Morgan City Maritime Lawyer | Louisiana Jones Act Attorneys
When you take a marine vessel into an unfamiliar port, you rely on an experienced harbor pilot who knows not only the local waters, but also how to navigate the channel and avoid a grounding. If you are injured in a maritime accident on the Atchafalaya River, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway or the Gulf of Mexico, you need an experienced Morgan City, Louisiana, maritime lawyer to help guide you.
The skilled attorneys at Gordon, Elias & Seely, L.L.P., are trusted maritime lawyers who are committed to standing up for the hardworking men and women who make a living on the water. Whether you have been injured in the oil industry, on a commercial fishing vessel, on a tow boat or aboard a crew boat, or a loved one has suffered a wrongful death, we can help if you have suffered because of someone else's negligence.
The law firm of Gordon, Elias and Seely, L.L.P., has admiralty and maritime attorneys licensed to practice in Louisiana and Texas. If you have been injured in a barge accident, a marine transport accident or a rig accident, it’s important to make the right call when choosing an experienced Jones Act attorney to represent you.
Call 800-773-6770 or fill out the online contact form to receive a free initial consultation. Mr. Gordon, Mr. Elias, or Mr. Seely will answer your questions. You can always reach them. They answer the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Morgan City Jones Act Attorney
Morgan City, Louisiana, is strategically situated on the Atchafalaya River near where it joins the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico. It is 70 miles west of New Orleans and 60 miles south of Baton Rouge. St. Mary Parish, which includes Morgan City, has more than 6,000 miles of navigable waterways, making it a hub for marine-related industries. From atop the flood barrier known as the Great Wall in Morgan City, you can see the shrimp boats and oil supply boats on the river. The waterways link the community closely to the Atchafalaya River, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico.
If you are a Jones Act seaman or offshore worker based in Morgan City and you have been injured while working in the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, you may have legal rights under federal maritime law. You may be facing significant medical bills and time off work, so it’s important to understand your rights to compensation. An experienced Morgan City maritime lawyer at Gordon, Elias and Seely, LLP, can help ensure that you obtain full compensation after a marine-related accident.
Maritime Injury Lawyers in Morgan City, Louisiana
Morgan City bills itself as the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico for the shrimping and offshore oil and gas industries. The annual Shrimp and Petroleum Festival recognizes the importance of the industries to the south Louisiana community. The Port of Morgan City is near the east bank of the Atchafalaya River in a deep harbor known as Berwick Bay. The port is 18 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Bayou Teche joins the Atchafalaya River and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway at Morgan City. Many rig workers and Jones Act seamen live near the Port of Morgan City in communities such as Baldwin, Berwick, Franklin, Patterson, Bayou Vista, and Amelia.
Maritime services companies employ deckhands, mates, engineers, abled-bodied seamen, cooks, and captains to transport cargo and offshore workers to rigs and platforms. For example, Laborde Marine LLC., located in Morgan City, contracts crewboats and fast supply boats to oil and gas companies working on the shelf and in deepwater. Laborde’s vessels include the Hilda Lab, Jean Pierre Lab, Genie Lab, Red Lab, John P. Lab, Captain Peyton P. Lady Lab, Ginny Lab, Rig Runner, Adri Lab, Captain Lab, Horizon Runner, Margaret Lab, Rapid Runner II, Response Runner, Ridge Runner, Sage Lab, Edie Lab, Sue Leon Lab, Mary Kathryn, Mary C and Amanda Lynn.
Offshore contractors and offshore supply companies that provide services to Shell, BP, Conoco Phillips, and other oil companies in the Gulf include Apache Corp., Atwood Oceanics, Deep Marine Technology, ENSCO, Helmerich and Payne, Inc., Pride International, Rowan Companies, Tesco Corp., Parker Drilling Co., Nabors Industries, Noble Drilling Co., Superior Energy Services, Inc., Harvey Gulf International Marine, Hornbeck Offshore Services in Covington, La., Jackson Offshore Operators, Laborde Marine, L.L.C., Diamond Offshore, Tidewater, Inc, and Otto Candies.
Working on a supply boat, crew boat or offshore platform is demanding work, and injuries are an occupational hazard. The risk of serious injuries increases when marine employers don’t provide an adequate, well-trailed crew and regular maintenance of the vessel and its equipment. When accidents occur because of employer disregard for vessel maintenance or safety, the employer may be legally responsible.
The skilled attorneys at Gordon, Elias & Seely, L.L.P., are knowledgeable Morgan City crew boat accident lawyers and supply boat injury attorneys.
Morgan City Towing Accident Attorney
The Morgan City-Port Allen alternate route is important for shipment of oil and petrochemicals. It is a 160-mile shortcut for barge traffic to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, bypassing New Orleans. The lock at Bayou Sorrel allows navigation between Morgan City and Port Allen, located across the Mississippi from Baton Rouge.
Work on tug boats and barges is physically exhausting, particularly when you have to work extra hours because there aren’t enough crew. In recent years, the marine towing industry has cut the size of crews on many vessels. Injuries are most common among deckhands, many of whom are dangerously fatigued from overwork. Accidents may happen while a seaman is handling lines, loading or unloading cargo, disembarking or when the boat moves unexpectedly. If a barge gets loose or line under tension breaks during barge fleeting activities, a towboat deckhand or mate may suffer a head injury, back injury, brain injury or traumatic injury. A maritime worker aboard a vessel providing bunkering service may be injured during a collision, allision (the running of one vessel against another), or explosion.
Many maritime workers also sustain serious injuries while transiting a lock such as the Bayou Sorrel lock. One marine vessel may collide with another while locking through a lock. Smaller locks require the uncoupling and reconnecting of barges. Deckhands may fall overboard while uncoupling barges or get caught in a pinch point between a vessel and a gate if a barge or towboat shifts unexpectedly. In the worst cases, a maritime worker may suffer a fatal accident. After many fatal maritime accidents, the family of the Jones Act seaman is legally entitled to file a wrongful death claim to hold accountable those who caused the accident.
If you have been injured in a towing accident, a barge fleeting accident or lock accident, or if you have lost a loved one, talk to a knowledgeable Morgan City Jones Act attorney about your legal rights. The skilled maritime lawyers at Gordon, Elias & Seely, L.L.P., have helped many Gulf families cope with a serious injury or loss. You’ll know you’ve made the right call when you speak with Mr. Gordon, Mr. Elias, or Mr Seely.
Morgan City Shrimping Accident Lawyer
Commercial shrimping remains an important source of employment for many families around Morgan City. But it’s dangerous work. When the decks of shrimp boats get covered with water and slime, slip-and-fall accidents are common, particularly in rough seas. A worker can get entangled in the nets or lines under tension and lose a limb or get pulled overboard.
More than 100 commercial fishermen died in the Gulf of Mexico from 2000 to 2009, including many from falls overboard and from traumatic on-board injuries, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Commercial shrimpers accounted for a high percentage of fatal and serious injury accidents. Many accidents are caused by the carelessness of the vessel owner. Talk to an experienced maritime lawyer who has a thorough understanding of the Fishing Vessel Safety Act and how it applies to your accident if you were injured through the carelessness of a vessel owner or another crew.
A Morgan City commercial fishing injury lawyer can advise you if you’ve been seriously injured in a commercial fishing accident. We are committed to holding negligent fishing vessel owners accountable if they endanger the safety and health of a Jones Act seaman.
Call Louisiana Offshore Accident Lawyer
If you are a Jones Act seaman, an offshore worker or a commercial fishermen and have been injured in the Gulf of Mexico, you may have legal rights as a maritime worker under federal law. An experienced Morgan City, Louisiana, maritime lawyer at Gordon, Elias and Seely, L.L.P., can make sure you receive full compensation after a serious offshore injury.
The maritime lawyers at Gordon, Elias & Seely, L.L.P., are licensed to practice in Louisiana and Texas. If you have been injured in an offshore accident, it’s important to make the right call when choosing a Jones Act attorney to represent you. Call 800-773-6770 or fill out the online contact form to receive a free initial consultation.
