What is the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act
Maritime workers are at a heightened risk of injury at work. As they load cargo, repair ships, and maintain port facilities, they’re more likely to suffer from damages in their...
Offshore work around Louisiana demands clear answers when an injury interrupts your livelihood. At Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers, our Jones Act lawyers in Louisiana have years of experience helping seamen hurt on the job. We will show you how the Jones Act in Louisiana and related statutes set rules for fault, benefits, and timelines. Our goal is straightforward: provide a practical roadmap and explain how we will step in, build your claim, and position you for a full and lawful recovery.
Eligibility hinges on whether you meet the legal test for seaman status and whether work conditions or management choices contributed to the harm. Our Jones Act attorneys in Louisiana will evaluate your status, your connection to a vessel or fleet, and the evidence of fault, then map filing deadlines and a realistic sequence for the case. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information on how we can help you seek compensation.
The Jones Act is a federal statute that gives qualifying seamen a direct cause of action against their employers for negligence that contributes to an injury. In plain terms, if a company’s conduct plays even a small part in bringing about harm, the law allows you to pursue compensation in court. Congress codified this protection at 46 U.S.C. § 30104.
Coverage applies to a wide range of events: unsafe orders on deck, inadequate crew, defective tools, or poor training that leaves you at risk. Whether the incident involves a lift boat, crew boat, supply vessel, jack-up rig, or inland towboat on the Mississippi system, the key question remains whether or not employer negligence played a part in the injury. A Jones Act lawyer in Louisiana will gather documents and testimony to answer that question with precision.
Benefits under the Jones Act Louisiana work in tandem with long-standing maritime doctrines. You may have separate rights to maintenance and cure (daily support and medical care) regardless of fault. At the same time, the Jones Act covers negligence-based damages such as wage loss and human damages for pain and suffering. A knowledgeable Louisiana maritime law attorney will frame these claims so they complement one another rather than compete, which protects the value of your case while medical recovery continues.
Seaman status requires a connection to a vessel that is substantial in duration and nature, plus a contribution to the vessel’s function or mission. Federal courts often use a practical benchmark: workers who spend about 30 percent or more of their time in service of a vessel or an identifiable fleet under common ownership typically satisfy the durational component. Your attorney from Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers will analyze your schedule, payroll records, and dispatch logs to confirm that connection and tie it to a specific boat or fleet.
“Vessel in navigation” can refer to many things. River push boats, oil tankers, ocean-going supply vessels, lift boats, and jack-ups that leave the dock to perform work generally meet the standard, even when moored for limited periods. A fixed platform is not a vessel; however, crew who transfer between platforms and boats, or who ride workboats to carry out assignments, may still hold the required connection to a vessel or fleet. We will build a timeline that shows how your day-to-day duties advance the vessel’s mission.
Hybrid roles are common in Louisiana. Mechanics who service engines aboard towboats, roustabouts assigned to vessels operating near platforms, and cooks who support crew operations all contribute to a vessel’s function. A job title alone does not decide your eligibility for compensation. Real-world tasks and hours at sea decide it. Your Jones Act attorney in Louisiana will weigh logs, GPS histories, safety meetings, and crew-rotation data to confirm that you qualify as a seaman under federal law.
The Jones Act sets a worker-friendly causation standard. If employer negligence played any part, however small, in producing the injury, liability can attach. That proof may stem from the following:
Our Jones Act lawyer in Louisiana will develop these facts through targeted discovery, not generic form requests.
An investigation often starts with preservation letters and rapid collection of records: safety manuals, SMS policies, job safety analyses, pre-task plans, incident reports, and maintenance logs. Witness statements matter, but so do objective sources such as engine-room monitoring outputs and other tools that show speed, heading, and sea conditions at key moments. A focused Jones Act attorney in Louisiana will connect those points to show how a policy failure, equipment defect, or unreasonable instruction led to the event.
Training and supervision can be as important as hardware. If the company assigns a green deckhand to operate a capstan without oversight, or if the mate disregards weather windows for transfers, that decision may supply the negligence element. When management rejects safer alternatives that were reasonably available – such as staging a transfer after the tide – causation becomes clearer. We will pair company policies with real-time choices to show the gap between paper rules and field practice.
Maintenance provides a daily stipend to cover basic living expenses while you recover away from the vessel. Cure covers medical care tied to the injury until you reach maximum medical improvement. These benefits do not depend on fault, and withholding them without a fair basis can trigger additional exposure for the employer. A legal professional working on your Jones Act in Louisiana case will press for prompt, complete payments, track medical authorizations, and address denials with record-based responses.
Unearned wages represent what you would have earned through the voyage or hitch had you remained fit for duty. Companies sometimes miscalculate this figure by excluding common uplifts, overtime, or per diems that formed part of your actual pay pattern. A detail-oriented lawyer will reconcile pay stubs, trip sheets, and payroll policies to reach the correct number and place it within the broader claim for wage loss under the Jones Act in Louisiana.
Maintenance and cure disputes often arise over doctor selection and treatment plans. law respects your right to reasonable and necessary care. When the company doctor clears you prematurely or limits referrals, you can seek an independent path. Our Jones Act attorney in Louisiana will coordinate updated medical opinions, request appropriate specialists, and organize the treatment record so both benefits and negligence damages move forward in concert.
Successful claims may include lost past income, diminished future earning capacity, medical bills, rehabilitation costs, and human damages for pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Proof in each category depends on records, testimony, and reliable projections tied to your job track. Our trial lawyer will work with vocational and economic analyses that reflect real route assignments, day rates, shift patterns, and promotion pathways common in Louisiana maritime work.
Future loss requires a grounded approach. Offshore schedules, union progression, wheelhouse upgrades, and certifications you’ve earned influence earning potential. Medical restrictions can alter duty stations or force transitions to shoreside roles. A results-focused Jones Act lawyer in Louisiana will model multiple scenarios using conservative assumptions, then present a range that aligns with medical opinions and your work history.
Non-economic damages depend on the severity and duration of harm, objective findings, and the effect on daily activities. Jurors often look for consistent reporting, credible milestones in recovery, and demonstrable changes in life at home and aboard ship. Our Jones Act attorney in Louisiana will connect those details through treating-provider notes, independent evaluations, and lay witnesses who can speak to function before and after the incident.
Most maritime injury claims carry a three-year statute of limitations, measured from the date of injury or from when the harm reasonably should have been discovered filing earlier is almost always in your interest because records remain accessible and witness memories remain sharper. Your Jones Act Louisiana lawyer will calendar every deadline from day one, then build an action plan that sequences investigation, treatment, and litigation steps with clarity.
Before filing a lawsuit, we will gather medical records, wage data, and operational evidence. Next, we will present a claim package that outlines liability and damages with citations to the supporting materials. If the carrier or company contests fault or value, the next step is filing in state or federal court with a demand for a jury. A dedicated attorney will select the case’s venue based on vessel operations, company contacts, and the location of witnesses so your claim proceeds where proof is strongest.
The discovery phase of your case involves depositions of crew and company representatives, inspections of equipment, and production of manuals and training files. Motions address legal disputes while settlement discussions run in parallel. If the case proceeds to trial, a jury will decide fault and damages under the Jones Act framework. Your legal representative will prepare you and your witnesses thoroughly, present evidence in a logical sequence, and keep the claim moving toward a verdict or a fair resolution.
Seagoing claims require legal professionals who understand fleet operations, the rhythms of hitches and crew changes, and more. A Jones Act Louisiana lawyer who handles maritime cases will be ready to put those details in front of a jury, explain vessel operations in plain language, and push back on defense themes that blame workers for institutional choices. Our team carries that mindset into every step of litigation.
Regional familiarity matters. Ports such as Fourchon and Lake Charles have distinct traffic patterns, common vessel types, and local vendors who maintain gear. That knowledge helps with venue decisions and witness identification. A seasoned Jones Act attorney in Louisiana with Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers will know where to look for third-party records and how to secure cooperation from local service companies.
Your choice should come down to preparation, communication, and courtroom readiness. We will keep your case moving, prepare you for every step, and try the case if a fair resolution does not materialize. A focused Jones Act Louisiana lawyer will always keep your health, employment future, and family stability at the center of every decision made on your behalf.
Jones Act Louisiana cases are extremely complicated. However, a skilled legal representative with Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers is ready to deal with whatever complexities arise. Here are a few issues we regularly encounter.
Courts decide whether you are part of a “fleet” by looking at whether your assignments tie you to a group of vessels under common ownership or control rather than random, one-off placements. Time aboard, the regularity of assignments, and the functional similarity of the vessels all matter. A knowledgeable attorney will collect dispatch logs and crewing records to show that practical connection.
You can recover even if you return to work, but still have limitations. If the injury reduces your long-term earning capacity or forces you into lower-paying positions, damages can address that differential. Objective medical restrictions and credible vocational assessments are key. Your lawyer will present those opinions with concrete job examples from inland towing, offshore supply, and other regional sectors.
You do not have to accept treatment only from a company-chosen doctor. Maritime law allows you to pursue reasonable and necessary care. Company doctors may participate, but you are not confined to a single path if the plan does not address your needs. Your Jones Act attorney in Louisiana will coordinate independent evaluations when warranted and document the medical basis for every request.
A committed Jones Act lawyer in Louisiana will handle the litigation with steady communication and courtroom readiness so you can focus on recovery, work, and family. Please use our online contact form or call Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers at 318-221-1508 24/7 for a complimentary review of your case.
We understand you have many questions after your accident. Here are answers to the concerns we hear most often from Louisiana families:
"I quickly, learned two rules in this business.
First, defendants in an injury suit put up obstacles and barriers. They want the case to take as long as possible, because it wears the plaintiff down. I have learned that if you run at those barriers hard enough, and fast enough, many of them will disappear.
Second, "The fastest way to settle a case is to prepare for trial. Insurance companies know which firms will go to court, which will not, and who can win. It is important to choose a firm that is committed to the results you want.”
Our team of intake specialists is ready to listen to you and gather all the information for a free, confidential case evaluation. We will hear you out, take what you say seriously, and then round up with our legal team.
Our lawyers will provide you with no-obligation feedback on your case, usually on the same day, but no later than 24 hours. We will give you the appropriate course of action for your situation.
If your case is a good fit for our firm and you graciously allow us to represent you, our team will begin working immediately. We will investigate, send the appropriate letters to stop insurance companies from harassing you, and start your medical recovery.
Our internal process is transparent with high levels of communication from the opening of your case to the final handshake. Our firm will promptly return your phone calls and keep you informed. You will know the exact status of your case. Our case managers and attorneys are committed to making a difficult situation as stress-free as possible.
