Who can a League City Maritime Lawyer help?

Have you been injured in an offshore accident? If so, you may require the services of a qualified League City maritime lawyer. There are many cases where maritime law governs injuries and illnesses, and if your injury or illness took place on a cruise ship, an oil rig, a tugboat, a barge, or another offshore vessel, then a maritime lawyer is the right choice for you. You need someone who understands maritime law and who understands the many nuances governing vessels in the open water. You need someone like the attorneys at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP.

Can a Maritime Lawyer Help Me?

If your injury resulted in the need to seek medical care and to miss work, then you can likely benefit from the services of a League City maritime lawyer. Injuries happen on offshore vessels every day, whether it be oil rigs, cruise ships, or other vessels. For workers, the Jones Act provides protection and affords additional rights beyond those that are provided by worker’s compensation. Knowing your rights under the Jones Act or under traditional maritime law is the job of a competent maritime attorney, and having someone on your side who knows your rights can help keep the insurance company honest.

Why Should I Choose Kirkendall Dwyer LLP?

We know that you have many options when it comes to a League City maritime lawyer. We will work hard to make sure that your rights are upheld and respected every step of the way and will work hard to get you the settlement you deserve. We do not collect any fees in advance of your receiving an award or settlement, ensuring that you can focus on your recovery without stressing or worrying about legal fees. To learn more, contact Kirkendall Dwyer LLP for a free case review today!

May 24, 2014Oct 8, 2015

When injuries and death occur on a dock a Maritime Injury Attorney can help

One day in April last year, due to high gusting winds, the cruise ship Carnival Triumph came loose from its moorings and collided with the moored dredge vessel Wheeler. Another vessel actually became pinned between the two larger ships, as well. All in all, the accident ended in the death of one shipyard employee and the injury of another.

In this case, the injured worker and the family of the deceased worker undoubtedly sought counsel from a personal injury lawyer. If they wanted to get the proper representation, though, they would need to call upon a maritime injury attorney.

Maritime law differs from normal worker’s compensation law, as there are additional risks involved in maritime shipping, fishing, and other businesses. This applies to dock workers, as well. The Jones Act was instituted to protect American maritime workers from international competition and from losses and injuries due to negligence or poor management.

One of the reasons for employing a maritime injury attorney, like the ones at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, is to ensure that you get the most compensation allowable through maritime law. If an international vessel was involved in the accident, a maritime injury attorney would be better equipped to keep you informed of all of your rights and the best means to get compensation for injuries and pain and suffering.

Accidents happen, and sometimes no one is at fault, but your employer’s insurance company should cover injuries that occur on the job if an accident occurred through no fault of your own. They should also cover pain and suffering costs for families who lose a loved one in an accident, as in the case of the dockworker who died in the Carnival Triumph mooring failure. Call the right attorney for the job and learn about your rights and options.

Apr 20, 2014

A League City maritime lawyer can explain the changing Cruise Ship Regulations

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) may be changing the way that the luxury cruise industry works for good. The NTSB will be holding a two-day conference to discuss and propose changes to regulations and legislation on cruise ship safety. This is good news for both passengers and crewmembers of these ships, as any League City maritime lawyer can tell you.

The past few years have been pretty bad for cruise liners’ reputations. Accidents have been piling up, with and without injuries and even fatalities. This industry is one that spans the world and is therefore a bit difficult to regulate. However, the NTSB is determined to bring more regulation into place to ensure passenger and crew safety onboard all cruise ships operating out of the United States.

The Jones Act of 1920 added special legislation to protect American seamen (both male and female) in case of an employer’s poor conduct or an accident. The NTSB may be in the process of passing regulations that will extend these protections to crews and passengers of cruise ships.

The law is not altogether fluid, but legislation and regulation do change. That’s why it’s important, if you’re involved in a maritime accident, to call a League City maritime lawyer for advice and counsel. Whether you’re a worker or a passenger, you should know your rights under the current laws, and that’s where a League City maritime lawyer can help you.

If you’ve been involved in a maritime accident, it’s important to determine who was at fault and what your course of action should be. You can’t always just listen to your employer or the insurance company covering the accident. Qualified attorneys, like those at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, can help you navigate through this difficult time.

Apr 6, 2014

A Galveston Offshore Attorney can help with cruise ship claims

Recent news reports have mentioned incidences of passengers aboard cruise ships being injured or falling ill and unfortunately, many things can happen while you are trying to take a relaxing, luxurious cruise. While most cruises go smoothly and are incredibly enjoyable, for an unlucky few there is a risk of slips, falls, injuries , poor medical care, and even sexual assaults. If you or a loved one have been injured while the passenger or a crew member of a cruise ship, contact a Galveston offshore attorney today.

Why Should I Consult an Offshore Attorney?

Cruise ships are governed by maritime law, which means that they are subject to a different set of laws once they leave the port. A qualified Galveston offshore attorney will be well-versed in maritime law and will be able to properly advise you of your rights as well as to help you fight to ensure that they are upheld. Even if you signed waivers before performing activities onboard the ship or taking a shore excursion, it can be worth your while to contact an attorney to find out what your rights are and to have the best chance of a favorable outcome.

We Handle All Types of Cruise Ship Claims

Whether you are a cruise ship passenger or a crew member, you will find that we have experience with many types of cruise ship claims. When you contact a Galveston offshore attorney from Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, you will be able to receive a free case review so that we can determine how to best help you resolve your claim and to answer any questions you might have about our services or about your case. Whether you are a passenger covered under traditional maritime law or a crew member protected by the Jones Act, we can help with your injury claim!

Feb 2, 2014

Houston Maritime Attorney

A Maritime Injury Attorney Can Clarify Your Options

What should you do if you are working on a seagoing vessel of some sort and a serious accident occurs? If you are injured in the event you may think that the company is going to provide adequate compensation, and even if you succumb to injuries you might feel that the company will compensate your family. However, that is by no means a guarantee, and particularly if negligence is to blame.

This is why you should already have the name of a good maritime injury attorney on hand long before any injuries occur. Why should you take the time to find one before anything bad happens? Generally, it is due to two reasons: the first is that time is truly of the essence in gathering information needed, and the second is that the information needed has to do with negligence, which is often hard to prove.

Why does negligence come into the equation? Maritime law stipulates a lot of things, and your maritime injury attorney has to review the terms of your claim to see if you are entitled to legal coverage. If they decide that you do indeed have a provable case, they will need to get the evidence necessary to prove that negligence is to blame.

This is something that is best done as soon as possible following the accident, and that is why you want the name and number of a reliable maritime injury attorney on hand at all times. Additionally, you want your family to know what to do if you are grievously injured or killed in an incident, and that contact number will prove invaluable to them.

Kirkendall Dwyer LLP can provide you or your family with the guidance they need, and they can then represent them throughout the proceedings. The key is to ensure that the contact details for Kirkendall Dwyer LLP are noted and available to you and your family.

Jan 22, 2014

Importance of Hiring Houston Maritime Attorney

Events like the Audacious Sinking Show Why a Texas Maritime Attorney is So Important

It was over a year ago that six crew members of the fishing vessel Audacious had to be airlifted from the freezing waters of the North Sea. Their location was 40 miles off the coast of Aberdeen.

The cause of the accident was determined by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) to be flooding in the engine room, which eventually overwhelmed the pump. Their best guess was that the culprit was the cooling system which likely didn’t engage properly.

Unfortunately, human error may have played a role, as well. When the issue became an emergency, the alarm meant to sound in the wheelhouse went off just as it should have, but the wheelhouse was left unmanned for an unspecified period of time.

Now, 16 months later, MAIB has made recommendations for other vessels in order to avoid a similar situation.

That MAIB recommends the wheelhouse be continuously manned on ships going forward should come as no surprise. However, they also advised that the owners of the Audacious make certain that training and necessary inspections are current. Finally, they recommended the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) also review its own inspection procedures.

Everyone aboard the Audacious is lucky to be alive, but this is a good example of why a Texas maritime attorney is so essential for maritime workers in the area. What started out as a freak accident was exacerbated by a potential error by one of the six workers aboard. By consulting with a Texas maritime attorney like the ones from Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, workers in a similar situation would know whether or not they had a right to compensation.

The Jones Act allows for maritime workers to hold their employer responsible if a coworker’s negligence results in their injury. Having a Texas maritime attorney at your call can be essential to your future wellbeing in a situation like this.