Does your Maritime jobsite “move”? It matters to your claim!

There are so many types of maritime jobs that can qualify an injured employee for protection under the Jones Act Law, Maritime Law or even both. One of the main things maritime attorneys look at when reviewing a claim is the type of workplace at which a client was employed when he or she sustained the injury.

For general Maritime Law cases, a worker can claim protection and rights under those laws if he or she was employed on or near "navigable" water. Navigable water is defined as almost any body of water that can be used for navigation. This would include large bodies like lakes and oceans, but also smaller waterways like channels, canals and rivers.

For the Jones Act Law to apply to your case, you must be employed in navigable water, but also must be on a vessel, such as an oil tanker or commercial fishing boat. This will cover most workers, but there is one area of employment that raises some questions: fixed offshore platforms.

When workers are employed on a stationary offshore platform such as an oil rig, their injury claims generally will fall under the laws of the state or country where the platform is stationed closest. If you work on an oil platform off the coast of Louisiana, you'll need an attorney who handles maritime and Jones Act in New Orleans to determine your rights.

An attorney in Louisiana for Jones Act claims will be your best source of information when trying to determine your jobsite classification. Understanding the classification of your employment is important to determining whether your claim falls under Maritime Law or Jones Act Law. 

Contact an Attorney in Louisiana for Jones Act Law Cases

The Jones Act Law provides you with certain protections your employer may not want you to know about. An attorney who handles offshore injuries under the Jones Act in New Orleans can be found at The Young Firm. Our Jones Act and oil spill attorneys can help you if you have suffered maritime offshore accident injuries while working on an offshore platform, at a marina, or on a vessel.

Though we are based in Louisiana, we are ready and able to help injured victims throughout the U.S. Order our free Maritime Injury Law guide and/or our guide to what to do when you are injured offshore to learn all about your rights as an injured worker.

When you are ready to get started with your Jones Act injury case, we urge you to contact us today for a FREE case evaluation - call 1-504-680-4100 or toll-free at 1-866-938-6113.