidence, including maintenance records and trip logs
- Interviewing witnesses to the incident that caused you to suffer harm
- Obtaining pictures and video from the accident scene
- Providing proof of the extent of your losses and damages
- Finding experts who can help you to make a stronger case by showing how the accident happened or proving the extent of your harm
- Negotiating an appropriate settlement
- Pursuing court action if you are unable to come to an agreement on the appropriate amount of compensation with those who are responsible for covering your losses
Our goal is always to resolve your claim in the most timely and effective manner under the laws that result in the maximum possible benefits and compensation. With the right compensation, we know we can help you to move on with your life after a maritime accident.
Contact Our Maritime Accident Attorney in Lafayette Today
Our maritime accident lawyers are dedicated to helping the victims of maritime accidents maintain their lives after they suffer a serious injury or other tragic event. We know that when you work within the maritime industry and your job is highly physical, any injury can impair your ability to work and earn a living. Our goal is to help you get the money you deserve to support yourself and your loved ones when something has gone wrong.
Once we accept your case, we will provide you with financial support for vital medical care – and we can also help you find a physician if needed. In addition, we provide counseling, support, and guidance throughout your case.
Just as importantly, we will handle all aspects of dealing with insurance companies, filing your legal claim, and litigating your case from start to finish. You can rest assured that we will be here to help you throughout the entire legal process as we work toward obtaining the full value of your claim.
To learn more about how Anderson Blanda & Saltzman can put our decades of experience to work for you, give us a call today at (337) 233-3366 or contact us by filling out our online form. Our firm serves clients in Lafayette, Broussard, Youngsville, New Iberia, Scott, Crowley, Rayne, Opelousas, and other areas of Lafayette, Acadia, Iberia, St. Mary, St. Martin, and St. Landry Parishes. We do not charge legal fees unless we win, so you have nothing to lose by getting an advocate on your side.