Houma Maritime Lawyer

Houma Maritime Attorney

Maritime workers may have unique protections when they are injured at work, providing them with additional financial compensation. Maritime worksites, including offshore rigs, docks, and ships, are some of the most dangerous work environments and can cause severe and catastrophic injuries. If you are injured as a maritime employee, you need a Houma maritime lawyer to help you navigate a claim and ensure you get the financial recovery that you are owed.

Upholding Your Employee Rights With Hammond Law Firm, LLC

Maritime employers must take care to maintain worksites, following health and safety standards to minimize the risk of injury. When employers cut corners or fail to do due diligence in maintaining work environments, employees can suffer serious harm. The team at Hammond Law Firm, LLC, fights for employees and their rights.

We are aware of the immense consequences that maritime accidents can have physically, mentally, and financially. We want to help you recover. When certain maritime employees are injured because their employer was negligent, they can file a civil claim against their employer. Our firm can review your options for compensation depending on the specifics of your accident, your job, and the cause of your injuries.

We have decades of collective experience across our team, and we have a significant understanding of maritime law and how it may impact you and your claim. Our goal is to help you recover the maximum available compensation so that you can get back to your life.

What Types of Accidents Occur in the Maritime Industry?

There are numerous types of maritime worksites, including oil and gas offshore rigs, harbor and longshore work, and work on ships and other vessels. Different worksites may have unique hazards, such as:

• Slip, trip, and fall accidents: Hazardous weather conditions, spills, and low lighting are all potential slip hazards. Wires, equipment, and debris can pose as tripping hazards. While slips or trips can be minor injuries, they can also lead to serious injuries depending on the environment.
  Falls can occur near dangerous machinery, from a high height, or in other hazardous locations. Serious falls can lead to spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and traumatic brain injuries.

• Unsecured objects: It is especially important that objects and machinery are properly secured on ships and other offshore vessels. The movement of ships makes it very likely that cargo, equipment, and other objects will shift during the workday. Employees can be crushed by large objects or be hit on the head by falling items.
• Repetitive motion injuries: Many maritime workers frequently lift and load items each day, operate winches and otherwise complete strenuous activities. Repeated strains or simply completing the same motion each day can cause repetitive motion injuries. This is especially likely if the equipment used to complete this work is not well-maintained.
• Exposure to dangerous substances: Maritime worksites may carry hazardous chemicals and substances. These substances must be properly stored to prevent spills. Worksites must be ventilated to avoid the build-up of dangerous gases. Hazardous exposure can lead to developmental illnesses or chemical burns. Inhaling hazardous gases can lead to respiratory damage.
• Machinery and equipment accidents: Maritime work often uses heavy machinery, large vehicles, and dangerous equipment. There are many types and causes of accidents involving this equipment. The machinery may have a defect that makes it dangerous, or it may be improperly maintained.

Employees may not be trained in how to use the equipment or are not provided with the right safety gear. Machinery accidents can result in crushing injuries, amputations, and other serious harm.

• Electrical hazards: Electrical hazards can occur from poorly maintained systems and from dangerous equipment. Exposed wires, contact with equipment, and using certain tools can lead to electrocution and electrical burns if the proper care is not taken.
• Vessel collision accidents: Collisions between vessels can have catastrophic consequences for many employees, leading to serious injuries and death.
• Fires and explosions: Fires and explosions can occur due to the heavy machinery, dangerous chemicals, and electrical hazards present at maritime worksites. These accidents can cause serious injury and death.

Maritime industry worksites are held to strict health and safety regulations. While accidents can happen even with these regulations, the risk of a serious incident is higher when corners are cut. Safety regulations address issues like:

• The maintenance and upkeep of machinery
• The storage of dangerous chemicals and substances
• Testing employees for substance impairment
• How employees are trained, including being trained to deal with specific types of work, like working with dangerous equipment and chemicals
• Proper fire prevention and safety equipment
• The protective gear required for certain work
• Employee certification

If an employer fails to ensure safety regulations are met and enforced, they may be found negligent. If employees are injured because of an employer’s negligence, they may have unique methods of compensation that most employees cannot recover.

The Houma Maritime Industry

Maritime work occurs on barges, dredges, docks, offshore rigs, and many other vessels. Louisiana employees in the maritime industry have a collective income of over $3.5 billion each year, and one-fifth of jobs in the state are connected to the maritime industry. The maritime industry is crucial to the state’s economy, causing an impact of $11 billion.

The maritime workforce jobs are mostly concentrated in the Houma-Thibodaux area and the greater New Orleans area. These jobs include pilots, ship engineers, captains, mates, marine oilers, sailors, ship loaders, and crane operators. Ship engineers are employed in the state at 12 times the rate than the rest of the nation.

With the importance of the industry to the state, it is especially important that the individuals responsible for the work in the industry can financially support themselves after a work accident.

How Does a Maritime Lawyer Help Me After an Accident?

It can be difficult to understand the requirements of maritime law and how they apply to you, particularly when you are facing painful and long-term injuries from an accident. Working with a lawyer can provide you with crucial information about your claim and help you understand your options to recover financially. A lawyer can also investigate what caused your accident and properly calculate the true cost of your damages.

Contact Hammond Law Firm, LLC

There are several maritime laws that can impact your claim, including the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. Let our firm help you navigate your workers’ compensation or civil claim after a maritime accident. Contact Hammond Law Firm, LLC, today.