Maritime injury attorneys – Offshore Injury Lawyer – Maritime Attorneys – Houston Maritime LawyersOffshore Injury Attorneys

May 28, 2014Oct 8, 2015

Why hire a Galveston Oil Rig Injury attorney?

Every day, people are injured on oil rigs in the Gulf Coast region. With more than 3,700 oil rig platforms in the Gulf and with such dangerous work being performed, it is easy to understand how so many injuries occur. Many of those who are injured will suffer from debilitating or even life threatening injuries. If you or someone you love has experienced a back injury, traumatic brain injury, loss of limb, burns, chemical exposure, or another injury while working on an oil rig, contact a Galveston oil rig injury attorney at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP today for a free case review.

When we review your case, we will be able to tell you what types of damages you may be entitled to under the Jones Act, which governs oil rigs and their crews. We will work to help you understand what your rights and responsibilities are and will work to get the details of your case so that we can provide you with specific information. We will also answer any questions that you may have about your rights, your case, our practice, or your Galveston oil rig injury attorney.

While it would take pages upon pages to explain the many nuances of the Jones Act in legal speak, it essentially provides rights to offshore workers beyond the rights extended by worker’s compensation. It ensures that there is an adequate crew to do the job and that safe and adequate equipment is provided. In the event of injury, an employer may be held liable for negligence if there is a safety statute violation and the Jones Act states that the employer owes the seaman adequate medical care from a competent physician. There are many more nuances to the Jones Act and many more rights afforded to seamen. If you believe that you have a claim, contact a Galveston oil rig injury attorney from Kirkendall Dwyer LLP today!

Apr 28, 2014

BP is back in the Gulf and a Texas City oil rig injury attorney can help workers

In 2010, following the catastrophic Deep Horizon oil spill, BP was temporarily banned from drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Now, 4 years later, the ban has been lifted, and BP has won its first contract, allowing the company to begin drilling off the coast of Louisiana. New oil rigs in the Gulf mean more employment for maritime workers in Texas. They also mean more workers may need to consult with a Texas City oil rig injury attorney.

BP has struck a deal with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to drop a pending lawsuit in exchange for the EPA allowing BP to begin bidding on new federal contracts again. BP has made moves to ensure that we won’t see a repeat of the 200-million-gallon spill from 4 years ago. However, this still means that workers considering taking on employment with BP should consider all of the potential consequences of working on any oil rig but especially one owned by a company with an accident-prone past.

If you’re concerned about what might happen in the event of an accident, you shouldn’t hesitate to talk to a Texas City oil rig injury attorney, like one of the attorneys at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, as soon as possible, as they are well-versed in maritime law and worker’s compensation.

If you’ve been in an accident on an oil rig, or you’re just curious about what that kind of scenario will look like if you’re ever unfortunate enough to be in one, you can talk to a Texas City oil rig attorney about equipment maintenance, safety procedures, proper training implementation, and other factors that your employer is responsible for. You can also talk to them about the right course of action for you and your family, should you be injured or killed in an accident.

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 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 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 18, 2014

A Jones Act attorney in Houston can help you

More oil drilling is going on in the Gulf of Mexico today than there was before the BP oil spill in 2010. This huge resurgence in domestic oil means a lot for American maritime employment. Not only do the oil rigs need more workers, but this means that more ships are going to be built in the US, which will also need more crewmembers. It looks like we’re about to see a huge boom in the maritime shipping business. That’s good news for you if you’re a maritime worker.

At the same time, with new employment opportunities and new ships being built in the US, as a maritime worker, you should probably go ahead and talk to a Jones Act attorney in Houston about what to do in case of an accident and how you’ll be covered.

The Jones Act protects American companies and maritime workers against international competition, and it has stipulations for recourse in the case of an accident while on the job, as well. That means that, if you get a job on a US-built and owned vessel, you could be covered in ways that you haven’t been before. No one wants an accident to happen, but it’s best to plan for the worst-case scenario.

You and your family should talk to a Jones Act attorney in Houston to understand what should be done in the case of your injury or death. You want to make sure that your family is taken care of, should the worst happen. A Jones Act attorney in Houston, like the ones at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, can help you understand the coverage you have by law and what kind of actions you might have to take in the future, if something happens while you’re on the job.