Working on the water can be dangerous, and when something goes wrong, you deserve a legal team that knows how to hold maritime employers accountable. If you’ve been injured while working on a vessel or offshore near Baton Rouge, you may be entitled to compensation under the Jones Act. A Baton Rouge Jones Act maritime accident lawyer can help you take the right steps to protect your rights and secure the recovery you deserve.
Maritime cases are different from typical injury claims and require a focused legal approach. Our Baton Rouge personal injury lawyers understand how physically and financially devastating maritime accidents can be—and we’re here to help you fight back. At Poolson | Oden, we support injured maritime workers with a full team approach—from intake to trial. Call today for a free consultation and find out how we can help you move forward.
How Our Baton Rouge Lawyers Help You With Your Jones Act Claim
After a maritime injury, you deserve more than a quick settlement and a case number. You deserve a legal team that sees the full picture: your health, your future, and the pressure you’re under. At Poolson | Oden, we take a hands-on approach; maritime cases aren’t just about what happened on the vessel, they’re about everything that comes next.
We start by making sure you get the right medical care, not just what the company doctor offers. While you focus on recovering, our legal team works behind the scenes by gathering records, documenting the scene, tracking down witnesses, and building your case with precision. We understand how employers and insurance companies operate under the Jones Act, and we come prepared to challenge their tactics at every turn.
Whether you were injured while at Port of Greater Baton Rouge or hurt offshore and flown back stateside, our Baton Rouge Jones Act lawyers know how to step in quickly, protect your rights, and pursue the outcome you deserve.
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Types of Jones Act Cases Our Baton Rouge Maritime Lawyers Handle
Our firm represents maritime workers and their families in a wide range of serious injury claims under the Jones Act. Below are some of the case types our lawyers can help with:
- Baton Rouge Jones Act Maritime Accident Amputation Lawyers – We represent workers who lost limbs due to equipment malfunctions, unsecured lines, or vessel accidents, helping them pursue compensation for prosthetics, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
- Baton Rouge Jones Act Maritime Accident Burn Injury Lawyers – We handle cases involving chemical, electrical, or fire-related burns aboard ships and oil rigs, building claims for long-term care, scarring, and emotional distress.
- Baton Rouge Jones Act Maritime Accident Explosion Injury Lawyers – Our team investigates maritime explosions caused by fuel leaks, faulty valves, or poor safety protocols to hold vessel owners accountable.
- Baton Rouge Jones Act Maritime Accident Extremities Injury Lawyers – We seek recovery for hand, foot, or joint injuries sustained while lifting heavy gear, working with winches, or crossing slippery decks.
- Baton Rouge Jones Act Maritime Accident Wrongful Death Lawyers – We support families who lost loved ones at sea by filing Jones Act wrongful death claims that cover funeral costs, lost household income, and other damages.
Baton Rouge Maritime Workers Face Serious Injury and Deserve Full Compensation
Maritime work is unforgiving, as one small error can cause serious harm. We’ve seen workers suffer broken bones, torn ligaments, and deep cuts from falls on slick decks or sudden vessel movement. Back and neck injuries are common, especially for crew lifting heavy gear or working in tight, unstable spaces. Some accidents cause traumatic brain or spinal injuries, often from falls or being struck by unsecured equipment. Crush injuries and even amputations can happen in seconds during winch or rigging failures.
Not all injuries are visible. Exposure to chemicals or diesel fumes can damage the lungs, while the trauma of a severe accident can leave lasting emotional effects.
Whatever form your injury takes, the impact on your work, your finances, and your life can be enormous. That’s why pursuing full compensation under the Jones Act is so important.
What You Can Recover Under the Jones Act
At Poolson | Oden, we work to recover everything the law allows. That may include:
- Medical expenses, including emergency care, surgeries, therapy, and long-term treatment needs.
- Lost wages to address income you’ve already missed because of your injury.
- Loss of future earning capacity, if you can’t return to the same kind of work or earn what you once did.
- Pain and suffering to help compensate you for the physical pain, emotional distress, and mental anguish caused by the accident and its aftermath.
- Disfigurement or disability to help address long-term impairment, visible injuries, or life-altering limitations.
- Loss of enjoyment of life, if your injury keeps you from doing the things that once brought meaning or joy.
If your injury happened because your employer failed to provide a safe working environment, you may be entitled to much more, and we’re here to fight for it. Just keep in mind: you only have three years from the date of your injury to file a Jones Act claim, per 46 U.S.C. § 30106.
Waiting too long can cost you the right to full compensation. Reaching out early helps us protect your rights, preserve critical evidence, and build the strongest case possible. Call us now to find out how our Baton Rouge Jones Act maritime accident attorneys can help you.
Common Causes of Jones Act Claims
Maritime work is physically demanding and often dangerous—even when everyone is doing their job. But when a maritime employer cuts corners, ignores safety rules, or fails to maintain vessels and equipment, workers pay the price. The Jones Act gives injured seamen the right to hold their employers accountable, but it requires proving that negligence played a role in the injury.
At Poolson | Oden, we’ve seen how negligence can take many forms across the maritime industry, including:
- Unsafe decks or walking surfaces: Slippery, cluttered, or poorly maintained areas can lead to falls and fractures.
- Improperly secured lines and rigging: These hazards often lead to crushing injuries, struck-by incidents, or falls overboard.
- Equipment failures: Malfunctioning winches, cranes, valves, or electrical systems are often due to poor maintenance or inspections.
- Lack of safety training: New or undertrained crew members put themselves and others at risk, and it’s an employer’s job to ensure that everyone has proper training.
- Fatigue and crew understaffing: Long hours and short-handed vessels can create dangerous working conditions.
- Explosions, fires, or chemical exposure: Negligence involving these materials can lead to painful and even fatal injuries.
The Jones Act doesn’t require you to prove overwhelming fault. In fact, it uses what’s sometimes called a “featherweight” standard, as even slight negligence by your employer is enough to establish liability. If the company had the opportunity to prevent your injury and didn’t, they can and should be held accountable. And we’re here to make that happen.
That’s where our preparation sets us apart. Our team works quickly to preserve evidence, collect maintenance logs, safety records, and vessel inspection histories. We interview crewmembers, secure photos of the scene (when available), and consult medical experts to show the link between the incident and your injury. Our Baton Rouge Jones Act maritime accident lawyers also utilize visuals and timelines to demonstrate exactly how your employer’s choices—or lack of action—led to harm.
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If you’ve been hurt while working offshore or aboard a vessel near Baton Rouge, you don’t have to face the aftermath alone. The Jones Act gives you the right to hold your employer accountable, but time is limited, and the companies you’re up against are already protecting their interests.
At Poolson | Oden, our team is ready to support you from your first call through trial if that’s what it takes. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Call now for a free consultation with a Baton Rouge Jones Act maritime accident lawyer. We’ll listen, explain your rights, and get to work—for you, your recovery, and your future.