Hale Injury Lawyers

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Our Lake Charles Lawyers Have Handled Maritime Claims For Decades

Don’t let another attorney use your case to learn maritime and admiralty law. Hale Injury Lawyers has represented seamen, offshore workers, and longshoremen throughout Louisiana for more than 65 years. Our personal injury lawyers handle claims on behalf of:

  • Injured seamen
  • Longshoremen and shipyard workers
  • Deckhands
  • Harbor workers
  • Oil rig workers and offshore platform workers
  • Recreational boaters

We regularly employ experts in the relevant fields of the U.S. Coast Guard regulations, OSHA standards, marine safety, engineering, vessel seaworthiness, vessel navigation, offshore platform safety, crane operations, rigging, basket transfers, and swing ropes. Put our experienced team of investigators, researchers and experts to work for you.

If you would like to have your Jones Act or maritime claim evaluated free of charge, contact our firm online or by calling 337-426-1071 or 877-596-5155 toll free.

Does The Jones Act Apply To Your Claim?

The Jones Act is a federal statute that allows an injured seaman to sue their employer for the damages he or she has suffered as a result of a work-related injury. The Jones Act provides protection to “seamen,” who are members of the crew of a “vessel.” While the Jones Act does not specifically define who qualifies as a seaman, those typically covered include inland waterway workers as well as offshore workers who work on:

  • Jack-up rigs
  • Barges
  • Tugboats
  • Push boats
  • Semi-submersible ships or rigs
  • Crew boats
  • Drill ships and dredges
  • Floating cranes
  • Tankers and cargo ships
  • Fishing vessels
  • Chemical ships
  • Research vessels
  • Construction barges and lay barges
  • Motorized platforms
  • Diving vessels
  • Cruise ships
  • Recreational boats or other floating/movable structures

If you were injured while working offshore or on an inland waterway, you may qualify for compensation under the Jones Act. Some of the conditions that make a vessel unsafe include:

  • Not enough equipment on board to perform the job safely
  • Not enough crew members to perform the job safely
  • Missing or broken safety equipment
  • Unsafe work orders from superiors
  • Unsafe working conditions, including open holes on deck
  • Steps lacking nonskid grating
  • Improper/inadequate training
  • Violation of U.S.C.G. regulations

We Know All Sides Of Maritime Accident Claims

The attorneys at Hale Injury Lawyers have experience working on both sides of offshore/maritime cases, having experience working both on behalf of injured seamen and bringing claims for injuries and on behalf of insurance companies in defending maritime claims. This unique experience and insight allows us to form a solid strategy by anticipating the tactics and arguments that might be made by the defendants. We will put the time and attention necessary to form the best possible case strategy as we work to meet your needs and goals.

We assist individuals who have experienced offshore/maritime injuries that include:

  • Wrongful death
  • Amputation/loss of limb
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Paralysis
  • Head, neck, and back injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Burn injuries
  • Knee and shoulder injuries
  • Injuries caused by explosions, fires and toxic substances

Contact Us For Experienced Guidance Through The Legal Process

If you or a loved one was injured while working onboard a vessel on the inland waterways or Gulf of Mexico, the Lake Charles offshore/maritime accident attorneys at Hale Injury Lawyers will guide you through every step of the legal process, ensuring that your questions are answered, your concerns are addressed and you are kept up to date on any new developments in your legal matter.

For a free personal injury consultation, contact our firm online, or call us at 337-426-1071 or 877-596-5155 toll free to discuss your rights and options. No fees, costs, or expenses if no recovery on injury and death cases.

Rated By Super Lawyers | Rising Stars | Taylor Hale | SuperLawyers.com
The National Trial Lawyers | Top 40 Under 40

Other Serious Injuries

Our Case Results

$10,000,000 Plaintiff

Plaintiff, a Jones Act seaman, had his lower leg amputated in a maritime workplace accident due to negligently maintained and constructed equipment.

$4 ,000,000 Personal Injury Case

Plaintiff, an inmate at Beauregard Parish Jail, was severely beaten by a fellow inmate, resulting in permanent paralysis and brain damage.

$3,649,831.84 Jury Verdict

Offshore basket transfer from the deck of a vessel to an unmanned fixed platform in which plaintiff suffered operated neck and back injuries.

$3,500,000 Plaintiff

Plaintiff suffered serious and permanent disfiguring burns due to a defective carnival ride at the New Orleans Superdome that caught fire.

$2,400,000 Plaintiff

Plaintiff, a Jones Act seaman/deckhand, had his lower leg amputated on a barge located in Texas on the San Jacinto River.

$2,000,000 Plaintiff

Plaintiff, a Jones Act seaman, was working on a lay barge when a cable struck him in the abdomen resulting in an operated back injury.

$1,541,281 Plaintiff

Plaintiff, a Jones Act seaman, suffered injuries to his head, face, and neck in a maritime workplace accident aboard his employer’s vessel in Alabama due to the negligence of his crewmembers and the unseaworthiness of the vessel.

$1,500,000 Plaintiff

Plaintiff, a Jones Act seaman, suffered an operated neck injury when the pushboat he was working aboard on the Mississippi River near New Orleans capsized and sank due to the wakes generated by a passing chemical tanker and towboat and the unseaworthiness of the pushboat.

$1,300,000 Railroad Accident

Railroad accident in Vinton, Louisiana in which inadequate and outdated warnings, obsolete wig wag and site obstructions at railroad crossing resulted in severe, permanent head injury.

$595,000 Plaintiff

Automobile accident in which plaintiff suffered an operated neck injury when his vehicle was struck by a left turning motorist who failed to yield. No lost wage claim.

$405,398 Plaintiff

Automobile accident in which plaintiff’s vehicle was struck by an 18-wheeler resulting in an operated back injury at the same levels as a prior back surgery. No loss wage claim.

$400,000 Plaintiff

Construction worksite accident in which Plaintiff suffered injuries to his knee due to the third party negligence of the concrete pump truck operator and the ready-mixed concrete supplier.

$367,548.92 Plaintiff

Plaintiff suffered sternum injuries in an automobile accident.

$175,000 Plaintiff

Plaintiff was injured at a casino.

$155,000 Plaintiff

Plaintiff suffered injuries in an automobile accident.

$150,000 Plaintiff

Plaintiff, a Jones Act seaman, suffered severe mental anguish when the dredge tender he was working aboard in Mobile, Alabama capsized and sank due to bad weather and the unseaworthiness of the vessel.

$148,575.80 Plaintiff

Plaintiff suffered injuries in an automobile accident.

$115,000 Plaintiff

Plaintiff suffered injuries in an automobile accident.

$1.1 Million Construction Accident

Construction accident involving plaintiff who fell through an opening in catwalk grating resulting in an operated back injury and brain injury.

$1.1 Million Jury Verdict Automobile Accident

Automobile accident in Allen Parish in which plaintiff's vehicle struck a large pothole on the highway, causing her vehicle to run off the highway and strike a tree.

$ 1.1 Million Settled During Trial Construction Accident

Construction accident in which plaintiff released pipe from a secured pipe rack, pinning himself between the pipe rack and his 18-wheeler, crushing his head and body and resulting in his death.

$ 1.1 Million Automobile Accident

Automobile accident in which plaintiff's vehicle was broad-sided, resulting in an operated neck injury.

$ 1,750,000 Automobile Accident

Automobile accident in which an 18-wheeler struck plaintiff’s vehicle, resulting in neck and leg injuries.

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