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If you’ve been injured or hurt by the negligence of another, you may seek compensation not only for medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage, but also for “general damages,” which include non-specific amounts for pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and disability. What are Damages? Damages are a legal…

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) estimates that approximately 3,000 motorists are killed every year on U.S. roads and highways specifically due to an accident involving a large truck. The USDOT defines a large truck as any vehicle weighing 10,000 pounds or more, or any vehicle (like a bus) designed to carry 15 or more passengers….

After a personal injury claim has been formalized by a lawsuit, the process of both plaintiffs and defendants taking “depositions” begins. What is a Deposition? A deposition is a question-and-answer session where the plaintiff or witness is questioned under oath by attorneys before an authorized court representative (“court reporter”). Depositions are taken by the…

It can be a trying and difficult time if you sustain an injury while working on an offshore vessel. Not only are you dealing with medical procedures and time missed from work, but you also want to make sure you’re getting fairly compensated by the vessel’s owner for your suffering. It’s important to understand…

Working with cranes is dangerous. That’s why the job requires lots of training and adherence to strict OSHA regulations regarding personal protective equipment and procedures. Almost all crane accidents are the result of human error or a company’s inability to provide safe working conditions. Today, we’d like to talk more about different kinds of crane accidents,…

Maritime laws are complicated and, legally speaking, quite different from worker’s compensation law. If you’ve been injured, you need the services of qualified maritime attorneys—like Anderson Blanda & Saltzman. Let’s compare two kinds of claims common to admiralty law and maritime law: The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) and the Jones Act….

After years of reduced activity, Louisiana’s oil and gas industry is surging. That’s great news for offshore workers ready to get back to work. However, “boom times” also bring some measure of risk. Though the oil and gas industry is subject to OSHA regulations and other safety rules, the risk of injury continues to…

Working in the offshore oil and gas industry can offer huge rewards. Great pay, benefits, and opportunities for career advancement entice many to sign on as a driller, derrick hand, motor hand, roustabout, or roughneck in spite of hard work and long stretches away from their families. Our economy depends on this industry. But…

The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, also known as the Jones Act, is a series of federal statutes which regulate shipping practices on the coasts and internal waterways of the United States. Although primarily concerned with issues surrounding trade protectionism and wartime preparedness, the Jones Act also contains provisions which acknowledge the fundamentally dangerous…

The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) was passed by Congress in 1927 to provide a legal framework through which riverboat crew members, certain harbor employees, and professional stevedores could seek compensation for injuries sustained on the job. Congress has since revised and amended the LHWCA to broaden the pool of people to…