Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico Jones Act Claims
At the Charbonnet Law Firm in New Orleans and Metairie, our attorneys represent people injured in the course of their employment at sea or near the water under federal maritime law. We also represent surviving families and next of kin in Jones Act wrongful death litigation. For a free consultation about your right to damages in a Jones Act case, contact one of our Louisiana maritime accident lawyers for the counsel and advocacy you need.
The federal Jones Act addresses the claims of people employed at sea or related industries for personal injury and wrongful death. Because of the Jones Act's relatively liberal approach to liability, damages, and rehabilitation services for people injured or killed at sea, it is usually to the plaintiff's advantage to sue under the Act whenever possible.
Some applications of the Jones Act are more obvious than others. Some of the most important factors to consider include whether the person injured was a working seaman, the responsibility of the vessel's owner or master for the victim's injuries or death, and where the accident occurred. Generally speaking, the Jones Act will apply to any employment-related injury case on the high seas or in the navigable waters of the United States.
The following are examples of claims that will probably or at least arguably fall under the coverage of the Jones Act:
- Accidents suffered in transit (even on helicopters) to or from offshore drilling rigs
- Accidents occurring on certain types of drilling platforms
- Injuries or death resulting from the unseaworthiness of a merchant vessel, tanker, container ship or other commercial vessel
- Injuries or death resulting from the negligence of the master of a commercial vessel
- Accident claims of an employee on a cruise ship, casino barge, or other vessel catering to tourists
- Injuries to harbor and dock workers attributable to the unseaworthiness or negligence of a commercial vessel
- Certain commercial diving accidents
There are many subtleties and nuances to Jones Act claims, including distinctions between injuries suffered in harbors, on voyages along the American coast, and on the open ocean. The Jones Act also addresses claims for wages, living expenses, and medical expenses during a period of convalescence under the Act's maintenance and cure provisions. These claims are easy to overlook unless you're advised by an attorney thoroughly familiar with maritime law.
We also represent clients with claims under the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Act, the Death on the High Seas Act, and other maritime statutes. For additional information about your potential maritime accident claim, contact the Charbonnet Law Firm in New Orleans and Metairie.
