A Jones Act seaman living in who has been injured on the Mississippi River, the Intercoastal waterway, other Louisiana or Mississippi inland waterways, or in the Gulf of Mexico, has legal rights under federal law as a maritime worker. Jackson Mississippi maritime attorneys at the law offices of Gordon, Elias and Seely, L.L.P., can make sure you receive, if you qualify, full compensation after a serious offshore injury while employed on a US vessel.
Maritime Law does not just cover Jones Act seaman. It covers individuals who are injured on a boat, whether as a member of the crew or as a passenger. In addition, certain sections of the law cover longshoremen, offshore oilfield workers, and just about any other individual injured on a boat, rig or dock. If injured, you need a Jackson Mississippi maritime attorney who has the specialized knowledgeable about these complex laws and the skill to successfully represent people who have serious maritime accidents.
The law office of Gordon, Elias & Seely, L.L.P., work with clients all across the Gulf Coast and inland waterways throughout the region, including persons living in the Jackson Mississippi area. Whether you have been injured in one of the myriad jobs within the oil industry, on a commercial fishing vessel, on a tug, tow boat, barge, aboard a crew boat, ferries, semi-submersibles, or if a loved one has suffered a wrongful death, the maritime lawyers at Gordon, Elias & Seely, L.L.P can help. We always put our experience and dedication to clients behind every Jones Act and admiralty law case we handle.
There are statutes of limitations for filing a claim, so don't hesitate. Call 800-773-6770 or fill out the online contact form to receive a free initial consultation. Mr. Gordon, Mr. Elias, or Mr. Seely are available to answer questions via the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Jackson Mississippi Home to Maritime Workers
Jackson Mississippi is the capital of Mississippi. The city is named after Andrew Jackson, who later became president of the United States, but was a general in the US Army at the time of the naming of the city. Jackson is home to several major industries, including electrical equipment and machinery, processed food, and primary and fabricated metal products. The surrounding area supports agricultural development of livestock, soybeans, cotton, and poultry. A major private company based in Jackson is Ergon. The company refines and distributes petroleum products. Jackson Mississippi is located a mere 45 minutes away via Interstate 20 to Vicksburg MS and the banks of the Mississippi River. Consequently, there are a number of maritime workers who live in Jackson Mississippi. Magnolia Marine Transportation is one such company in Vicksburg that offers maritime work to Jackson Jones Act seamen on their 16 towboats and more than 60 barges that move products through the Mississippi and Louisiana inland and inter-coastal waterways. Magnolia Marine Transportation helps to ensure the integrity of crude oil and finished products from the time the oil reaches U.S. shores to the time the finished product is delivered to customers.
With the lure of lucrative jobs in the offshore oil industry, many residents in Jackson travel to the port of New Orleans, one of the largest ports in the United States with more than 180 piers, docks and wharves on both sides of the Mississippi River to find work as crew members on tugboats, towboats, barges, dredges, commercial fishing vessels, supply boats and offshore platforms.
Maritime work is often dangerous. Accidents occur. Taking a job as a deckhand on a tugboat or tow boat can put a Jones Act seaman at risk for a serious injury while handling tow lines and cables used to move barges. Being hurt in a fall or getting a limb pinned between two barges can occur while moving through the numerous locks on the mighty Mississippi and connecting inland waterways. U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that approximately 11 deckhands and crew employed in the maritime towing industry die each year in work-related accidents, awith more than half of the deaths result from falls. Back injury, a knee injury, a brain injury or loss of a limb are some other serious injuries that can occur during a bunkering operation or when connecting or disconnecting barges during fleeting operations.
Jackson Mississippi Maritime Lawyers Can Help
A Jackson Mississippi maritime lawyer can assist if you or a loved one has been injured in a maritime accident due to negligence. Compensation under the Jones Act includes: “maintenance and cure” which cover medical treatment expenses and lost income or wages, pain and suffering, loss of ability to work, and other damages. Jones Act claims are against one’s employers. Our Jackson Mississippi maritime lawyers will explore all avenues of recovery for your maritime injury / injuries. Besides the provisions of the Jones Act another avenue that can be explored is “unseaworthiness” claims. Under the Jones Act, owners of US vessels are obligated to provide and maintain a seaworthy boat or specialty vessel that support a broad range of specialized marine applications. Jackson Mississippi maritime attorneys will explain that a vessel can be found “unseaworthy” in a number of ways. A maritime lawyer would file a claim for his Jones Act maritime client, if the maritime injury was caused by other crew members or officers who were either incompetent or unskilled to perform the necessary work, or if the vessel itself was not “reasonably fit” for its intended purpose such as poorly maintained equipment. In the case where a seaman has been killed, a Jackson Mississippi attorney would invoke the “Death On the High Seas Act,” also known with the acronym as DOHSA. This federal law allows a surviving spouse of a seaman to recover damages for his or her spouse's future earning. Finally, if you are a maritime worker who is not categorized as a Jones Act seaman, you have legal protections under the Longshoremen and Harbor Workers Compensation Act (LHWCA). Make sure that you fully understand your rights. By making an appointment to speak with a Jackson Mississippi maritime lawyer who will discuss your legal options, you can start on the road to recovery knowing someone has your back.
If you have been seriously injured Call us at 800-773-6770 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation. An experienced maritime attorney will be available to answer your questions.
