Maritime collisions still happen and a Houston maritime attorney can help

These days, you hardly ever hear of maritime vessels colliding. Much like the way the FAA and air traffic control systems work to keep airplanes from colliding midair, there are multiple measures in place with maritime vessels to keep them from colliding, such as radio and radar. When a collision does occur, crewmembers based out of Texas should be prepared with the contact information for a Houston Maritime Attorney.

On May 2, 2012, one of these rare collisions took place between an oil tanker and a mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU). The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the collision was most likely caused by a failure in the tanker’s main propulsion engine. No crewmembers were injured on either vessel, but the combined damage was estimated at $16-17 million.

If you’re a crewmember on a maritime vessel, it’s important that you know your rights. If you’re involved in an accident, you could be seriously injured, preventing you from working for some time, or your employer could attempt to fire you for misconduct. If you know that the accident occurred through no fault of your own, you need to call a Houston Maritime Attorney immediately.

If the insurance companies involved in handling the case of the tanker and MODU collision had determined that the engine failure was due to poor maintenance, no fault could be found with the crewmembers on board. If someone had been injured, he or she would have had the right to worker’s compensation.

Unfortunately, employers and insurance companies don’t always have the best intentions. That’s why calling a Houston Maritime Attorney, like the ones at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, is usually the best course of action. Even if you haven’t been in an accident, you should get the contact information for a qualified attorney. When you work in a dangerous field, you need to take precautions for yourself and your family.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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