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Hurt While Working on the Water?

If you’ve been injured as part of your duties in a maritime job, call us today to schedule your personal consultation with one of our experienced Alabama maritime accident lawyers.

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Maritime workers (along with railroad workers) are some of the few exceptions to the federal workers’ compensation requirements.

In lieu of standard workers’ compensation insurance, maritime workers are covered by one of two programs: The Merchant Marine Act (commonly referred to as the Jones Act) and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). Both of these are federally mandated programs that apply specifically to the maritime industry.

Merchant Marine Act (Jones Act)

The Jones Act mandates that maritime employers provide what is known as “maintenance and cure” for employees injured on the job, regardless of fault.

Maintenance refers to a daily compensation benefit meant to cover the costs of shelter and food that the injured party would have received aboard the vessel had the injury not occurred, while cure refers to medical expenses incurred as a result of the injury.

The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA)

The LHWCA is designed to cover maritime employees who are not seamen.

This includes longshoremen and harbor workers, as well as several other categories of workers, including government contractors and others.

In addition to these benefits, many maritime workers may be entitled to additional benefits in certain circumstances, such as when the vessel is shown not to be seaworthy. In certain cases, an injured maritime worker may be able to pursue other avenues of recourse as well.

If you or a loved one was injured in the course of employment in the maritime industry, it is essential that you consult with a competent maritime injury lawyers as soon as possible in order to preserve your rights to fair and just compensation for the injuries incurred.


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The Long Brothers Are Here for You

We’ve streamlined the process of beginning your legal claim — with just a call or click to schedule your cost-free consultation, you’ll be on the road to recovery in no time.

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Our office has extensive knowledge of maritime law, and we are committed to defending your right to fair payment for your losses.

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We get paid contingent on the success of your claim. In other words, we don’t get paid unless you do!

Filing a maritime injury liability claim in Mobile, Alabama.

Maritime Injuries Can Be Severe and Life-Changing

Working on and around ships is dangerous, and often results in serious injuries. In recognition of both the danger and importance of working with ships, the Jones Act provides vigorous protection for seamen. Unlike with workers’ comp claims, it is required that you show negligence on the part of your employer when filing a Jones Act claim for your injuries. However, your employers’ responsibility to provide a safe working environment is very high, and you can receive significant compensation for your maritime injuries.

Many cases involve more than one defendant and a variety of complex legal factors, so a complimentary legal consultation at Long & Long can help you get to the bottom of who or what caused your offshore injuries. We’ll investigate your maritime accident, identify your best course of legal action, and help you with every step of the claims filing process in Alabama. We know exactly how to litigate complex offshore injury claims to our clients’ best advantage.


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WE ARE 5-STAR RATED

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We’ve won MILLIONS of dollars for our INJURED neighbors.

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Maritime/Admiralty -Wrongful Death

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Offshore Maritime Injury

Determining Whether You Have a Case

Many different factors can affect your claim, such as the statute of limitations and how far out at sea you were when the injury occurred. Jones Act claims can be very difficult, and you must contact one of the Alabama maritime accident lawyers at Long & Long if you believe that you have a claim against your employer.

Our maritime accident lawyers will evaluate your claim for free and assist you in receiving compensation for your injuries, the work you have lost, and the medical bills you are paying. Below, you can find more information on what constitutes a valid claim.

The Jones Act covers crewmen who are employed on many different oceanic and riverboats and vessels, such as:

  • Drill ships
  • Tug boats
  • Floating cranes
  • Cruise ships;
  • Fishing vessels
  • Construction barges
  • Cargo ships
  • Tankers
  • Diving vessels
  • Recreational boats
  • Drilling rigs

Offshore injuries can range from third-degree burns to open head wounds to brain injuries from falling objects. Whether you sustained a spine injury, traumatic brain injury, loss of limb, lacerations, broken bones, or accidental poisoning, it’s crucial to discuss your accident with our offshore injury lawyers in Alabama as soon as possible.

These unique cases require legal intervention for you to be sure that you’re protecting your rights. The sooner you act, the sooner you can receive the compensation you need to recover.

We can help clients injured in all types of offshore accidents, including the following:

  • Fires and explosions — Fire and explosion injuries, such as burns, smoke inhalation, and traumatic amputations, can occur in offshore accidents involving oil or gas combustion. These are often the most catastrophic kinds of offshore accidents. Sadly, they are also some of the most common. Poorly maintained rigs and equipment, dangerous fuel tanks, and vessel collisions can cause fires and explosions in the oil and gas industry.
  • Deck accidents — Slipping on deck, falling equipment or debris, falls from ladders, and other deck injuries run high risks of causing serious head, brain, and back injuries. It is the employer and site manager’s duty to reasonably prevent offshore deck accidents, even when the rig or vessel is moving and jostling workers around.
  • Equipment failures — Unfortunately, equipment failures and malfunctions are an inevitable part of working offshore in Alabama. Oil rigs rely on enormous pieces of heavy machinery that could easily cause life-threatening and fatal injuries to workers if they malfunction. Injuries from being caught in or between machinery, burns and electric shocks, and transportation accidents can all injure offshore workers.
  • Oil rig injuries — Offshore oil drilling puts workers at risk of many different accidents and injuries. Hazards can include equipment failures, inexperienced coworkers, and human error. Crane failures, falls overboard, and exposure to toxic substances are all common types of worker injuries on oil rigs.
  • Offshore boating accidents — Unseaworthy vessels, careless captains, lack of proper maintenance, and other acts of negligence can cause preventable offshore vessel collisions and other accidents. Offshore boat accidents may come down to the liability of the employer or the owner of the vessel.

Were You or Someone You Love Injured on an Offshore Oil Rig, Cruise Ship, or Other Maritime Vessel?

Offshore workers in Alabama’s commercial maritime industry have dangerous jobs that can expose them to serious personal injury risks. The personal injury attorneys at Long & Long can help you navigate the complicated state and federal laws in pursuit of fair compensation.

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The experienced maritime injury attorneys at Long & Long will show you what damages you are able to recover with your claim.

What Can Be Recovered With a Maritime Injury Claim?

When it comes to compensation in an Alabama maritime injury case, it is crucial to seek the advice of trusted personal injury attorneys.

A seaman who is injured while working on a vessel may be entitled to compensation under the Jones Act for damages for past and future lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. In addition, the seaman may be entitled to maintenance and cure, which is a daily allowance to cover living expenses and medical treatment until the seaman reaches maximum medical improvement.

Another example of compensation in a maritime injury case is when a person is injured in a recreational boating accident. In this situation, the injured person may be able to recover compensation from the boat owner’s liability insurance policy.

Insurance companies will not protect your rights or care about your future like our personal injury attorneys. Before you speak to a claims adjuster or agree to a fast settlement, discuss your case with a lawyer at Long & Long. We will evaluate your claim and tell you what we think it could be worth. We’ll also analyze all your recovery options under maritime and other laws. A consultation with us could open your eyes to better compensation possibilities.

Proving Negligence in Jones Act Claims

Although you must show your employer’s negligence before you can be compensated for maritime injuries under the Jones Act, the standard for negligence under the Jones Act is different from many other types of lawsuits.

According to maritime tradition and the intent and interpretation of the Jones Act, the vessel owner owes his seamen an obligation of fostering protection. This means that ship owners and maritime employers have a higher duty of care toward their employees, and negligence for the purposes of Jones Act claims may be comparatively slight.

These are some examples of negligence that may justify compensation with a Jones Act claim:

  • Faulty or defective equipment
  • Missing or inadequate safety equipment
  • Inadequate training
  • Demanding an overlong workday
  • Emphasizing productivity or speed over safety
  • Negligence or assault by a fellow crew member
  • Improper staffing or understaffing of vessel
  • Unsafe or inappropriate protocols
  • Navigational errors
  • Failure to provide timely medical treatment or evacuation of injured crew

These and many other related types of negligence may also be sufficient for a valid Jones Act claim. In addition, if the negligence was due to a person or entity other than your employer, this does not mean you cannot file a Jones Act claim. As long as you suffered injury as part of your employment duties, you likely have a case.

The responsibility to provide a safe working environment cannot be ignored or delegated by your employer, so although other people may also be responsible, your employer remains a party to the maritime injury claim.

Long & Long has years of combined experience representing clients with injuries from serious maritime and offshore accidents. We know how best to negotiate these claims according to the parameters of maritime law, and it’s our mission to seek justice and financial recovery for people with work-related offshore injuries. When workers’ compensation isn’t enough to cover your considerable damages, contact us for a solution.

Next Steps

Begin today by submitting your case for a free review or scheduling a consultation over the phone. This will allow us to get a more comprehensive understanding of your situation and offer the soundest legal advice for your claim.

After reviewing your case and determining that you have a valid claim for compensation, we will take over and start on evidence collection. This process is vital because it will ensure you have an indisputable case deserving of compensation.

The negotiation process will begin once we’ve strengthened your case with the evidence, and we will do everything it takes to recover the maximum damages available.

Once your lawyer has informed you of the final settlement offer and advised you of the best action to take, you will have the choice to accept or reject the offer.

If you accept, we will stay by your side until the check is in your hands.

Frequently Asked Questions

Knowing how to handle yourself and your claim after suffering an offshore injury can make a big difference to your case. Certain actions you take can help your benefits claim, while others can hinder it. Never hesitate to contact us right away after an accident in offshore Alabama. The sooner you contact us, the better for your claim

Here are a few general steps to take after an offshore accident:

  • Report your injuries to your employer. Wait where you are and ask someone to notify your employer or manager about the incident. Stay as immobile as you can if you feel pain in your back, neck, or head. Let your employer know what happened and ask for medical assistance.
  • Get help for your injuries. Offshore injuries are often serious. Always request medical attention as soon as possible after an accident. You may have burns, a head or brain injury, a spinal cord injury, or a broken bone. Prompt medical care can help your health prognosis, but it can also show an insurance company that you did everything you could for treatment.
  • Document the accident. It may take time for a helicopter to arrive on an oil rig with emergency medical care. While you wait, try to gather as much information as you can about the accident, or have a trusted coworker do so for you. This may involve taking photographs of the scene, recording details of the accident, and listing the names of anyone involved.
  • Understand your rights. Once you receive treatment for your injuries, start thinking about your options for legal action. You might be eligible for compensation as an injured worker under the Jones Act, the LHWCA, or another type of claim. Talk to your employer about your options, but don’t call the insurance company just yet.

Contact Long & Long. Our Alabama offshore accident lawyers offer free, confidential consultations so that injured workers can learn their rights at no cost or obligation. Give us a call as soon as you can after an offshore accident. We’ll immediately give you our best legal advice as to what to do next.

Pursuing compensation may require you to identify the at-fault party involved in the accident. Recovering your losses under the Jones Act, for example, could mean bringing a claim against a particular party if someone else’s negligence caused your injuries or if the vessel was unseaworthy. The party responsible for your damages will depend on the circumstances of the accident.

The following entities could be potential defendants:

  • An employer. An oil or gas company operating in offshore Alabama could be liable if it or one of its employees was negligent or reckless in some way that caused the accident. Lax hiring and training procedures, poor ship maintenance, and failure to properly protect workers from injuries could all point toward employer liability.
  • A coworker. If an incompetent or careless crew member contributed to your accident, you might have a claim against the company they work for. The laws of vicarious liability hold employers responsible for the actions and misbehaviors of their on-duty employees.
  • A vessel captain. The captain of the vessel could be liable if they caused a rig accident or boat collision. A captain’s negligence at the helm could result in a maritime disaster and serious worker injuries. The captain might be individually liable for damages, or another entity could be responsible if it employs the captain.
  • The vessel owner. Poorly maintained, malfunctioning, and unseaworthy vessels that lead to offshore injuries might come down to the owner’s liability. It is the owner of the vessel’s legal duty to maintain it and pay for repairs as necessary. Lack of safety inspections, low-quality repairs, and other acts of negligence can cause injuries.
  • Product manufacturer. Some offshore injury accidents stem from defective and dangerous products harming workers. For example, a defectively designed crane might collapse and kill workers on the deck below. In these cases, injured parties may have product liability lawsuits against the item’s manufacturer and/or distributor.

The Long Brothers are based in Mobile, Alabama, and are proud to assist clients in and around the Gulf Coast with a variety of personal injury claims.

Under the Jones Act, a seaman can seek compensation for any injury associated with employment onboard an ocean vessel or a freshwater vessel navigating the lakes and rivers. Although these may be described as “maritime injuries,” they do not have to occur when the boat is at sea. These injuries may occur:

  • On the vessel
  • On a different vessel owned by another employer, if so assigned
  • On docks and wharves
  • During transportation to and from the vessel
  • At training facilities.

The injury may have happened in many different places, but if the person injured is a Jones Act employee and the injury may be connected to negligence on the part of the employer, then the employee may be legally eligible for compensation.

It won’t cost you a thing upfront to hire us for your case. Our initial case reviews are free, and we only charge fees once we’ve won compensation for you. With no financial risk, you deserve to have the best maritime defense team in Alabama!

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