New Orleans Barge Accident Lawyer

Barges are some of the largest and heaviest vessels on New Orleans’ waterways. Although slow-moving compared to smaller craft, these can be steered into harm’s way, causing a mess of damage for anything in their path. If this happens to you, a New Orleans barge accident lawyer can help you navigate the maritime legal system to get you compensation for your damages and injuries.

In Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers’ over 121 years of combined experience, we have taken great care to learn maritime law so that you have the kind of counsel you want on your side when you need it the most. A qualified New Orleans maritime lawyer wants to help you hold the barge owners and operators accountable. Get a free consultation today to find out exactly how.

How a New Orleans Barge Accident Lawyer Can Help You

Accidents on the water come with their own set of rules that need the know-how of an attorney with experience in these rules. Charges can look different than what we see in other personal injury accidents on land. Discussions with a New Orleans personal injury lawyer can provide clarity on charges based on negligence.

We can also help you learn more about common maritime injuries so you can have better communication with your doctor. Your recovery is our top priority, both physical and financial. Let us be your New Orleans barge accident law firm so you can focus on your injuries.

As an offshore worker, your case will fall into the realm of maritime law, which is outlined by several acts, like the Jones Act. Understanding far beyond the basics of The Jones Act for offshore injured workers has been a focus of ours, and we want to help you understand it too. 

Maritime Law That Applies to Barge Accidents in New Orleans

The laws for waterways were written so that there was no ambiguity as to how land-based laws would or would not affect water-based actions. These include a few acts passed by lawmakers that refer to different situations, people, and locations. Gaining familiarity with these can help you know what your barge accident lawyer in New Orleans is using to build your case.

• The Jones Act – federal laws written to govern and apply to any American merchant marine workers and vessels, including barges, that are not fixed to a seabed and operate on navigable waterways
• Death on the High Seas Act – this stipulates how to recover damages when a maritime worker dies at sea due to damages from negligence, and who can receive the compensation from the case
• The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act – among other things, this gives jurisdiction to US territories, like Louisiana, so that the territory’s laws apply to accidents on vessels, like fixed offshore oil rigs, and can apply to accidents when a barge collides with one of these vessels
• Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act – This allows for workers who work as a longshoremen or harbor workers who may be hurt at work within maritime jurisdiction to seek workers’ compensation

Since barge accidents can happen on open water, in a harbor, and with other types of vessels, any of these acts can apply in different ways depending on your situation. 

Any and all details you can provide could prove essential in applying the right laws to use. We are here to answer any questions you have along the way, like what damages are available in a maritime injury case.

Maintenance and Cure in Barge Accidents in New Orleans

The concept of maintenance and cure is extremely old, dating back to the early 1300s. But you may still wonder what maintenance and cure are in maritime injury cases. In short, it is the financial compensation that a seaman can use to support daily living and recovery-related healthcare costs after a maritime accident, including those involving barges. A New Orleans barge accident attorney may use this term sometimes.

Importantly, while maintenance and cure apply to maritime workers, it does not qualify as workers’ compensation. Maintenance and cure is governed by federal law DI 52105.005 Jones Act Payments that differentiates it from DI 52115.005 Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) payments. We would have to pursue these separately.

Maintenance and cure can extend to the loved ones of someone who dies at sea and whose case can move forward under the Death on The High Seas Act. To be sure this applies to your case, we can talk about what the Death on The High Seas Act covers and other specific concerns you may have.

How a New Orleans Barge Accident Law Firm Handles Barge Accident Cases

When you call us for your free consultation, we will start by getting to know you, your current recovery progress, and all the details you have about your case so far. This will likely include a detailed account of what exactly happened, so we can see which of these common damages we can seek compensation for:

• Wrongful death
• Slip and fall
• Falling objects
• Safety violations
• Malfunctioning equipment
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Loss of limbs

Many other injuries can happen, and almost all of them could give rise to a barge accident claim. You will need to talk with your lawyer to see how your injury fits in. After determining that, we will move on to gathering evidence, connecting evidence with testimony, connecting all of these with applicable maritime laws, and finally negotiating a fair settlement or arguing for a favorable verdict.

Call a Barge Accident Attorney in New Orleans Before It is Too Late

You need a barge accident lawyer Gulf of Mexico for your barge accident, and Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers is here to answer that call. We are confident in taking on your maritime accident case because we emphasize exceptional service and are determined to win for our clients. 

You only have three years to file your claim according to §30106, so when to hire a maritime injury lawyer for your barge accident is now.