Blog

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…

Simply put, a maritime accident is an accident that occurs at sea. Maritime accidents generally happen on ships or boats, although they can sometimes include airplane and helicopter crashes that happen over water. Compensation for injuries sustained due to a maritime accident is governed by maritime law, also known as “admiralty” law. The Slip-and-Fall…

No one ever expects that they’ll one day be involved in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, but in the state of Louisiana, these types of incidents are unfortunately an all-too-common occurrence. Drunk driving accidents can result in serious physical harm to other motorists, including but not limited to broken bones, head…

Getting injured through someone else’s negligence is bad enough. Getting cheated out of your fair settlement makes it even worse. Any auto accident is a bad thing. But an accident with a tractor-trailer, 18-wheeler, or other large commercial truck could mean serious injury or even death. Having to fight the driver’s company (or the…

Imagine you are on your way to work. Maybe you’re on your way home from the store. Suddenly, a truck blows through a stop sign and barrels into your car. You’re surprised, then annoyed, as you get out and realize your car is damaged. At first you seem fine—your adrenaline is pumping, and you…