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Legal cases involving offshore job sites and maritime injuries have unique circumstances. Arguing these cases requires extensive knowledge on liability, jurisdiction, and the Jones Act, a federal law that regulates the maritime commerce of the United States, including the responsibilities of vessel owners and crews.
We at Pierce Skrabanek have successfully represented the personal injury cases of seafaring workers, and strive to make sure your rights are protected when working on the waves. Read on to learn more about what standards of safety maritime job sites need to meet. Also find out about the most common maritime injuries, their causes, and when it’s necessary to seek help from a maritime injury law firm.
If you have full-time work on a barge, towboat, tugboat, tanker, oil rig, drill ship, jack-up rig, or on the docks, you are legally considered a “seaman” under the Jones Act.
However, if you spend at least 30% of your time on a water vessel, or performing duties related to the operation of such a vessel (ship breakers, builders, and repairers), you also qualify as a “seaman” under law.
This is according to the The Longshore Harbor and Workers’ Compensation Act, and is a definition that has been reaffirmed in recent case law. What it means for you is: you may be entitled to further protections and insurance as a seaman if you’re injured while doing a maritime job.
The legal definitions and protections regarding seamen are put in place so that those whose service regularly exposes him (or her) to the perils of the sea are appropriately protected. Pierce Skrabanek has the familiarity to help you navigate these choppy legal waters.
Offshore and maritime workers have some of the most dangerous jobs in the country and across the globe. Unlike logging, trucking, or coal mining, the dangers of maritime work entail shifting environments that require complex safety measures.
According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), each of the following safety categories merits its own sub-committee for focused consideration.
As you can see, when it comes to the safety of offshore jobs, the regulations are multifaceted. But all these standards and practices still cannot prevent every injury from happening. The next section details the most common workplace injuries in maritime jobs.
The unique dangers maritime workers face can be extremely hazardous. Here are the circumstances that cause some of the most common maritime injuries. These damages may require an experienced maritime injury attorney to help you with optimal recovery.
No matter what kind of injury you’ve suffered, an experienced maritime injury lawyer can help make sure you get all the care you’re owed.
Whether you’ve suffered a back injury from moving heavy equipment, received burns or toxic exposure, or other life-changing emergencies like amputations or head trauma, under the Jones Act you are owed what’s called “maintenance and cure.”
“Maintenance” is the daily allowance to cover food and expenses that workers would have received aboard a vessel. “Cure” refers to medical expenses such as hospital expenses, doctor’s visits, and prescription medication.
If you think you need a maritime injury lawyer, reach out and ask: the consultation is free. Hear from our clients Curtis and Cheryl regarding their experience with Pierce Skrabanek after Curtis suffered a stroke during offshore work on an oil rig.
Maritime lawsuits can be complex, with multiple points of potential liability. Was it the equipment that malfunctioned? Was an operator at fault? Or did an accident occur because of the way the cargo was packed or loaded? What if it was all of the above? The right maritime injury lawyer has the knowledge necessary to help pin down responsibility so that you can heal in peace.
Pierce Skrabanek is a nationwide firm that operates out of Texas and offers bilingual English and Spanish service to our clients. To discuss your situation and schedule a free legal consultation, contact the offices of Pierce Skrabanek today by calling 832-690-7000 or by filling out our online contact form. We handle all cases on a contingency basis, meaning that we don’t get paid unless we win or settle.
Our experience inside the courtroom has garnered several awards, including induction into the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and SuperLawyers by Texas Monthly Magazine. When accounting for the damages suffered in a maritime injury, a dedicated attorney from Pierce Skrabanek can help get you the means to mend as quickly as possible, without sacrificing critical care.
First, to make sure no potential rewards are left unexplored, as maritime law is intricate with international concerns and multiple points of liability. Second, to make sure that all responsible parties are held to account if mistakes were made. Third, to take the burden of legal concerns off your shoulders and place them in the hands of a capable maritime injury attorney like those at Pierce Skrabanek.
Potentially yes. Updates to the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (aka the Jones Act) have expanded and clarified the legal definition of “seamen” to include dock and port workers as well as ship builders, breakers, and repairers. If 30% of your job entails duties related to the operation of maritime vessels, including offshore jobs like oil rigs, you may qualify for extra protections and insurances under the law.
Under the Jones Act, a maritime worker who is injured on the job is entitled to “maintenance and cure” which means coverage for lost wages, future economic loss, pain and suffering, mental anguish, PTSD support, disfigurement, and medical expenses. In the event of offshore injury or wrongful death, maritime injury lawyers at Pierce Skrabanek can help you navigate your rights under law.
We know how tough things can get after an injury. That’s why we make your struggles our fight. With over three decades of combined experience, we’ve been the reliable allies our clients need, tackling financial hardships, physical pain, and major life changes. Our track record of successful verdicts and settlements speaks to our team’s passion and dedication to helping clients get the support and justice they need.
Summary: Served as trial counsel and obtained an $11.6 million jury verdict in a Houston, Texas case involving a worker who suffered a catastrophic injury that resulted in the loss of most of the sight in one of his eyes. The jury deliberated for only a day and a half before finding the defendant liable for designing a faulty piece of equipment that led to the injuries. The pretrial settlement offer was less than $300,000.
Summary: Served as second chair trial attorney on a maritime accident case. Defendant claimed the accident never occurred and only offered $10,000 to settle the case pretrial. Plaintiff obtained a jury verdict of $810,000, which was later upheld on appeal.