Crew Boats, also known as Fast Supply Vessels, provide the logistics for offshore maritime oil and gas vessels. In addition, crew boats transport personnel and equipment to various oil rigs, jackups, self-propelled MODUs, MODUs DPV and platforms that exist offshore. Maritime workers on crew boats often perform their tasks under various conditions including severe weather with rough waters. Although new design features and technological advances such as twin-hull designs for speeds higher speeds, wider, more stable work deck allowing the vessel to hold station in extreme weather conditions, or Dynamic Positioning systems integrated with proprietary position reference and environmental sensor systems are available on the newest crew boats, nonetheless, like most maritime occupations, working on a crew boat is still potentially very dangerous.
Handling large pieces of equipment, working with other members of the crew, poor maintenance of stairs, railings, and other equipment on the crew boats, or just working under poor decisions made by the boat owner or captain can create potentially dangerous working conditions without including the risky weather conditions often found in the Gulf of Mexico and along the shoreline and waterways of Louisiana.
If you or a member of your family has sustained a serious injury on a crew boat or supply boat through the fault of a careless employer or another crew member, then you have legal rights to claim compensation for your injuries. Please speak to a qualified Jones Act and Admiralty lawyer before speaking to your employer or any insurance company or adjuster.
The crew boat injury attorneys at Gordon & Elias, L.L.P., are knowledgeable maritime lawyers and are licensed to practice in Louisiana (INACTIVE) and Texas. Whether the marine accident occurred on the Gulf of Mexico or on inland waters, if you were seriously injured in a crew boat accident, it’s important to understand your legal options to secure your future.
You may need help paying medical bills, replacing lost income and supporting your family after an accident. Some serious marine-related injuries leave maritime workers unable to return to duty for months or with permanent nerve damage or physical limitations. The supply boat accident lawyers at Gordon & Elias, L.L.P., have helped many maritime workers collect settlements to ease the the financial stress on their family after they suffered a devastating head injury, brain injury, back injury or amputation injury. We also represent families of maritime workers who have been killed in a wrongful death accident.
Make the right call when choosing an experienced Jones Act attorney to represent you. Call 800-773-6770 or fill out the online contact form to receive a free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did. Mr. Gordon or Mr. Elias will answer your questions and provide a free review of your accident. We answer calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week
There are several options you should consider for compensation, if you are injured while working on a crew boat. Offering a meager daily living amount that is paid to the injured employee along with some of their medical expenses, Maintenance and Cure is a right that seamen have under general maritime law. Some folks consider Maintenance and Cure as the equivalent to workman’s compensation, which off shore maritime workers are NOT eligible for. However there are differences. Seamen who are injured on a vessel have an absolute right to maintenance and cure, regardless of who is at fault. However, once the maritime worker reaches what is considered his/her maximum medical improvement, maintenance and cure may end. The amounts paid out for maintenance and cure are quite low, whereas Workers’ compensation benefits typically total around two thirds of the injured worker’s wage. Workers’ Compensation is a statutory right with the amount determined by individual states. In addition The law regarding Maintenance and Cure is very complex with different circuit courts considering different factors when making a determination as to how much an injured worker is entitled.
Unlike employees who are covered under Workers’ Compensation laws, maritime workers may seek compensation for pain and suffering from a maritime accident via the Jones Act. The Jones Act protects the rights of seamen as a federally recognized law.
Louisiana Supply Boat Accident Attorney
Crew boats and supply boats are the water taxis and delivery vans of the offshore oil and gas industry. The jobs on a crew boat and supply boats include deckhand, engineer, cook, tankerman and captain,
A typical crew boat will shuttle rig workers from shore terminals at Port Fourchon, Houma, Morgan City, Intracoastal City and Cameron to platforms and rigs offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Crew boats and supply boats operate in all types of weather and rough seas, and offshore workers rely on the vessels to be safe and seaworthy. The owners of supply boats and crew boats have an obligation to provide seaworthy vessels for the crews and the workers they transport. When boat owners fail to maintain and operate crew boats and supply boats safely, they may be held liable.
If you are seaman or an offshore worker and have been seriously injured in an accident on a crew boat or supply boat, you may have legal rights to compensation under the federal maritime law. Many platform workers and their families have legal rights to seek compensation under the Jones Act and the Death on the High Seas Act. After a serious injury, you may be facing substantial medical bills and time off work. It’s important to understand your rights to maintenance and cure and other benefits. A Jones Act lawyer at Gordon & Elias, L.L.P., will review your offshore injury free of charge and provide legal advice about your right to compensation.
Louisiana Offshore Crew Boat Injury Lawyer
Crew boats have traditionally been designed to function like a fast ferry, emphasizing transit speed over cargo capacity. Over the last three decades, crew boats in the Gulf of Mexico have increased in size to haul larger numbers of offshore workers and to transport fuel, drilling mud, driving water and dry cargo as well. The largest crew boats now reach more than 150 feet in length, have a maximum speed of 20 to 35 knots and can carry 70 to 100 passengers. Crew boats should have life jackets and life rafts to accommodate all passengers. Crew boats now have many design attributes once utilized only by offshore supply vessels, or OSVs. Some crew boats now have dynamic positioning control systems to hold the crew boat in place alongside a platform.
Offshore supply boats and support vessels play a critical role in delivering drilling equipment, industrial fluids and supplies needed for offshore oil and gas operations to operate without interruption. In close maneuvering situations, particularly if the boats are on auto pilot, supply boats may collide.
A critical function that crew boats and supply boats perform is the transfer of personnel and supplies to and from offshore platforms, jackups, and rigs. The transfer from a crew boat to a platform or another vessel involves certain risks, particularly in rough seas when the decks may be tossing and heaving unpredictably. Many workers suffer back injuries, shoulder injuries and leg injuries during transfers.
Gangways and accommodation ladders are the primary means of transfer from crew boats to rigs and platforms. They vary widely in design and may be slippery in wet weather, even with non-slip walkways, increasing the risk of a worker’s suffering a slip-and-fall injury. An offshore worker can fall and suffer a back injury or head injury if a supply boat moves unexpectedly due to the handling of the vessel.
Offshore workers may be transferred from one vessel to another in a Billy Pugh basket, in a personnel transfer capsule, or in an Esvagt device. Whatever type of device is used, the transfer basket should not be loaded beyond its certified safe working load. Basket transfers are high-risk operations and should be used only when other means of transfer are not available. All personnel involved in these types of transfer, particularly hoist or crane operators, should be competent to do so and should have received the appropriate training. The use of swing ropes is now largely prohibited because of the inherent risk of injury.
Louisiana OSV Accident Lawyer
During the transfer of supplies from an OSV to a rig or platform, a deckhand or other member of the crew may suffer a head injury, a back injury or traumatic brain injury from a raised load or a dropped load on the cargo deck or if the crane block is not properly marked so it is visible. The number of cargo handlers should be sufficient for the safe handling and transfer of cargo. Many injuries occur when deck crew are assisting crane operators in positioning cargo on the deck. Crew members and cargo handlers should be provided with highly visible protective equipment, including hard hats, protective boots, safety glasses and life jackets.
Offshore employers have a legal duty to provide workers a safe place to work free of known hazards. That duty extends to providing a safe means of transportation to get to and from offshore platforms and rigs
Louisiana Offshore Supply Vessel Accident Attorney
If you are a deckhand, a roustabout or a crew member and you have been injured on a crew boat or offshore supply vessel, you may have legal rights to compensation under federal law. It’s important to talk to a Louisiana offshore injury attorney who understands maritime workers’ rights under the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act.
The law office of Gordon & Elias, L.L.P, will place our resources and experience to work for your crew boat Jones Act injury. Do not assume your employee is looking out for your best interests. Your employers will have their own accident lawyer trying to disprove negligence, which is why an experienced Louisiana crew boat injury attorney must be the one representing you, the injured crew boat worker. Ultimately, the specifics vary from case to case. If you’ve been injured or a family member has died on board a crew boat, consult one of our experienced maritime attorneys at Gordon & Elias, L.L.P to determine what you’re eligible to claim for compensation
