What Is Maintenance and Cure in Maritime Injury Law?

What Is Maintenance and Cure in Maritime Injury Law?

When seamen suffer serious injuries while working on their vessel, they can file a claim under the Jones Act to recoup their losses. The Jones Act is a federal law that was enacted to protect seamen, as they are legally ineligible for Louisiana workers compensation benefits.

In order to qualify for Jones Act benefits, a ship needs to be declared unseaworthy. Fortunately, any instance where the ship or other vessel becomes unsafe in any way will result in the ship being deemed unseaworthy. When a ship is not seaworthy, the owner of the ship will be required to provide the seamen with the benefits they need to move forward with their life.

These benefits are known in the maritime world as maintenance and cure. Below, we go in further detail about what each of the benefits consists of and how they will help you recuperate without financial burden.

All about Maintenance

Before we delve further into what maintenance is, it’s important to note that all injured seamen will be entitled to recovery of certain types of damages, such as your pain and suffering, loss of consortium, inconvenience, loss of enjoyment of life, property damages, damage to your earning capacity, loss of household services, mental anguish, and interest on the total amount of your losses, to name a few.

Maintenance is a component of the Jones Act that entitles injured seamen to coverage of their necessary living expenses. While you aren’t able to earn an income, having your utilities, rent or mortgage, groceries, and other important household bills covered by your employer can make your recovery substantially easier than if you had no way to provide for your family.

If you have questions about what living expenses can be covered in your case, you can speak with your attorney so that you have a better idea of what to expect from your Jones Act claim.

Cure and Maritime Injuries

When your lawyer refers to cure, they are referring to the coverage of your medical expenses as they relate to the injuries you sustained at work.

Your employer will be obligated to cover each medical cost, including your co-pays, transportation costs, hospital bills, diagnostic imaging, ambulance fees, prescription medications, medical equipment, physical or occupational therapy, installation fees, and any rehabilitative services you might require.

It will be up to your attorney to calculate the value of your damages after reviewing the costs of your maintenance and cure to ascertain how much you are able to recover from your Jones Act claim.

Contact a New Orleans Maritime Injury Lawyer

If you are a seaman who has been injured on the job, get help obtaining the benefits you deserve when you work with an experienced New Orleans maritime injury lawyer at the Law Office of Braud & Gallagher.

We provide injured sea workers with a free consultation. You can take advantage of this opportunity by calling our office at 1-800-256-5674 or by completing the quick contact form we have included at the bottom of this page.

Five Most Dangerous Intersections in New Orleans

Five Most Dangerous Intersections in New Orleans

Whether you’re a pedestrian or a driver, intersections can be difficult to navigate and dangerous. Sadly, that means many people are hurt or killed at intersections throughout New Orleans every year.

While any crossroads can be dangerous, New Orleans is particularly known for its dangerous intersections. While the city is doing its best to fix this, below are currently the most dangerous intersections to watch for.

5. Iberville Street and North Peters Street

Since this crossroads doesn’t currently have a traffic signal, it’s especially dangerous for many pedestrians. The chances of a severe injury or a death occurring here are especially likely. While the city is taking steps to include more pedestrian signals, which will reduce the rate of injuries and fatalities, this busy intersection is still dangerous.

4. Poydras Street and Camp Street

Unfortunately, many New Orleans intersections don’t have clear pedestrian signals, and this leads to multiple injuries suffered where Poydras Street and Camp Street meet. When pedestrians don’t have clear indicators for how much time they have to cross the street, they may take risks while crossing.

Unfortunately, that makes this street a major problem for pedestrians and drivers alike. One mistake could lead to serious injuries here.  

3. Canal Street and North Peters Street

This intersection causes trouble for many drivers, not just because of the danger to pedestrians, but because Canal and North Peters don’t cross neatly. This particularly busy intersection may veer at sharper angles than many drivers may be used to, and when their visibility at corners is reduced, the results can be disastrous.

This is especially complicated by the light rail station that splits Canal Street. This may be confusing to pedestrians and drivers, which leads to more accidents when drivers aren’t attentive to their surroundings.

2. Highway 90 and Gravier Street

Any intersection with a high volume of traffic can be dangerous, and Highway 90 is no exception. This intersection can be especially dangerous because of the speed of many of the cars passing through the area. Many pedestrians and drivers suffer catastrophic injuries like head trauma and spinal injuries, so take care when dealing with this intersection as you travel through New Orleans.  

1. Bourbon Street and Canal Street

Frequently listed as one of the most dangerous intersections in America, Bourbon at Canal Street is especially dangerous, with numerous lethal crashes a year. The dangers are so serious that the city has begun measures to make this intersection safer.

Get Help after an Intersection Crash in New Orleans

If you’ve had a car accident at one of these New Orleans intersections, don’t worry; you have options to get your settlement. No matter how serious your injuries are, our lawyers at the Law Office of Braud & Gallagher can help you through your difficult time.

These intersections might leave you badly injured, but your New Orleans personal injury lawyer can fight to get you the compensation you need to recover from the driver who hurt you. For more information or a free consultation with our firm, call us at 1-800-256-5674 or fill out the online form below.

What Are a Seaman’s Rights under the Jones Act?

If you’re a seaman who has suffered a serious injury, you may be able to file a claim against your employer under the Jones Act. This will allow you to obtain the compensation you need to continue supporting yourself and your family while you recuperate from your injuries. Below, we discuss which workers are considered to be seamen and what you need to do in order to win your case.

Which Workers Are Considered Seamen?

For a worker to be classified as a seaman, they will need to do a significant amount of their work on any type of vessel. This could include a boat, cruise ship, ferry boats, or barges, to name a few. If you are a part-time employee who works on a vessel, you must devote at least 30 percent of your hours to this work to qualify as a seaman under the Jones Act.

Due to the fact that maritime law, and the Jones Act, are quite complex, if you’ve been injured at work and you aren’t sure whether or not you’ll be considered a seaman who can file a claim under the Jones Act, you should speak with a New Orleans Jones Act lawyer as soon as possible.

Negligence and Proving Unseaworthiness

Now that we’ve established which maritime employees are considered seamen, you may be wondering how you’ll prove employer liability. Thankfully, the Jones Act is one of the most employee-friendly laws across the United States.

Under the Jones Act, your employer is required to provide a safe work environment for every employee at every moment. This means that they are obligated to correct any safety hazards immediately so that seamen are able to work in reasonably safe conditions.

If at any point your employer fails to maintain this safe work environment, then the vessel you work on may be deemed unseaworthy and your employer may be found negligent. Even if some other contributing factor is primarily responsible for the cause of your injuries, your employer being even 1 percent at fault enables you to bring a claim against them under the Jones Act.

Damages You’re Entitled To

Once we establish liability, you’ll be able to obtain the compensation that’s rightfully yours. This includes coverage for the following losses:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Lost wages
  • Emotional distress
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Loss of companionship and love
  • Property damages
  • Damage to your earning capacity
  • Inconvenience

You’re also entitled to maintenance and cure. Maintenance is the coverage of your household expenses, including utilities, your rent or mortgage, and groceries, while cure refers to the coverage of every medical expense you incur as a result of your at-sea and offshore injuries.

Get in Touch with a Jones Act Lawyer in New Orleans

When you aren’t sure if you can file a claim under the Jones Act, or if you have additional questions regarding your rights as a seaman, reach out to an experienced New Orleans Jones Act lawyer at Braud & Gallagher as soon as possible. Simply fill out the online contact form below or give our office a call at 1-800-256-5674.

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In 2015, Braud & Gallagher decided it was going to bring a WORLD RECORD back to Louisiana, where it belonged. Previously, the record was held by a group who set the record in Alabama at an LSU v Alabama football game. The record set in Alabama was a seafood gumbo weighing 2,100 lbs. Braud & Gallagher was determined to bring the record to Louisiana! Continue reading “La. Team Sets Record For World’s Largest Gumbo”