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.

Feb 1, 2014

Texas City Oil Rig Injury Attorney

A Texas City Oil Rig Injury Attorney is a Smart Investment

Are you someone who gives a lot of attention to your finances? Most of us do in this current economy, and that means we always look for the smartest investments or expenditures possible.

If you work in an offshore or maritime industry, one of the best investments you can make is the time you invest in finding a good Texas City oil rig injury attorney. Why? If you don’t have the name and number of an experienced and successful Texas City oil rig injury attorney on hand after any sort of accident, it could vastly reduce your chances for adequate compensation.

There are many reasons that you might not get what is legally yours following any sort of maritime incident, and one of the biggest issues is if it was negligence that led to the accident. For example, if you could prove that the owner of the vessel or someone working on it was negligent and this led to your injury, the maritime laws say you have a legal claim for full compensation.

By full compensation it can mean everything from lost wages to financial coverage for psychological trauma. However, it often takes the special skills and expertise of a Texas City oil rig injury attorney to recognize if your case is viable or going to be easily won. There are many factors that determine the outcome of a legal claim under maritime laws, and Kirkendall Dwyer LLP is a firm with a background in pursuing such cases to a successful end.

If you are someone who works in the offshore or maritime industries, make sure you have the name and contact details for Kirkendall Dwyer LLP on hand. They are a first essential resource immediately after an accident, and you will definitely want to call them as soon as possible if you are injured.

Jan 28, 2014

Maritime Injury Lawyer Kirkendall Dwyer LLP

US and Chinese Navy Show Value of Maritime Injury Lawyer

While privately owned vessels running into each other is, sadly, nothing new, a story out of China shows that even superpower navies run the risk of collision at sea.

On December 5^th, a Chinese navy vessel is said to have cut across the bow of a US Navy cruiser in the South China Sea. Despite its name, the South China Sea is actually international waters, meaning neither country has a claim to operating there.

Though the US has been the primary naval superpower in the Pacific since World War II, China has made no secret of looking to expand their reach. This alone would be enough to heighten tension, but it’s reported that the American cruiser was specifically in the area to observe China’s newest aircraft carrier. This came on the heels of President Obama’s harsh words regarding China’s insistence on laying a claim to airspace over the East China Sea that Japan believes is rightfully theirs. Both Japan and the US have openly defied China’s claims.

While it’s fortunate that no major collision occurred, the incident highlights how aggressive operating in open waters can be, even when carried out by two superpower governments. Had an accident happened between two privately owned ships, anyone injured would be smart to secure a good maritime injury lawyer as soon as possible.

Without the right maritime injury lawyer, an injured party is often at the mercy of their employer to tell them what they’re entitled to. No matter how generous or straightforward a company is being, consulting a lawyer is still a wise move to make sure nothing is being left on the table.

Operating out of Dallas and Houston, Kirkendall Dwyer LLP can provide the maritime injury lawyer you need in the wake of an accident. While the present situation may be bad, the future can be much bleaker without the right representation at your side.

Jan 27, 2014

Texas Maritime Attorney–Secure Your Rights

Secure Your Rights as an Injured Maritime Worker with a Texas Maritime Attorney

If you’re a maritime worker, it’s important to understand your rights. This is especially true, however, in light of an injury on the job. Understanding them beforehand can make all the difference in the world

One of the first things to understand is that you have the right to an attorney. While your employer may have a company lawyer who can work with you, it’s best to consult your own Texas maritime attorney who you can trust is only looking out for your best interest.

Understand that, until you secure your Texas maritime attorney, you don’t have to speak with anyone—this includes your employer. Unfortunately, your company may wish to speak with you in an attempt to convince you not to file a lawsuit. They may also wish to speak with you as a means of finding out what you know or what exactly happened. It would not be the first time a company actively worked to discredit an employee’s claims or otherwise work to paint a different picture of what caused the injury. Getting your side of the story could be their first step.

So long as the injury wasn’t a result of your own actions, you will also be entitled to having your medical bills covered. This is why it’s also important to pick your own doctor, not necessarily the one your company chooses for you. As sad as it might seem, even a medical professional can take sides.

Depending on the nature of the accident, you could be entitled to lost wages, pain and suffering, and other forms of compensation. However, you could easily end up with hardly anything if you don’t handle the situation correctly. It begins with hiring a Texas maritime attorney from a firm like Kirkendall Dwyer LLP. They’ll be able to help you understand your situation and what to do to get the most out of it.

Jan 24, 2014

Maritime Injury Attorneys

The Importance of Maritime Injury Attorneys for Harbor Workers

Harbor workers are necessary for operations related to maritime industry. However, they often operate inside of a strange gray area as far as the Jones Act is concerned. For this reason, a harbor worker should consult with maritime injury attorneys, like those from Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, before accepting any work they are unfamiliar with.

Fortunately, there’s the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). As the name suggests, this act almost always covers the concerns of a harbor worker who’s injured on the job.

Like any employee, a harbor worker is guaranteed a safe working environment. Thanks to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), harbor workers may also refuse any work they deem to be unsafe. It is illegal for an employer to coerce a harbor worker into doing any work they have already refused on grounds of safety. It is also illegal to suspend, fire, or discriminate against a harbor worker for making this decision. This also leaves them free to file complaints if they feel necessary.

The LHWCA provides for employees who are hurt while in the United States’ waters. However, due to their specific role, harbor workers can also depend on this protection when they are working in ship and boatyards on navigable bodies of water. Docks, wharves, terminals, marine railways and other areas used for shipbuilding can also be included if they are located on shores adjacent to these waters.

One unique feature about LHWCA is that injured harbor workers don’t need to prove that their employer was responsible. It’s still important, though, to have the right maritime injury attorneys for representation.

While they differ in many ways from other maritime workers, the fact remains that harbor workers have rights regarding their jobs. By hiring maritime injury attorneys from Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, they can rest assured that those rights will be protected.

Jan 3, 2014

Sinking of the Mary Kay Underscores the Importance of a Houston Jones Act Attorney

There’s no getting around the fact that maritime work is dangerous. Even the most routine objectives can easily be complicated, thanks to the many variables no single individual can control. This is why having a Houston Jones Act attorney you can rely on is so important for every maritime worker. Your most basic day at work can easily change your life, but the right attorney can work to set things right.

Last year’s sinking of the Mary Kay provides a perfect example of how a simple goal can end with a maritime worker in need of representation.

The commercial fishing ship was in Dixon entrance, located near Cap Chacon on the Prince of Wales Island of Alaska. A smaller vessel, it was only being manned by four crewmembers.

At around eleven o’clock at night, the Mary Kay began taking on water due to flooding in the fish hold on the starboard side. The lazarette and engine room both took on more than their fair share of water, as well. Finally, the four crewmen had to abandon ship.

While it’s fortunate everyone aboard was able to escape with their lives, it doesn’t mean they weren’t due for compensation. The National Transportation Safety Board conducted an investigation, and their finding was that the ship’s captain failed to identify and fix the hull leaks that allowed the flooding to spiral out of control.

With a Houston Jones Act attorney like the ones working for Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, any one of those other crewmembers could receive compensation. If the captain was indeed to blame, the Jones Act mandates that this negligence should result in reimbursement for any medical bills, lost wages and even pain and suffering.

While fishing in a small vessel may not seem like the most dangerous work, the Mary Kay helps illustrate how you can never take risks for granted. A good Houston Jones Act attorney will be able to review the incident and fight for what’s rightfully yours as a maritime worker.