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

I was injured on an offshore oil platform.  What are my legal rights?

We see these kind of cases frequently.  Unfortunately, there is no quick and easy answer to your question.

An offshore platform differs from an offshore rig because most of the time, the rig can be moved from place to place while the platform is fixed permanently to the ocean floor.

This distinction can make a big difference in your legal rights. 

If you are hurt while working on a movable oil rig, you may have rights under the Jones Act, a federal law that can be favorable to injured workers.

On the other hand, if you are hurt on an offshore platform, things get complicated quickly.  You may be a Longshoreman, entitled only to benefits under the Longshore & Harbor Worker's Compensation Act.

Or you may have legal claims against third parties if they caused your injury under "General Maritime Law." 

Oil platform injuries can be very complicated from a legal standpoint.  If you are hurt on an offshore oil platform, you should strongly consider seeking independent legal advice from an attorney who specializes in these kinds of cases.

Want to know more about maritime injury cases? 

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

To learn more about our law firm and what we can do for you, please visit the following websites:

www.vbattorneys.com

www.maritimeaccidentattorney.com

www.houstoninjuryaccidentlaw.com

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.

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Thank you for your question:

Many workers are exposed to hazardous chemicals or other substances like benzene, asbestos, chlorine, cleaning solvents, etc. as part of their maritime work on vessels, ships, jack-up rigs, oil rigs, and other maritime equipment.

For instance, recently, a worker who was exposed to benzene over the course of his 20 years as a seaman developed non-Hodgkins lymphoma.  The seaman claims that 18 of his former employers were negligent and has sued them under the Jones Act for his damages.

One of the defendants includes Kirby Inland Marine, a defendant our law firm has sued before on behalf of injured seamen.

So, what are your legal rights if you are exposed to benzene, asbestos, or other toxic substances and chemicals offshore?

If you are a Jones Act "seaman," then you can file your case under the Jones Act (see our other articles on the Jones Act on this website.)

If you are not a Jones Act "seaman," then it gets more complicated.

You may have rights under the Longshore & Harbor Worker's Compensation Act.

Under some circumstances you may also have rights to bring a products liability lawsuit claim against the manufacturer of the toxic substance you were exposed to.

Or, your case may fall under the General Maritime Law or the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA).

The bottom line is if you were exposed to benzene, asbestos, or some other toxic chemical or substance while involved in maritime work, you probably have legal rights.  However, those rights can be taken away if you do not act quickly to enforce them.

Want to know more about maritime injury cases? 

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.

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As the price of oil increases, the demands for oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, both in shallow water and deeper water, will only increase.  So will the demand for oil workers willing to work in often harsh and remote locations in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond.

Recently, in fact, there has been talk in the United States Congress about opening up more areas in the Gulf of Mexico for oil exploration and drilling purposes.

Unfortunately, the end result of more workers in the Gulf of Mexico, and more companies rushing to get oil out of remote and often dangerous places in the Gulf of Mexico is more injured workers and more workplace deaths.

As a law firm that represents workers injured in the Gulf of Mexico, we are often asked by the workers or other attorneys what law applies to these cases.

The answer, unfortunately, is not straightforward.  In fact, if a worker is injured or killed in the Gulf of Mexico, there could be four or five different laws that may apply to the case.  And the law may change depending on what the worker was doing at the time.

The worker may be entitled to recovery under the Jones Act.  Or the injured worker may be a Longshoreman entitled to recover under the Longshore & Harbor Worker's Compensation Act.

Or, the injured worker may be entitled to a recover under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. 

In a wrongful death case, the Death on the High Seas Act (DOSHA) may govern the case.

The bottom line is that you need an experienced maritime attorney if you are injured in the Gulf of Mexico, because evaluating the right law and the right venue may make all the difference in the world in whether you obtain a fair, reasonable settlement, a small settlement, or even no settlement at all.

Have you been, or do you know, someone who has been hurt in the Gulf of Mexico? 

If so, we would be interested in hearing your experience with the legal system and whether your lawyer did a good job for you.

Want to know more about maritime injury cases? 

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.

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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. 

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A Jones Act seaman's wife has filed a lawsuit against Blessey Marine, his employer, for the wrongful death of the seaman.

The seaman was killed by lighting on August 2007.  According to the lawsuit, Blessey Marine ordered the man to work outside in inclement weather.  The lawsuit claims that Blessey Marine violated industry standards.  The wife is seeking compensation for the loss of her husband.

What is the Jones Act?

The Jones Act allows injured seaman, or their heirs if they are killed, to bring a lawsuit against their employer. 

To find out more about the Jones Act, please contact our law firm at www.vbattorneys.com by going to the contact section of the main website. 

You can request a free copy of our book, "The Truth About Offshore Injury Cases." 

The book explains offshore injury cases, including Jones Act cases, and explains the entire process of a legal case for an offshore injury or death, including what to do in the early stages of the case, how to handle the insurance companies, whether and when and how to go about hiring a lawyer, and what to expect during the case.

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Two employees of Resolve Marine Group and its subsidiaries have filed suit against the company, claiming that the captain of one of the companies' boats ran the boat into a jetty, causing the men serious and permanent injuries.

The two men are claiming lost wages, pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and other damages and injuries.

The Jones Act provides some of the strongest legal protections for personal injury and damage.  For example, in this case, it appears as if an "allision" has occurred.  (An "allision" is a maritime term for striking a fixed object).

Under the Jones Act and general maritime law, when an allision occurs, and someone is hurt, the courts presume that the company was negligent.  This is different from land-based claims, in which the injured person almost always has to prove the company was at fault.

Protect Your Legal Rights

Injured offshore?  Interested in protecting your legal rights?  If so, feel free to call us for a free, no-obligation consulation about the Jones Act, general maritime law, and your case. 

Or, visit our websites to learn more about your legal rights and what we can do for you:

www.vbattorneys.com
www.maritimeaccidentattorney.com
www.themaritimelawyer.com

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Juan Gonzales, a temporary worker on a jack-up rig, has brought a claim against Beacon Maritime and Murphy Oil for injuries he sustained when he was hit by flying slag. 

Mr. Gonzales is bring his claims under the Jones Act, which protects injured offshore workers and seamen.  Mr. Gonzales' claims includes Murphy Oil and Beacon Maritime's failure to provide safe equipment, a safe working environment, and failing to provide medical care quickly enough.

For more information about the Jones Act or General Maritime Law, please contact Brian Beckcom at 713.224.7800, or toll free at 877.724.7800, or visit one of the firm's websites:

www.vbattorneys.com
www.themaritimelawyer.com
www.maritimeaccidentattorney.com

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About the firm

Vujasinovic & Beckcom, P.L.L.C. is a firm of board certified personal injury trial lawyers who handle serious injury and death cases, as well as business and insurance cases, on a contingency fee basis.  The firm has a substantial docket of Jones Act and maritime injury cases.

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Norweigian Cruse Lines Agrees to Settlement with Injured Worker

Press Release - October 2007, Houston, Texas

Norweigian Cruse Lines (NCL America) has agreed to settle a case filed by an injured worker.  The worker was injured while working aboard the Pride of America, a cruse ship stationed in Hawaii.

The employee injured his finger, arm, and neck while performing a life boat transfer operation.  He received a surgery on his finger and arm, and one of his treating doctors wrote a report stating that the worker needed surgery on his neck as well.  The injured Norweigian Cruse Lines employee incurred medical bills, lost wages, impairment, and pain and suffering.

The worker hired Brian Beckcom and the law firm of Vujasinovic & Beckcom, P.L.L.C. to handle his case.  A lawsuit was filed under the Jones Act and General Maritime Law to recoup medical bills, lost wages, maintenance and cure, impairment, and pain and suffering damages.

The case settled in October 2007.  It was filed in the 333rd District Court of Harris County, Texas.

According to Mr. Beckcom, "Norweigian Cruse Lines denied any responsibility to the injured worker and denied it was negligent or that it was responsible for any damages.  We were fortunate to be able to obtain a prompt and fair settlement of this case using the Jones Act and General Maritime Law."

For more information, please contact Brian Beckcom at 713.224.7800, or toll free at 877.724.7800, or visit one of the firm's websites:

www.vbattorneys.com
www.themaritimelawyer.com
www.maritimeaccidentattorney.com

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About the firm

Vujasinovic & Beckcom, P.L.L.C. is a firm of board certified personal injury trial lawyers who handle serious injury and death cases, as well as business and insurance cases, on a contingency fee basis.  The firm has a substantial docket of Jones Act and maritime injury cases.

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Global Industries Offshore has agreed to settle a Jones Act case recently.  The case was brought by a rigger who was injured on the Global REM Commander dive vessel.  The rigger was injured when a defective chain binder failed, striking him violently in the face, shattering his teeth and gums, and injuring his neck.

The rigger hired Brian Beckcom of Vujasinovic & Beckcom, a Houston-based maritime and Jones Act law firm, to handle his case.  After one year of work, the case was settled for a significant confidential amount.

According to the injured seaman's attorney, Brian Beckcom, the case was complicated by the fact that Global Offshore claimed that the rigger was not a Jones Act seaman, destroyed or lost the defective chain binder after the accident, and blamed at least three other companies for the rigger's injuries.

"This case demonstrates that Jones Act cases need experienced Jones Act attorneys.  The case was complicated from a legal and factual standpoint.  We are glad that our client was able to secure a substantial settlement despite all the obstacles Global Offshore's lawyers threw up to try to avoid responsibility to him."

For more information, please contact Brian Beckcom at 713.224.7800, or toll free at 877.724.7800, or visit one of the firm's websites:

www.vbattorneys.com
www.themaritimelawyer.com
www.maritimeaccidentattorney.com

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About the firm

Vujasinovic & Beckcom, P.L.L.C. is a firm of board certified personal injury trial lawyers who handle serious injury and death cases, as well as business and insurance cases, on a contingency fee basis.  The firm has a substantial docket of Jones Act and maritime injury cases.

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Jones Act Seaman Obtains $225,000.00 Settlement One Day Before a Scheduled Trial Date

Press Release - For Immediate Release

Houston, Texas - Artemio Gonzalez, a Jones Act seaman and offshore welder, recently obtained a $225,000.00 settlement for a hernia injury he suffered while working on a lift barge, the DB William KALLOP, owned and operated by Offshore Specialty Fabricators, Inc. ("OSFI"). 

Mr. Gonzalez was contracted as an offshore welder to work on the KALLOP by ACP, a Louisana-based contracting company.  Mr. Gonzalez was picking up 100 feet of welding leads when he felt sharp pains in his groin area.  He reported the incident to the rig medic.  He was taken off the vessel a few days later and received treatment at the emergency room.  He was diagnosed with a double hernia.

OSFI and ACP claimed that Mr. Gonzalez's injury were 100% his own fault.  Mr. Gonzalez brought suit under the Jones Act and General Maritime Law against ACP and OSFI.  Mr. Gonzalez claimed that the OSFI supervisor yelled at screamed at the workers, including him, to work faster, and that he was unable to find assistance to help him lift the heavy welding leads.  He also claimed that there were no mechanical lifting aids available and the leads were too heavy to lift without mechanical assistance.

On the Sunday before a Monday trial setting, OSFI and ACP, through their insurance companies, agreed to pay $225,000.00 to settle all of Mr. Gonzalez's claims against them.

Mr. Gonzalez was represented by Brian Beckcom at Vujasinovic & Beckcom, P.L.L.C. in Houston, Texas.

Judge Mark Davidson of the 11th Judicial District Court, Harris County, Houston, Texas presided over the case.

For more information, please contact Brian Beckcom at 713.224.7800, or toll free at 877.724.7800, or visit one of the firm's websites:

www.vbattorneys.com
www.themaritimelawyer.com
www.maritimeaccidentattorney.com

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About the firm

Vujasinovic & Beckcom, P.L.L.C. is a firm of board certified personal injury trial lawyers who handle serious injury and death cases, as well as business and insurance cases, on a contingency fee basis.  The firm has a substantial docket of Jones Act and maritime injury cases.

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The case was handled on a 40% contingent fee basis.  V&B advanced $39,000.00 in case expenses.

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Seaman Jacob Robichaux settled his Jones Act case against the Midnight Rider vessel, Helix International Energy Solutions Group, Cal Div Internaional and Mariner Energy.  The settlement occurred on September 8 and it is confidential.

Robichaux was employed by Helix Energy Solutions as a crewmember on the Midnight Rider.  While working, he injured his head, back, and neck.  He claimed the vessel was unseaworthy and that the defendants were negligent.  He brought his claims under the Jones Act.

Robichaux sought $5 million dollars in his lawsuit.  His damages included lost wages, medical expenses, pain, suffering, impairment and other related expenses. 

Read more about the case by clicking here.

Injured Offshore?

Have you been injured offshore?  If you are looking for an attorney to represent you, call the lawyers at Vujasinovic & Beckcom, P.L.L.C.   All the lawyers are board certified injury specialists with extensive knowledge regarding offshore injuries, the Jones Act, and maritime law.

To read more about the firm, visit its main website at www.vbattorneys.com or its dedicated maritime website at www.maritimeaccidentattorney.com.

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Tankerman was injured while using a crossover hose on a Grifco barge

Press Release - For immediate release - September 2007

Houston, Texas - A tankerman employed by Grifco Transportation, has brought claims of negligence, unseaworthiness, and for recovery of maintenance and cure against Grifco Transportation, a barge company based in Texas.  The claims are brought under the Jones Act and General Maritime Law.

The injured tankerman claims that he was severely manipulating a cross-over hose on one of Grifco's vessels.  Before being injured on the job, he was an able-bodied seaman with no significant prior injuries.  He is now completely unable to perform his duties as a tankerman and has lost wages, both past and future.  He has received surgery.

The tankerman hired Brian Beckcom and Vuk Vujasinovic at Vujasinovic & Beckcom, P.L.L.C. to handle his Jones Act case.  Mr. Beckcom reports that "most maritime employers are good to their workers and treat safety as the most important part of any job.  However, unfortunately, some employers cut corners on safety and don't treat their workers right after they are injured." 

The case is pending in Neuces County, Corpus Christi, Texas.

About the firm

Vujasinovic & Beckcom, P.L.L.C. is a full service personal injury law firm.  The firm handles cases in Texas and nationwide.  Because of its reputation for success, the firm is often hired by injured offshore workers and their families to handle serious injury and death cases.

You can read more about the law firm by clicking www.vbattorneys.com or by visiting their maritime website, www.maritimeaccidentattorney.com.

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