New Orleans Barge Accident Lawyer

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.