In Case Of Injury, Experienced Baton Rouge Maritime Attorneys Are What You Need

By Author: Susan Gray
Total Articles: 5
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A knowledgeable Baton Rouge Maritime attorney is aware of the rights of US seamen to compensation if they have experienced a severe maritime injury. One of the most crucial federal laws protecting maritime workers is the Jones Act, which allows “recovery” to an exclusive class of persons, especially the seamen and fishermen on US commercial ships. For any Jones Act seaman or maritime laborers aboard a US vessel working in either the waters in the Gulf of Mexico or along the inland waterways of Louisiana, you may have legal rights to reciprocity under this federal maritime law. To qualify as a seaman you must be a member (man or woman) of the crew of a boat or someone assigned to a US vessel who spends at least 30% or more of their time aboard that vessel. On top of that, the crewmember's duties must contribute to the function of the vessel. A number of the maritime jobs covered by the Jones Act include deckhand, crewmembers, deck engineer, cook, barge foreman, fishermen on commercial fishing boats such as shrimp and crab boats. The vessel’s captain and other officers also are protected under the Jones Act’s provisions. ...
... Baton Rouge Maritime attorneys understand that one of the most unsafe places for seaman to work is on an offshore oilrig. It's a good things that, many types of oil rigs such as jack-up rigs or semi-submersible rigs are classified as vessels consequently allowing those rig workers protection under maritime law. A Baton Rouge Maritime attorney will explain that the Jones Act even covers seamen's injuries that occur when marine vessels, such as barges or tugs are moving through a lock on one of Louisiana inland waterways. Additionally, certain injuries are covered that are not directly work-related. For instance, if a seamen's injury occurs when living aboard the boat or while he/she is boarding or exiting the boat.

Because Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a hub for petrochemical production and manufacturing, the port of Baton Rouge has been made into one of the largest inland ports in the USA. It is the farthest inland port on the Mississippi River that can accommodate oceangoing tankers and cargo boats. The marine transport industry is important to the Baton Rouge economy with deep draft ships transferring cargos of crude oil, automobiles, steel, ores, grain and containers to other sources of transportation such as rail, pipelines and barges for movement farther inland. It remains dangerous work even today, and marine vessel injuries are common. There are many kinds of shipping vessels, there are bulk carriers, vehicle carriers, liquid cargo barges, dry cargo barges, as well as many inland barges pushed by towboats and tug boats that employ maritime crew, who if seriously injured should seek out a knowledgeable Baton Rouge Maritime attorney.

Diligent maritime workers and dockworkers handle goods, equipment, and supplies that are crucial to the economic wellbeing of not only to the state of Louisiana, but also to many states within the US. When a maritime worker is greatly injured and hires a Baton Rouge Maritime lawyer, one element the Baton Rouge Maritime attorney will investigate is whether the boat owner maintained the vessel adequately. Either way, an un-seaworthy ship increases the chance of a serious accident. A number of marine accidents stem from a vessel owner’s failure to have a seaworthy vessel or an employer’s disregard for creating safe working conditions and/or an adequately trained workforce. Equipment failure of a crane or piece of lifting equipment can result in a serious injury or the wrongful death of a deckhand or crew from a fallen load. Ship owners may be accountable for equipment failures that result in the un-seaworthiness of the boat. Discerning Baton Rouge maritime lawyers understand maritime accidents and know how to show the true causes of a terrible accident such as an employer’s disregard for safety.

Elaborate Jones Act cases are not unusual as any Baton Rouge maritime attorney can tell you. Considering that some maritime operations can include many companies with overlapping responsibilities for safety and supervision, it is vital, if you have been seriously injured, to seek out an experienced Baton Rouge Jones Act lawyer. A Baton Rouge Attorney must file within 3 yrs of an injury or the seaman’s rights cannot be exercised. The Jones Act allows for damages that may include medical expenses, lost, present and future wages, and maintenance and cure. Don’t be reluctant to contact Baton Rouge Maritime attorneys to discuss your case so they can help you decide upon a plan of action.

The significant question is how to differentiate which Louisiana Maritime Attorneys will best defend your case. Effortless access to the Net makes it possible to learn qualified Baton Rouge Maritime Attorneys. You can rely on the responsibility of the law office of Gordon, Elias && Seely, L.L.P. to represent your maritime law case and receive your rightful benefits.