Maritime Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Vujasinovic & Beckcom : Jones Act : Serving Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi

We are pleased to announce that one of our clients, a commercial diver who works offshore, has obtained a settlement against his employer and a lift boat company following serious injuries he sustained while diving offshore.

Our client was employed by Seamar Divers and worked on a Montco Offshore lift boat.  According to their websites, Seamar Divers provides offshore commercial divers, subsea construction, and subsea fabrication services to the oil and gas industry.  Montco Offshore provides lift boats to the offshore industry.

Our client was hurt when the Seamar supervisor failed to monitor the dive properly, resulting in our client getting "the bends."  The Montco crane operator brought him up too quickly and dropped him too hard on the deck of the lift boat, resulting in severe orthopedic injuries.

After working on the case for less than a year, we were able to negotiate a settlement that takes care of all medical bills, expenses, attorney fees, and still leaves a substantial monetary recovery for our client to invest or spends how he wants.

Did you know commercial divers may be covered by the Jones Act or maritime law?

Many commercial divers (and probably even a lot of lawyers) do not realize that commercial divers may be covered by the Jones Act and general maritime law if they are injured offshore.

To learn more about commercial divers and their rights under the Jones Act, read the following article:

Are Diving Accidents Covered by the Jones Act?

Want to know more about offshore injury claims? 

We strive to provide the best, most professional, and most effective representation to workers in the offshore industry. 

If you want to know more about offshore injury claims, please take a moment to read the following articles:

1.  How to hire the best lawyer for your Jones Act or offshore injury case

2.  What is the Jones Act?

3.  What is a Longshoreman and What Are Their Legal Rights When Injured?

4.  The difference between the Jones Act and the Longshore & Harbor Worker's Compensation Act

5.  The Truth About Offshore Injury Claims.

6.  What Should You Do If You Are Injured Offshore

7.  What you should know if you were hurt offshore and your employer is giving you a hard time

8.  Should I give my employer or the insurance company a "recorded statement?"

9.  Do I need to hire a lawyer for my Jones Act or offshore injury claim?

10.  What happens when you file a Jones Act lawsuit.

11.  6 Critical Things you must know if you are injured at sea

12. The Secrets Your Employer May Not Want You To Know If You Are Injured Offshore.

• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Many casino workers don't know this, but if they are injured on a casino boat, they may have special legal rights under the Jones Act to make a claim for their injuries and damages.

For example, a security guard working at Argosy’s Alton Belle Casino  recently filed a Jones Act case because, according to the lawsuit, her employer failed to comply with the Jones Act by making her workplace safe and free from hazardous condition, which resulted in her injuries.

Want to know more about offshore injury claims? 

Below are some links to some suggested articles offering helpful tips and advice regarding offshore injury claims.

Click here to read an article with helpful suggestions and tips on how to hire the best lawyer for your offshore injury case.

Curious about the Jones Act?  Click here for a general overview of the Jones Act.

Want to know more about the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act?  Click here to read the article "What is a Longshoreman and What Are Their Legal Rights When Injured?

Want to know the difference between the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act?  Click here to read about the difference between the two.

What to know the truth about offshore injury cases?  Click here to read The Truth About Offshore Injury Claims.

Want to know what you should do after an offshore injury to preserve your legal rights?  Click here to read  What Should You Do If You Are Injured Offshore

If you are hurt and your employer is giving you a hard time, click here to read "I was injured on the job and my employer is giving me a hard time - What should I do"

Employer trying to get you to give a recorded statement?  Click here to learn the truth about recorded statements and the best way to handle this request.

Thinking about trying to settle your offshore injury case without talking to a lawyer first?  Click here to learn why you can settle some cases yourself but in other cases not having a lawyer may be a TERRIBLE MISTAKE.

Want to know what happens when you file an offshore injury or Jones Act case?  Click here to learn about Filing a Jones Act lawsuit.

Click here to learn about 6 Critical Things you must know if you are Injured At Sea

Your employer may be keeping secrets from you if you are hurt offshore.  Click here to read about The Secrets Your Employer May Not Want You To Know If You Are Injured Offshore.

• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Kevin Camel at Cox, Cox, Filo, Camel & Wilson recently posted a comment on our website about a case his firm handled.

If you have been injured offshore and are looking for a lawyer in the Lake Charles area to handle your case, consider contacting the lawyers at Cox, Cox, Filo, Camel & Wlson.

You can find their website and phone number by clicking here. 

Below is the post Mr. Camel put on our maritime website describing a case his firm handled on behalf of a severely injured maritime worker.
***********

The injured worker should not have to just "suck it up". Despite, or perhaps because of, advances in technology, the offshore industry is the most dangerous industry in which to work. Yet, rather than provide proper care to injured seamen and other offshore workers, the companies discourage them from making a claim for the benefits which they require to recover from their injuries.

Our firm represented a man who was crushed between a fixed crane and a tugger (air-winch) installed aboard the employer's vessel. The defendant employer had installed the tugger within the turn radius of the crane, creating a pinch point between the counterweight of the crane and a protective frame surrounding the tugger. The accident caused severe trauma to the seaman's anus, perineum, and rectum, internal organs, and left hip, resulting in the installation of an artificial bowel sphincter. The man has undergone over forty surgical procedures, including the creation and reversal of a colostomy and numerous debridements under anesthesia. The Jones Act seaman still suffers with severe scarring of his anus and rectum and damage to the sciatic nerve, causing uncontrolled chronic pain.

In addition to maintenance and cure benefits in excess of $1 million, we obtained $10.5 million for the seaman in settlement of his claim for damages against the employer under the Jones Act.

We worked diligently throughout the claim to ensure that the man received all the necessary treatment for his serious injuries.

********************************
Want to know more about offshore injury claims? 

Below are some links to some suggested articles offering helpful tips and advice regarding offshore injury claims.

Click here to read an article with helpful suggestions and tips on how to hire the best lawyer for your offshore injury case.

Curious about the Jones Act?  Click here for a general overview of the Jones Act.

Want to know more about the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act?  Click here to read the article "What is a Longshoreman and What Are Their Legal Rights When Injured?

Want to know the difference between the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act?  Click here to read about the difference between the two.

What to know the truth about offshore injury cases?  Click here to read The Truth About Offshore Injury Claims.

Want to know what you should do after an offshore injury to preserve your legal rights?  Click here to read  What Should You Do If You Are Injured Offshore

If you are hurt and your employer is giving you a hard time, click here to read "I was injured on the job and my employer is giving me a hard time - What should I do"

Employer trying to get you to give a recorded statement?  Click here to learn the truth about recorded statements and the best way to handle this request.

Thinking about trying to settle your offshore injury case without talking to a lawyer first?  Click here to learn why you can settle some cases yourself but in other cases not having a lawyer may be a TERRIBLE MISTAKE.

Want to know what happens when you file an offshore injury or Jones Act case?  Click here to learn about Filing a Jones Act lawsuit.

Click here to learn about 6 Critical Things you must know if you are Injured At Sea

Your employer may be keeping secrets from you if you are hurt offshore.  Click here to read about The Secrets Your Employer May Not Want You To Know If You Are Injured Offshore.

• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

An injured worker has sued Matteson Marine Service, alleging that the company failed to provide him a safe workplace.  According to the lawsuit, the worker was injured because Matteson Marine Service was negligent.

The worker also claims that the company failed to provide him with maintenance and cure.  Or, put another way, that they failed to pay him any money while he was recuperating and failed to pay for his medical treatment.

You can read more about the case by clicking here.

What do you think about companies that fail to pay for proper medical care when an employee is injured?

Should the worker just "suck it up" and go back to work?  Or should the company provide the best care possibl since the worker was hurt at work? 

We welcome your comments.

********************************
Want to know more about offshore injury claims? 

Below are some links to some suggested articles offering helpful tips and advice regarding offshore injury claims.

Click here to read an article with helpful suggestions and tips on how to hire the best lawyer for your offshore injury case.

Curious about the Jones Act?  Click here for a general overview of the Jones Act.

Want to know more about the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act?  Click here to read the article "What is a Longshoreman and What Are Their Legal Rights When Injured?

Want to know the difference between the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act?  Click here to read about the difference between the two.

What to know the truth about offshore injury cases?  Click here to read The Truth About Offshore Injury Claims.

Want to know what you should do after an offshore injury to preserve your legal rights?  Click here to read  What Should You Do If You Are Injured Offshore

If you are hurt and your employer is giving you a hard time, click here to read "I was injured on the job and my employer is giving me a hard time - What should I do"

Employer trying to get you to give a recorded statement?  Click here to learn the truth about recorded statements and the best way to handle this request.

Thinking about trying to settle your offshore injury case without talking to a lawyer first?  Click here to learn why you can settle some cases yourself but in other cases not having a lawyer may be a TERRIBLE MISTAKE.

Want to know what happens when you file an offshore injury or Jones Act case?  Click here to learn about Filing a Jones Act lawsuit.

Click here to learn about 6 Critical Things you must know if you are Injured At Sea

Your employer may be keeping secrets from you if you are hurt offshore.  Click here to read about The Secrets Your Employer May Not Want You To Know If You Are Injured Offshore.

• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks

If you or a loved one are injured in an accident offshore, whether it be on a boat, a dredge, an offshore oil platform, a vessel, a freighter, a cruise ship, or any other type of water-borne method of transportation, you need to hire the best lawyer for your case.

Why is hiring the best lawyer, and just not any lawyer with a law degree, really important in offshore injury cases? 

Because the hidden secret is that most lawyers have never handled an offshore injury case and don't know the first thing about offshore injury law. 

So how do you find the best lawyer for your particular case?  And how do you even get an appointment to talk to the best offshore injury lawyers?

The best and most experienced attorneys who handle offshore injury or Jones Act cases will have people lining up at their door to hire them.  These lawyers will be very selective about the cases they accept and the people they represent.  It's often hard to get an appointment to talk with them directly.

If it's easy to get an immediate appointment with the lawyer you are thinking about hiring, ask yourself why?  Maybe that lawyer doesn't have much else to do?

Once you get an appointment with a lawyer you are thinking about hiring for an injury, accident, wrongful death, or business dispute case you should ask questions.  Lots of them.

Good lawyers will not be insulted by questions.  They will most likely encourage you to ask as many questions as you want.  Most of the best Jones Act and offshore injury lawyers will want you to educate yourself during the hiring process.

Any lawyer who seems to discourage your questions or doesn't answer them in a straightforward no-nonsense way should raise red flags.

After all, the best lawyers consider it their job to keep you informed and educated and comfortable during the entire process.

Questions to ask a lawyer you are thinking about hiring for an offshore injury case

1.  How long have you been in practice?

2.  Do you have any experience handling a case like mine?

3.  Can you give me a list of your past results or past cases?

4.  Have you  ever published any articles about cases like mine?

5.  Have you ever had a case against the same company that was negligent in my case?

6.  Will you actually work on my case?

7.  How much experience does your support staff have in these types of cases?

8.  Have you ever won a large verdict or settlement?

9.  Are you board-certified in any field?

10.  Do you carry malpractice insurance?

11.  Have you ever been disciplined or reprimanded by a bar association?

12.  What is my case worth?

13.  Have you ever represented large companies or insurance companies?

14.  Can I have a copy of my attorney-client contract to take home and study?

15.  Why do you believe you should handle my case and not some other lawyer?

This list does not include every possible good question.  It may depend on your case.  But this list will certainly cover a lot of important areas and get you started down the right road.

Any good offshore injury lawyer will be glad to answer all these questions and any other questions you have.  And they will be glad to answer them in a straightforward, honest, no-nonsense way!

If the lawyer is evasive or says he won't answer your questions until you hire him as your lawyer by signing papers, then you should probably just leave the appointment.  That lawyer is either not experienced enough for your case, is desperate for business, or has something to hide.

Have a good question you'd like to suggest? 

If you have other questions you'd like to suggest that are not on the list above, please submit your question to the comments section below.  We will print the most popular and most helpful question in a future post.

For more questions, visit the rest of the entires on this website or go to www.vbattorneys.com.

• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

We handle a lot of offshore injury cases.  The workers who work on vessels, be they barges, dredges, boats, cruise ships, oil rigs, crane barges, or any other type of offshore vessel typically are asked to do hard, heavy manual work. 

All too often, in our experience, those workers suffer back, neck, shoulder, knee, or other serious orthopedic injuries as a result of inadequate equipment, staffing, training, safety precautions, or by being pushed to do their work too quickly or in unsafe conditions.

These types of injuries can be career-threatening or even, in some cases, career-ending.  Workers who must have strong backs, legs, and arms often find themselves unable to do the work when they suffer one of these types of injuries.

Often, what will happen after an injury is the company will send the worker to company-sponsored or company-affiliated doctors.  After a cursory or quick medical examination, the doctor will simply send the worker back to work on "light duty" or will even give a full release, without doing a complete or thorough medical examination and before the worker is ready to return to work. 

When the worker tells the company that he is not ready to return, the company will give two stark choices--return to work or lose your job.

Not much of a choice.

Fortunately, the Jones Act and maritime law provides some legal protection to workers in this situation.  For example, under the Jones Act  and maritime law, you are allowed to go to a doctor of your own choosing.  If you are not physically ready to go back to work, the companies should be paying part of your salary in the form of maintenance payments and should be faciiliating your medical treatment and paying the doctors promptly.

If the company (or its insurance companies) don't cooperate and do everything reasonably in their power to assist you during your recovery, they may very well be running afoul of the law.

You can make a legal claim if the company and its insurance company do not help facilitate your medical care and act reasonably when you are injured.  In these situations, it is important that you talk with an experienced Jones Act or maritime injury lawyer, a lawyer you are comfortable with who has the experience and resources to help you get a full and fair recovery.

This is particularly important when your injury is career-threatening or possibly career-ending.

Don't fall into the "trap" that you must listen only to the company-referred doctor. 

• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Our firm is currently prosecuting a Jones Act case against Capital Inland Marine and Kirby Inland Marine, two Texas-based towing and barge companies.

You can find website links for Kirby by clicking on www.kirbycorp.com.  Capital Inland Marine does not appear to have a website.

The injured party was working as a tankerman / deckhand for Capital Inland Marine.  The lawsuit alleges that he was severely injured when he fell in a dangerous area of the vessel he was working on.

We are looking for any information, documents, etc. regarding either Kirby Inland Marine or Capital Inland Marine relating to any dangerous conditions or injury-causing events on their vessels.

If you have such information and would like to share it, please contact Cathy at 713.224.7800.

• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

A barge worker who was working on a Teco Barge Line vessel on the Mississippi River has filed a Jones Act case against his employer for his injuries.

According to the lawsuit, the worker suffered serious and permanent hip injuries in March 2006.  He claims that the company failed to provide him with safe equipment, proper assistance, and competent supervision.  The worker claims damages for lost wages, human damages like pain and suffereing, and medical expenses.

Comment from Texas Jones Act and Maritime Lawyer Brian Beckcom:

If you are a "seaman" as that term is defined in the Jones Act, your employer is REQUIRED to pay your medical bills until you reach "maximum medical improvement" and also is REQUIRED to pay your "maintenance," which is a daily monetary amount that is supposed to provide for your living and lodging and food expenses while you recuperate from your injuries.

If you are an offshore worker who is a Jones Act "seaman," and your employer is NOT paying your medical bills or maintenance, they are not following the law. 

• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks