Commercial Fishing Accidents – Page 2 – Offshore Injury Lawyer – Maritime Attorneys – Houston Maritime LawyersOffshore Injury Attorneys

Apr 24, 2014

An Offshore Injury Attorney can get you the compensation you deserve

If you work on an oil drilling rig, a fishing vessel, or a maritime shipping vessel, you already know that your job can be one of the most hazardous in the world. If an accident occurs while you’re offshore, you could be in real danger. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has open investigations of a large number of maritime accidents.

From vessels sinking due to engine fires to vessels colliding and sustaining minimal damage, these things happen every day. An offshore injury attorney can help workers hurt in an accident on their vessel.

Your employer is responsible for keeping the vessel you work on maintained and in good running order. Accidents do happen. Storms come up out of the blue. Well-maintained engines do sometimes catch fire and cause problems. However, if an accident occurs, and your employer is to blame for negligence, you should know your rights, especially if you’re injured during the accident.

An offshore injury attorney, like the ones at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, can help walk you through your rights and the best course of action if you’ve been involved in an accident at work. Not only are you entitled to worker’s compensation, but you may be covered by the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, otherwise known as the Jones Act.

That’s why it’s important to trust your accident case to an offshore injury attorney instead of a general personal injury attorney. In this kind of case, you’ll need to hire an attorney with experience in maritime law. You may be entitled to more compensation than you might think, especially if you’ve only spoken with your employer and/or their insurance company.

Insurance companies will always try to pay out as little as possible. They will attempt to convince you that you don’t need an attorney and that they’re giving you the best deal possible. Don’t ever hesitate to call a qualified attorney if you’ve been injured on the job.

Apr 16, 2014

A Houston maritime lawyer will fight for your rights

Did you know that accidents and injuries that happen offshore are subject to a completely different set of laws than accidents and injuries occurring on U.S. soil? Maritime law is a very complex form of law governing incidents that happen in open waters. Many injuries fall under maritime law, including offshore drilling accidents, tug and fishing boat accidents, and seaman injury cases. If you or a loved one have been injured in an offshore accident, contact a Houston maritime lawyer today who is willing to help you understand and fight for your rights.

Knowing your rights is always important, and it can be downright critical when negotiating with your employer or an insurance company to ensure that you receive the care and damages you deserve. As the victim of a maritime accident, you have the right to medical treatment, rehab, compensation for pain and suffering and also for lost past and future wages. For seamen who become injured or ill while serving on their vessel, there is also the right to free medical care, shelter, food, and much more. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of their rights under maritime law and end up entering into settlements that negate their entitlement. This is why a qualified Houston maritime lawyer is so important.

Here at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, we can help you find the right Houston maritime lawyer for your case. We will provide you with a free case review, where we will go over the details of your accident or injury and work to answer any questions that you may have about us or about your case. You will find that we do not charge until you receive a settlement or award, so you don’t have to worry about making a payment up front. If you or a loved one have been injured offshore, make sure you hire an attorney who is willing to fight for your rights.

Apr 14, 2014

A Houston maritime lawyer can navigate you through insurance claims

On March 10, 2012, a fishing vessel was attempting to return to its homeport at Newport, Oregon. Large waves broke over the stern of the ship, causing it to lose maneuverability. The vessel was run aground, and the crewmembers were airlifted by the Coast Guard. The fishing vessel broke apart and was lost a day later.

This accident illustrates just how quickly things can go wrong for maritime vessels. If you work on a ship, oil rig, or other vessel, you should keep the contact information available for a Houston maritime lawyer. Fortunately, in the case of the fishing vessel that was lost off the coast of Oregon, no one was injured. However, there was an estimated total of $625,000 in losses from the destroyed ship.

Whether you’re a crewmember, a ship owner, or you deal in fishing, shipping, or another maritime industry, a Houston maritime lawyer can help you understand your rights in a case like this, or any other type of accident. In this case, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the accident was caused by a series of large breaking waves. Nothing really could have been done to prevent it, so no one was considered at fault.

The vessel and its crewmembers should have been covered under the ship owner’s insurance. However, insurance companies will often attempt to pay out as little as possible. That’s why, if you’re a crewmember, owner, or employer based out of Texas, it’s important to know a Houston maritime lawyer to help you in case of an accident.

When you call for maritime law services, the attorneys at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP can consult with you about your case, courses of action in the event of accidents, and any other questions you might have about maritime law and your business.

Apr 12, 2014

A Houston maritime lawyer can help in times of tragedy

Anytime an offshore worker is injured or killed while doing his or her job, it is a tragedy. These injuries are not uncommon, and in cases like the Seattle-based ALASKA OCEAN, accidents onboard the ship can even result in death. In the case of the ALASKA OCEAN, a welding job ignited acetylene gas, resulting in an explosion that killed a fisherman onboard the ship. While this particular case did not happen in Texas cases like this can and do happen in our area- and when they do, a Houston maritime lawyer can help.

Insurance companies are quick to jump in when injuries or accidents occur on fishing boats, oil rigs, and other offshore vessels. While a quick settlement might sound like a dream come true for families struggling to pay medical expenses without the income of the job the injured person performed, the settlements offered by insurance companies to individuals without proper legal representation are rarely enough to cover long-term costs, lost wages, mental anguish, and in wrongful death cases, funeral expenses. An experienced Houston maritime lawyer can be one of the best investments that an injured person can make following a boating or work-related accident that happened offshore.

Maritime law can be very complex, and an attorney who specializes in this area of law is highly recommended for cases of injury or wrongful death that occurred while offshore. A Houston maritime lawyer from Kirkendall Dwyer LLP will be happy to talk with you about your case and to help you understand the options available to you. We don’t collect any money until you receive a settlement or award, so you don’t have to worry about coming up with attorney’s fees while struggling to make ends meet. You focus on your recovery, and let us focus on helping you with your case.

Apr 2, 2014

A Galveston offshore attorney can help maritime workers and their families

In the Gulf of Mexico, on September 8, 2011, the lift boat Trinity II capsized, due to sustained damage from weathering Hurricane Nate. The crew donned life vests and evacuated the vessel. Of the 10-person crew – all of whom made it off of the ship, clinging to a single 12-person emergency life float – 3 died by the time emergency services found them. Unfortunately, a fourth later died in the hospital, as well. All 6 of the survivors sustained serious injuries.

This case goes to show how not only crewmembers, but also their families should seek consultation with a Galveston offshore attorney. If you or one of your loved ones is a maritime worker based in Texas, you should call a Galveston offshore attorney, like the ones at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, to learn your rights in the case of an accident like this.

Under the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, crewmembers of maritime vessels built, owned, and operated in the United States have special rights to compensation if they are injured on the job. That’s why it’s so important to employ a Galveston offshore attorney. They can help you navigate through the laws that apply to your case.

In the case of the Trinity II, the accident was caused by the effects of a hurricane. Hurricanes, unfortunately, can’t always be avoided. However, maritime vessels need to be maintained for the safety of their crews. A well-maintained vessel will have a greater chance of surviving a bad storm than one that has been neglected. Negligence can lead to loss of life.

If you are a maritime worker, you should know your rights. After speaking with a maritime attorney, you may be able to point out maintenance needs and areas of negligence to your employer before something happens. In the case of a bad accident, an offshore attorney can help you and your family find the right course of action.

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.