In the United States, there are administrative bodies that oversee state workers’ compensation claims as well as claims that fall underneath the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. However, there is no administrative body in the United States that will oversee your claim related to the Jones Act. Instead, you will need to file claims under the Jones Act in federal court or in state. Of course, pre-litigation negotiations may help settle some claims, but filing a lawsuit is the only way you can ensure your right to go after a claim.
The main reason you should hire an attorney to help you with your lawsuit is that your employer and their insurance company will likely have many lawyers helping them through the process. Your employer’s attorneys will focus on eliminating your claim while using as little resources as possible. Therefore, it is vital that you hire an experienced maritime attorney to represent you and your interests. If you are an injured attorney, chances are you know nothing about the process of filing a claim under the Jones Act. On the other hand, your employer and their attorneys may be seasoned veterans at handling such lawsuits.
Jones Act Claims
As you probably already, the litigation process is how Jones Act claims are processed and pursued. Therefore, you need to hire an offshore injury lawyer who has a strong track record. Before hiring an attorney, you should ask them how many maritime injury cases they have tried throughout their career. Do not hire an attorney who refuses to answer your questions directly. Your attorney should give you direct and honest answers to all your questions.
Keep in mind that maritime law is very complicated. The purpose of maritime law is to protect maritime employees who get sick or injured while working. However, maritime laws seem to have many roadblocks and are fairly difficult to comprehend and navigate. An experienced attorney will be able to provide you with proper legal advice and representation.
For example, chances are, you have no idea how to interact with offshore companies. Fortunately, professional maritime injury lawyers know exactly how to handle offshore companies.
Hiring an Attorney
Once you hire an offshore injury attorney, you will need to provide many documents throughout the process. You should start gathering these documents as soon as possible so that you will be able to provide them to your attorney when the time comes. You should gather all documents related to your accident report, your medical information, and communications with your employer. You should also have a list of the witnesses and pictures from the incident if you have them. These documents will help increase the chances of the success of your claim.
For more information about the importance of hiring an offshore injury attorney, don’t hesitate to contact us.