Were you injured in an accident off the coast of Baton Rouge, LA? Maritime accident cases can be notoriously complicated. It’s important to have a skilled Baton Rouge maritime accident lawyer in your corner. Our experienced team at Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight for compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, and more.
Between us, our attorneys have over 50 years of experience handling injury cases. We’ve put that experience to good work and recovered tens of millions in settlements and verdicts.
Your case may involve complex state, federal, maritime, or admiralty laws. Contact our law offices in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at (225) 263-4787, to learn more about how we can help you navigate the legal process.
How Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You After Suffering Maritime Accident Injuries in Baton Rouge, LA
Personal injury claims are rarely easy. Injured maritime workers face an even steeper uphill battle when it comes to recovering damages.
Your employer might claim your injuries were pre-existing. It may be tough to identify the exact cause of your injuries. You might not even know which laws apply in your case.
Our Baton Rouge personal injury attorneys at Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers have answers. For years, injury victims have trusted us to pursue full compensation. Over the years, we’ve earned our reputation for providing effective and strong legal representation.
When you choose our team to protect you, we will:
- Launch our own investigation to determine the cause of your injuries
- Document your losses and determine your case value
- Compile all evidence needed to prove your case
- Protect you from attempts to limit your compensation award
- Negotiate with the insurance companies for a full settlement
If you were injured at sea, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Baton Rouge personal injury lawyers today. We have the tools to stand up to the insurance companies and win.
How Do I Recover Compensation After a Maritime Accident in Louisiana?
When maritime workers are injured on the job, Louisiana workers’ compensation laws don’t typically apply. Instead, a variety of federal maritime laws may govern your case. Over the years, a variety of legal regimes have been developed to compensate maritime workers who suffer work-related injuries and illnesses.
Some of the most common include:
What Compensation is Available Under the Jones Act?
Compensation under the Jones Act is available to maritime workers who qualify as “seamen.”
Under the law, a seaman is one who:
- Has a direct and substantial connection to a seagoing vessel, or
- Plays a significant role in the function or mission of the vessel
While the standard is open to interpretation, seaman status is typically available to maritime workers who spend at least 30% of their time working aboard a seagoing vessel.
Jones Act benefits are similar to Louisiana benefits. Until you’ve recovered, you can receive “maintenance and cure” benefits.
These benefits cover:
- Your reasonable medical expenses related to the injury
- Basic living expenses while you recover
You can receive maintenance and cure benefits without any proof that your employer’s negligence caused your injuries.
However, if you can prove that your employer was, in fact, negligent, you can recover additional damages. In addition to your financial costs, non-economic damages like pain and suffering may be available if your employer failed to provide a seaworthy vessel.
What is the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA)?
Not all maritime workers qualify as seamen. LHWCA benefits may be available even if you don’t satisfy the standard for seaman status.
For example, you may qualify for LHWCA benefits if you work in or on:
- Shipping areas or shipyards
- Shipping terminals
- Docks and piers
- Wharves
- The navigable waters, even if you can’t qualify as a seaman
The LHWCA provides medical benefits, disability benefits, and reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses.
Can I File a Lawsuit Under Louisiana Personal Injury Laws?
It’s also possible that state law could govern your case. If you were injured because someone other than your employer was negligent, you may have a valid claim.
Most personal injury cases are based on negligence. Negligence means that someone failed to exercise reasonable caution under the circumstances, and you were injured as a result.
In personal injury cases, economic and non-economic damages are available, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost future earnings
- Permanent disability
- Physical therapy
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- PTSD
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
- Loss of consortium
Our maritime injury lawyers in Baton Rouge will carefully review the facts of your case to determine which laws apply. That way, we can pursue compensation for every dollar you deserve.
We Handle All Types of Maritime Injury Cases in Baton Rouge
Reach out to Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers for legal support if you’ve been injured in a:
- Shrimp boat accident
- Commercial fishing accident
- Oil tanker accident
- Offshore oil rig accident
- Jack-up rig accident
- Accident involving marine cranes and other heavy machinery
- Tugboat accident
- Cargo ship accident
- Shipyard accident
- Accident on a ship deck
- Barge accident
- Diving support vessel accident
- Cruise ship accident
Recovering compensation can be more complicated after maritime accidents when compared with your typical workplace accident. With an experienced Baton Rouge maritime accident attorney in your corner, you’re much more likely to get full compensation.
What is My Baton Rouge Maritime Accident Case Worth?
The value of any personal injury claim hinges on the facts and circumstances. More serious injury cases tend to yield higher settlements and verdicts. However, the calculation is often more complicated than that.
Important factors that our lawyers will consider in assessing your case value include:
- The severity of your injuries
- Your expected recovery time
- Whether you will suffer a permanent disability
- Medical treatment costs
- The nature of the at-fault party’s actions
- The circumstances of your injury
- Your wages prior to your injury
- The difference between what you can earn now and your earnings before the accident
It may seem like the LHWCA and Jones Act provide a standard level of benefits. That doesn’t mean the insurance companies will simply hand over a check for the full amount you deserve.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Lawyer to Handle My Baton Rouge Maritime Injury Claim?
We work on a contingency fee basis. We know that large upfront fees and unpredictable hourly rates often discourage injury victims from seeking legal advice. Instead, we only take attorney’s fees once we have recovered compensation for you. Your fees are simply a percentage of your compensation award.
Common Examples of Maritime Accident Injuries
Accidents at sea always have the potential to cause severe injuries.
Some examples of the types of injury claims we handle include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Crushing injuries
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Nerve injuries
- Shoulder injuries and dislocations
- Puncture wounds
- Hypothermia
- Soft tissue damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Internal injuries
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
Maritime accidents can also be fatal. Our wrongful death lawyers can help you pursue compensation if you lost a loved one.
What Causes Most Maritime Accidents in Baton Rouge?
Like accidents on land, maritime accidents tend to happen because someone was negligent. Even with training and experience, mistakes can happen when workers are tired, distracted, or rushed.
Some of the most common causes of maritime accidents include:
- Missing safety protection or equipment
- Failure to communicate effectively
- Unseaworthy conditions aboard the vessel
- Damaged work equipment
- Falls overboard
- Electrocutions
- Equipment malfunction
- Fires or explosions
- Slip and fall accidents on wet or slippery decks
- Exposure to toxic substances or chemicals
- Lack of proper training or supervision
- Workplace violence aboard the vessel
- Dangerous weather conditions
If you were injured while working at sea, contact our law firm in Baton Rouge to learn about your right to compensation.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Maritime Accident in Louisiana?
The statute of limitations depends on the laws applicable to your case. As of 7/01/2024, personal injury laws in Louisiana generally give victims two years to file a lawsuit. However, if your maritime accident occurred prior to that date, you may only have one year to initiate your case.
The Jones Act gives injured seamen three years to file a formal claim. However, you should notify your employer as soon as possible of your injury.
For LHWCA claims, you must notify your employer within 30 days of your accident.
In any case, waiting to take legal action is never a good idea. Consult a lawyer as soon as possible so you don’t risk missing the applicable deadline.
Contact a Baton Rouge Maritime Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Our team at Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers is here to protect injured maritime workers. Contact an experienced Baton Rouge maritime accident attorney today to start fighting for full compensation.
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Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Baton Rouge, LA
Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers
404 Europe Street, Baton Rouge, LA, 70802
(225) 263-4787
Baton Rouge, LA Medical Clinics
- Jacobs Medical Center at UC San Diego Health – 9300 Campus Point Dr, San Diego, CA 92037
- Kindred Hospital San Diego – 1940 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, CA 92104
- Coastal Urgent Care of Baton Rouge – 9808 Bluebonnet Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70810
*Disclaimer – we do not endorse these companies or profit from having them listed on our website.
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