Bossier City Offshore Accident Attorneys
Choose the Team with Decades of Experience
Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers in Bossier City is the name you should trust if you have been in an offshore accident caused by someone else’s negligence. Such accidents are notoriously complex, and many law firms simply will not work on them because they do not have the resources and experience required. We are proud to say that we have 20+ years of practice experience with a focus on difficult claims and lawsuits, so you know that you can depend on us when it counts.
For a free consultation, please dial (888) 492-5532.
Different Types of Offshore Accidents
Working offshore is inherently dangerous. Yet there is never an excuse for workplace negligence that puts workers and third parties in danger. If you were working on an offshore site like an oil rig or a shipping vessel and you were hurt, then we want to hear from you.
Different types of offshore accident cases we can manage involve:
- Explosions and fires: Few things are more dangerous on vessels and oil rigs than fires. The confined spaces can make it incredibly difficult to escape and extinguish the flames before someone gets hurt. Oil and other flammable substances around the jobsite can fuel the flames further and possibly explode, resulting in catastrophic injuries like burn injuries, brain injuries, and more.
- Exposure to hazardous substances: Working around hazardous substances can be dangerous, even when those substances are stored and managed correctly. Repeated exposure via inhalation or minor skin contact can gradually or quickly cause a severe or terminal illness like cancer.
- Equipment defects: Heavy and complicated equipment and devices are common on offshore jobsites and vessels. If such equipment is not maintained well and often, then it can become defective and dangerous without warning. For example, caught-in accidents are often the end result of industrial equipment defects.
Do You Have to Sue for Compensation?
Offshore accident cases are complicated because the laws surrounding liability when on the open water are complex, too. Matters get even trickier when an accident happens on an offshore jobsite because employment laws can become entangled in the situation. You might not even have the right to sue the liable party for fair compensation, based on the details of your employment and accident. But you should always have some way to get compensation. Our Bossier City offshore accident attorneys are here to ensure that you know the full extent of your legal options, so you do not risk leaving a dollar of compensation unclaimed.
You might be able to get compensation through these types of claims:
- Jones Act: The Jones Act provides maritime workers a legal avenue to seek compensation after being hurt on the job due to the unseaworthiness of a vessel. It is similar to workers’ compensation in that it mostly provides for medical bills and lost wages, but it can also provide for non-economic damages.
- Longshore & Harbor Workers Compensation Act: The LHWCA is similar to the Jones Act, but it is provided to maritime workers who cannot use the Jones Act because their employment keeps them completely or primarily on the shore. For example, dockworkers and shipbuilders who are hurt at work most often use the benefits of the LHWCA.
- Personal injury: If you were hurt in an offshore accident but cannot pursue workers’ compensation, then you should still be able to seek damages through a traditional personal injury claim.
- Death on the High Seas Act: Did you lose a loved one to an offshore accident involving an unseaworthy vessel or commonplace negligence? The Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA) might be usable to seek fair compensation and justice.
Can You Be Fired for Filing an Offshore Accident Claim?
Injured workers have the right to file an offshore accident claim through any of the previously mentioned legal channels. This right must not be impeded upon by an employer in any way, which means that the worker cannot be penalized by their employer for filing a claim. Employers that fire, demote, harass, or otherwise punish an injured worker are breaking the law. A separate employment rights case could be justified.
Work with Winning Lawyers Today
Get the help of our Bossier City offshore accident lawyers as soon as possible after you are hurt on the job or the open seas. If we can get an early start on your case, then we might be able to uncover unique and helpful evidence that otherwise would be unavailable. Every minute counts when so much is on the line, so dial (888) 492-5532 right away.
Remember: Initial consultations are no-cost and no-obligation with our firm.