Barge Accidents – Page 2 – Offshore Injury Lawyer – Maritime Attorneys – Houston Maritime LawyersOffshore Injury Attorneys

Apr 22, 2014

A Maritime injury attorney could help after an on-the-job accident

Crewmembers on barges and other maritime vessels may not think that they’ll ever have to hire a maritime injury attorney. Unfortunately, when an accident happens, your employer and the insurance companies involved may not have your best interest in mind. Take, for example, an accident on the Mississippi River a couple of years ago.

At about 5:00 PM on June 9^,2012, the Marguerite L. Terral was towing 12 empty barges down the Mississippi River in the vicinity of Hickman, Kentucky. Just a few minutes later, a fire broke out in the port engine. The 6 crewmembers on board weren’t able to extinguish the fire before they had to evacuate the Marguerite L. Terral and the barges it was pushing.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the fire, and the accident did not cause any pollution to the river or the surrounding area. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated the accident, but could not determine the cause of the accident, which had caused about $2.6 million of damage to the towing vessel.

According to NTSB – though the exact cause of the accident couldn’t be determined – the crewmembers’ inability to contain the fire, shut off ventilation, and effectively put the flames out with onboard fire suppression equipment contributed to the damage. This statement, alone, is reason to hire a maritime injury attorney.

The NTSB’s conclusions (as inconclusive as they may be) point to the crew being at fault for the extent of damage done by the accident. Their employer could very well terminate their employment, based on this accident.

Hiring a maritime injury attorney, like those employed at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, could be the crewmembers’ only hope of recompense if they are wrongfully fired or suspended. If this fire was caused by a lack of maintenance, they may even be owed worker’s compensation for the trauma and danger involved in dealing with this emergency, trying to put out the flames, and evacuating the other barges.

Apr 10, 2014

A Houston maritime attorney can help you with your injury claim

On March 22, 2014, an oil barge and a ship collided in the Houston Ship Channel, one of the busiest shipping channels in the country. The crash took place near the famed Texas City Y, the spot where the Houston Ship Channel, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the Texas City and Galveston Ship Channels meet. Thankfully, only minor damage was done to the oil barge, although it did leak some of its contents into the surrounding water. While no injuries were reported, collisions like this can result in all manner of injuries and even in death.

If you are injured or if you lose a loved one in a barge or tanker collision, you will require the services of an experienced Houston maritime attorney. Maritime law can be very complex, and hiring a traditional personal injury or wrongful death lawyer is not the way to go. You need someone who is very well-versed in maritime law and who knows what your rights and entitlements are according to that set of laws. By making the right choice when hiring an attorney, you give yourself the best chance at a positive outcome.

When looking for an experienced Houston maritime attorney, contact the team here at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP. We will provide you with a free case review and will work to answer your questions and to learn as much as we can about your case. We don’t collect a penny until you do, so there are no up-front fees to worry about. We know that you have enough on your plate worrying about dealing with your injury or loss and trying to figure everything out. Put your case in our hands and let us handle the courts and the insurance company so that you can put your focus where it needs to be – on your recovery.

Mar 10, 2014

Your Houston Maritime Attorney is the key to success

If you pick up a law book and begin reading the many pages it is not likely that you will get very far. “Legalese” as so many people call it, is tough to understand without proper training and expertise. This is why anyone interested in pursuing a claim under maritime law must hire a Houston maritime attorney. There is no working around this necessity if you want to get the best outcome.

Fortunately, Kirkendall Dwyer LLP can provide you with a Houston maritime attorney and a dependable legal team that can ensure your case gets the attention it deserves. The reason that a team of legal experts is required is simple – any case takes a lot of work.

While it might seem a simple matter to you – i.e. you were working onboard a commercial vessel, an accident occurred, and you were injured – there is more to a legal case. There has to be negligence involved and there has to be documented evidence. These are things that a Houston maritime attorney can help you to prove and this is the key to a legal success.

Your Kirkendall Dwyer LLP legal team will work with you to help you claim what you are entitled to under maritime law. For example, if you are due past or future wages, payments for rehabilitation, compensation for physical disfigurement, lost benefits, and more – the team is going to help you get these things. The laws also apply to your survivors if you are killed in an accident, and so the team can help your family make a case too.

Of course, the primary issue is getting things started, and so it is up to you to contact your legal counsel as soon as possible following an incident.

Mar 8, 2014

Understand what an Offshore Injury Attorney can provide

You might assume that because you work on a seagoing vessel or a dangerous offshore rig that injury is just part of the job. That is not the case, and there are many laws in place to reduce the amount of risk you face, and even to ensure that you can seek compensation if negligence has caused you harm – or even led to your death.

However, as with most laws, the language can be confusing and complex. This is why an offshore injury attorney is an absolute essential if you have been injured while working on a seagoing vessel or offshore rig. This is someone who understands the laws and who can review all of the facts associated with your case. They can then let you know if you do have a legal claim for compensation (or if your family can make a claim should you be killed), and then your offshore injury attorney can represent you throughout the proceedings that follow.

Of course, even an experienced offshore injury attorney may face challenges in getting you what you are due. This is because it is up to you to prove that it was indeed negligence that led to the injuries or to the incident. This is something that takes time, patience, and hard work. Fortunately, Kirkendall Dwyer LLP is a legal team that can provide this kind of dedication and experience in maritime law cases.

You can meet with an attorney from Kirkendall Dwyer LLP and discuss the case. They can help you understand your legal options, and if you decide to move forward with the claim they can represent you the whole way. Their team of legal professionals will strive for the best outcome possible.

Mar 7, 2014

The time to seek a Maritime Injury Attorney is right now

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), there were dozens upon dozens of maritime incidents and accidents in 2013. This is proof that a lot of people have likely suffered injuries while working on commercial vessels and for each of them a maritime injury attorney is a major resource.

Unfortunately, a lot of the people who could be entitled to monetary compensation under maritime laws remain unaware of the fact or are simply unsure of how to pursue a rightful claim. That is why a maritime injury attorney from Kirkendall Dwyer LLP could prove an effective solution to this common problem.

Before you say that you don’t think you qualify, ask yourself this: Is my injury something that happened on a vessel in open sea? This is the foundational issue for any offshore accident claims and it won’t matter if it happened on a commercial fishing boat, a cruise ship, a cargo vessel, or a ferry…if you were injured at work on a commercial vessel at sea you need a maritime injury attorney.

Only a professional with the knowledge necessary for pursuing your case can ensure the best outcome possible. If you are hoping to get past or future wages lost due to the incident, you have to get rehabilitation to overcome the injury, you have been disfigured by this accident, or you have concerns about what you are legally entitled to, Kirkendall Dwyer LLP will have the answers. This is true even if you feel that you have suffered the “unseen” symptoms such as psychological suffering or mental anguish – if the maritime accident was the cause, you have a claim!

Don’t waste another minute wondering if you have a right to compensation. Contact Kirkendall Dwyer LLP today to discuss your maritime injury case.

Mar 5, 2014

Speak with an Offshore Injury Attorney before taking legal action

What is negligence? If you look at various reports and documented incidents onboard commercial vessels, it is not always clear just what happened. Certainly, a headline such as one from Sweden about a drunken master and the outcome of his “behaviors” is a story in which the “guilty party” is clear. However, not all maritime and offshore injury cases are so black and white.

This can make things very hard for the workers on board those vessels who were injured because of negligent actions or behaviors. Fortunately, in the United States there is the Jones Act, which ensures that offshore injuries can result in monetary compensation. The “glitch” is that negligence has to be clearly demonstrated, and this is when an offshore injury attorney becomes an invaluable resource.

The experienced offshore injury attorney is going to know how to pursue the case, research the claims, the history of the company or individual in question, and to work with their client to pursue the best outcome. Like all other court issues, nothing is guaranteed, but when you work with an offshore injury attorney, it can only help you to obtain the settlement you deserve.

Something to consider, however, is whether or not an attorney has experience in the kind of case you are hoping to make. When it is an offshore injury or maritime injury case, you’ll want to get in touch with Kirkendall Dwyer LLP. They understand these matters and have the expertise needed to help you pursue all possible claims. It does not matter if you were the cook on a cruise ship or an industrial electrician on an oil rig – if someone else’s negligence has led to a serious injury (or death of a loved one), there are legal pathways to follow, and Kirkendall Dwyer LLP is a great asset to have when you decide to pursue your case.