The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) is part of the law that fills the gap between maritime acts and state Workers’ Compensation laws. These types of maritime acts help provide benefits to maritime employees who are not considered seamen under the Jones Act.
After reporting your injury to your employer, you’ll want to seek the guidance of maritime law attorneys. Lawyer info can be plentiful, but also confusing and misleading, so it’s important to take care when selecting a law firm to represent you.
Boating accidents are common reasons why a worker may need to file a claim under the LHWCA. Because the various maritime acts are often dependent on where the worker was employed it’s important to have maritime law attorneys who understand how to define seamen under the Jones Act and handle local Workers’ Compensation laws.
If you are eligible for benefits under the LHWCA, you may be able to collect compensation for medical expenses and damages incurred due to disability. This can include past and future needs, as well as rehabilitation benefits. You do have to act quickly, as you only have 30 days to file the injury report with your employer and 1 year to file with the Department of Labor.
When seeking lawyer info it’s important to consult with several law firms until you find the one that’s right for you. If an attorney can’t explain the basics of defining a Jones Act seaman and help you determine which maritime acts apply to your case, they are most likely a bad fit for your claim.
Our Maritime Law Attorneys Can Help With Claims under the Maritime Acts
Maritime law provides you with certain protections your employer may not want you to know about. Our maritime law attorneys at The Young Firm in New Orleans, Louisiana, can help you if you have suffered serious injuries from boating accidents, oil rig explosions, and many other types of maritime incidents.
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 and get the lawyer info you need.
