Jones Act Maritime Lawyer : Houston Jones Act & Maritime Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Arnold & Itkin Law Firm : Offshore Injury, Maritime Law : Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida

Houston maritime injury law firm Arnold & Itkin LLP has assembled a team of experts to assess the extent of the environmental and economic harm caused by the loss of the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling platform.

Arnold & Itkin LLP is representing several victims of the explosion, which is one of the worst oil spills in U.S. history. The firm, which focuses on maritime and admiralty law, has invested extensive resources in initial discovery and investigation of the explosion’s causes and its growing consequences.

“We are working closely with this investigative task force to collect information and assess what we believe will be immense and far-reaching damage to the commercial fishing and tourism industries along the Gulf Coast, as well as damages to property owners,” said Kurt Arnold, a partner in Arnold & Itkin.

For more information, please visit OilSpillTaskForce.com and TransoceanLawsuits.com.

About Arnold & Itkin LLP

The lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP, a personal injury law firm based in Houston, Texas, understand the complexities and legalities of maritime law and have a successful track record of verdicts and settlements in favor of maritime workers. The firm provides legal guidance on all aspects of maritime law and the benefits offshore workers are entitled to under the Jones Act, the Death on the High Seas Act, the principle of maintenance and cure, or the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act.

The firm handles maritime claims at port cities along the Gulf Coast in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The firm can be contacted toll free at (866) 222-2606 or online through the firm’s Web site.

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Arnold & Itkin LLP personal injury attorneys Jason Itkin and Cory Itkin recently won a $1.55 million jury verdict on behalf of a worker who was seriously hurt while employed as a ship repairman at a Port of Houston marine terminal operated by APM Terminals North America, Inc. Defendant APM Terminals disputed liability and attempted to minimize the extent of the plaintiff's significant neck injury. The highest pretrial settlement offer from APM Terminals was only $35,000.

Arnold & Itkin LLP is proud to have stood by its client and to have recovered the compensation that he deserved. The case was pending in Harris County, Texas, with the Honorable Jaclanal McFarland presiding.

For more information on the jury verdict, please visit:

www.GulfCoastMaritime.com

www.Jones-Act-Maritime-Lawyer.com

www.LawyerForYou.com.

For a free consultation, contact a maritime lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP by calling toll free (866) 222-2606.

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The Houston, TX law firm, Arnold & Itkin have released a new website dedicated to the legal questions, issues, concerns, and updates surrounding the Transocean Deepwater Horizon blowout, explosion, and subsequent oil spill. Some of the topics covered by www.TransoceanLawsuits.com include:

• The companies involved and their responsibilities, including BP, Transocean, Halliburton, Cameron International Group, and the MMS.
• Possible Causes including the Blowout Preventer, the Cemeting Process, and Methane Pockets.
• and, Types of Injuries: PTSD, Wrongful Death, and Burn Injuries.

To learn more about the different types of legitimate legal claims and who is eligible to file, please visit: www.TransoceanLawsuits.com

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Arnold & Itkin LLP is proud to announce the launch of its new Jones Act and Maritime Injury blog!

Please check it out at http://gulfcoastmaritime.com/.

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Arnold & Itkin LLP maritime lawyers Jason Itkin, Cory Itkin, and Mike Tilton won a $675,000 settlement for a Jones Act seaman who had a back injury that did not require surgery. The Plaintiff, who lives in Florida, hurt his back when he fell approximately 3 feet while working alone. The Defendant refused to pay maintenance and cure because the client failed a post-accident drug screen. As a result of the company’s failure to honor its cure obligations, Arnold & Itkin worked hard to make sure that the firm’s client still received proper medical care. Arnold & Itkin filed the suit in Beaumont, Texas and settled the case just days before trial.

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Attorneys Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin recently earned membership in the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

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Arnold & Itkin LLP maritime attorneys Cory Itkin and Kurt Arnold successfully obtained a $2,000,000 settlement on behalf of a maritime worker who was injured when the geological survey vessel on which he was employed struck an unlighted caisson in the Gulf of Mexico.  The plaintiff was standing next to the vessel's captain in the wheelhouse on the night when the accident occurred.  Itkin and Arnold negotiated recoveries in the vigorously-defended case from the plaintiff's employer, the vessel's owner/operator, the owner/operator of the caisson, and other defendants, for a total of $2,000,000.

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Arnold & Itkin LLP is proud to count five of its lawyers among those listed as Rising Stars in Texas for 2010.  Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Jason Itkin, Cory Itkin, Michael Pierce, and Lisa Sechelski were included in the most recent annual Rising Stars listing, which recognizes outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of professional achievement and recognition by their peers.

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Houston maritime lawyer Mike Pierce of Arnold & Itkin LLP successfully reached a $650,000 settlement on behalf of a crab fisherman injured when a hydraulic system aboard his vessel malfunctioned, causing a crab pot to strike the fishermen. The fisherman suffered nonsurgical injuries to his lower back. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.

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Brad Nelton, a resident of Oklahoma, has retained Arnold & Itkin LLP to represent him in a maritime personal injury lawsuit against Cenac Towing Company, LLC. On March 22, 2009, Mr. Nelton severely injured his neck when Cenac ordered him to perform his work in an unsafe manner and without proper equipment. At the time of his injuries, Mr. Nelton was a deckhand working aboard the M/V MARIE CENAC.

Despite Mr. Nelton's continuing need of medical treatment, Cenac threatened to terminate his maintenance and cure without justification. As a result, Arnold & Itkin LLP brought a lawsuit on Mr. Nelton's behalf in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

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Arnold & Itkin LLP maritime lawyers Paul Skrabanek and Kurt Arnold obtained $600,000 on an un-operated neck case. Specifically, the plaintiff was working as a deckhand when he tripped and fell over a large hose lying in the middle of the deck. The plaintiff injured his neck as a result of the fall. The case was settled three months in advance of the trial setting and after only one deposition.

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Houston maritime lawyer Kurt Arnold filed a lawsuit on behalf of an injured Jones Act seaman from Cottonport, Louisiana. He was employed by MISWASCO and assigned to BP's THUNDERHORSE off the coast of Texas. He was injured on October 22, 2009 as a result of the decision by BP's order to fill tanks full of solid quick seal. As a result, he was injured and herniated 4 discs in his neck. Arnold & Itkin LLP Jones Act lawyers filed suit on his behalf in Galveston County.

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Arnold & Itkin LLP  has released a new video on LawyerForYou.com. In this new video maritime attorney Lisa Sechelski introduces our law firm's Jones Act & maritime law practice. In it, you'll hear feedback from an actual client and listen as Lisa shares important information you should know if you or a family member are injured in a serious maritime or offshore accident.
 

Maritime lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP represent seamen, dockworkers, oil & gas industry workers, cruise ship workers, & others injured in maritime accidents at sea or on inland waters.

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Jones Act lawyers Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek of Arnold and Itkin LLP filed a lawsuit on behalf of Mario Gonzales, a seaman and long-term employee of Fugro who sustained injuries to his neck and back in a fall that occurred when he slipped on the stern of M/V Fugro Discovery. Several fellow crew members witnessed the fall and reported the accident. Gonzales now suffers chronic back pain and migraine headaches. The 230’ Fugro Discovery, built in 1997 for the Norwegian navy, is now used as a multi-role geophysical and hydrographical survey vessel. At the time of the accident, Fugro Discovery was conducting operations in the Bay of Campeche on behalf of PEMEX, Mexico’s state-owned petroleum company. The lawsuit was filed in Houston, Texas.

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Houston maritime lawyers Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek of Arnold & Itkin LLP recently filed suit on behalf of a maritime worker from Crowley, Texas, who was injured while boarding a vessel owned by Maritech Resources, Inc. The injury occurred when the plaintiff was exiting a Rotorcraft Leasing Co., L.L.C. helicopter and fell upon the vessel’s helideck. The victim sustained a number of injuries in the fall, including a closed head injury that left the worker unconscious for nearly 30 minutes. The injury was caused by the negligence of the defendant's employees, who carelessly left foreign substances on the helideck. The case is currently pending in Galveston County Court.

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The maritime lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP recently filed suit in Galveston County, Texas, on behalf of an injured shrimp boat crew member who contracted a dangerous staph infection on his dominant hand. The injured seaman, a resident of Ft. Worth, Texas, contracted the infection while working offshore on a vessel owned by Trico Shrimp Company of Freeport, Texas, which is in Brazoria County.

In the United States, maritime law requires shipowners to provide maintenance and cure benefits to seamen who are injured in the course of their employment until they are either fit to return to duty or they reach a state of maximum medical improvement. The maintenance benefit covers basic room and board expenses, whereas the cure benefit provides for reasonable medical expenses needed to treat the injured seaman. Unfortunately, in this case Trico refused to pay any maintenance or cure.

Arnold & Itkin LLP is proud to help this seaman get the medical attention he deserves in the hope that he will be able to regain full use of his hand.

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Jones Act lawyers Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek of Arnold & Itkin LLP recently filed suit against Ensco International (NYSE: ESV) and Cameron (NYSE: CAM) on behalf of a long-term Ensco employee who was injured onboard one of the company's offshore jack-up rigs. The employee, a Jones Act seaman from Deridder, La., sustained a neck injury while following the instructions of a Cameron man on the rig. The unfortunate situation was made worse when the seaman’s neck was reinjured due to Ensco’s negligence. A loyal employee of longstanding, the plaintiff resisted suing Ensco over the neck injury, but when the company terminated his maintenance and cure benefit despite clear recognition that the injury required neck surgery, he was left with little choice. In the Unites States, admiralty law dictates that it is every shipowner's duty to provide maintenance and cure to crew members who are injured while in service to their vessel.

The case is filed in Harris Country District Court, with the Honorable Patricia Hancock presiding.

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Arnold & Itkin LLP recently filed a Jones Act claim against Tetra on behalf of a Gibson, Louisiana Jones Act seaman who was seriously injured on a derrick barge owned by the company. The injured seaman, employed by the company as a welder, herniated several discs in his neck when he was ordered to move heavy weightlifting equipment. Even though Tetra has refused to pay maintenance and cure benefits as required by admiralty law, Arnold & Itkin LLP's maritime lawyers are proud to stand by their client and help him through these difficult times. The accident occurred in Morgan City, Louisiana, and the case is pending in Galveston County, Texas.

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Houston maritime lawyers Kurt Arnold and Gabe Vick secured a $925,000 settlement for a maritime worker injured while working on a vessel.

While handling lines on the vessel, the seaman's calf was crushed when the boat began to move, putting tension on one of the lines. The resulting injury required reconstructive surgery. The Jones Act case was pending in Galveston County, Texas and settled a few days before trial.

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Texas maritime lawyers Kurt Arnold and Jeff Seely settled a Jones Act case on behalf of an injured seaman who was hurt during a flaring operation. The seaman sustained primarily second degree burns to his body. Arnold & Itkin LLP filed the case in Harris County where it was settled after fifteen depositions a few weeks before the trial.

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Arnold & Itkin LLP attorneys Jason Itkin, Kurt Arnold, and Cory Itkin recovered $1.45 million on behalf of an injured Jones Act seaman. The case settled just days before going to trial. Our client was severely injured when he fell out of the ship's trash dumpster which had been suspended in the air. He broke his hip and wrist in the fall and developed Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome. He has not been able to return to work.

The shipping company argued that the injured worker had already recovered from his injuries, but had not returned to work beacuse he had been battling alcoholism for several years. Arnold & Itkin LLP showed they were wrong. We also helped our client get the medical treatment he needed and the compensation he deserved. The case was pending in federal court in Balitmore, Maryland.

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Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek filed the second case against Hercules on behalf of an injured seaman. A pipe was tack welded to a rig and not properly removed prior to drilling operations. The pipe fell 100 feet and struck two seaman, seriously injuring both. The first case was handled by Kurt Arnold and settled for $14 million on the eve of the trial. Arnold & Itkin LLP has now filed the second case in Galveston County court on behalf of the other injured seaman.

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Maritime lawyers Cory Itkin and Kurt Arnold of Arnold & Itkin LLP recovered $825,000 on behalf of a raustabout from Lufkin. He was severely injured on an offshore drilling barge when an improperly secured spinner hawk hit him from behind. As a result of the accident, the injured worker needed neck surgery and cannot return to work offshore. The case was pending in Texas state court in Galveston County. (Disbursement Pending.)

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Maritime lawyers Cory Itkin and Kurt Arnold recovered $850,000 on behalf of a League City, Texas seaman who slipped on hydraulic fluid. Arnold & Itkin LLP's client was the mate on an offshore jack-up rig. The rig's crane had been leaking hydraulic fluid for days, but his employer faild to fix the problem. As a result of the company's negligence, the injured worker needed back surgery and could not return to work offshore. The case was pending in Texas state court in Galveston County. (Disbursement pending.)

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Arnold & Itkin LLP represents Jasper Smith, a Jones Act seaman from Alabama, who was seriously injured while working as a ring setter for Daybrook Fisheries. On September 29, 2008, the captain of his pogey boat crashed their vessel into an Exxon Mobil platform located off the coast of Louisiana. The force of the collision slammed Mr. Smith into a freezer. Arnold & Itkin LLP is proud to help him get the medical treatment he needs for his back injuries and help him get the compensation he deserves for this Jones Act claim.

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Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Jason Itkin, and Mike Pierce resolved a Jones Act Seaman injury case for $14 million just two days before going to trial. Arnold & Itkin LLP lawyers represented the seaman after he suffered a head injury on the Hercules 15 inland barge. The Hercules 15 was located in Lake Washington, Louisiana at the time of the incident. The seaman's injury occurred when Hercules employees tack welded a three foot pipe to the derrick and then forgot to remove it before starting drilling operations. The heavy pipe was jarred loose and hit the plaintiff in the head.

The case was filed in Galveston County Court in March 2008. The case was set for trial February 2, 2009. Hercules settled the entire case for $14 million on the eve of trial.

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Texas maritime lawyers Kurt Arnold & Mike Pierce filed a Jones Act case on behalf of a 25 year old injured seaman who was working for Noble Corporation.  The seaman was in the Bay of Campeche on an offshore drilling rig when his hand was crushed due to Noble negligence.  He lost three fingers and sustained injuries to the rest of his hand.  Arnold & Itkin LLP agreed to represent the seaman and filed the case in Cameron County, Texas requesting a trial by jury.

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Arnold & Itkin LLP filed a Jones Act lawsuit today on behalf of an injured worker who suffered crippling injuries as a result of a ship owner’s failure to maintain a seaworthy vessel.  As a result, this hard working man has had a complex back injury.  He may need back surgery and months of therapy just to get his life back on track.  This Jones Act seaman may never be able to work again.  Arnold & Itkin LLP is proud that we will be able to help this man fight to recover his benefits, lost wages, medical expenses, and money for his pain and suffering.

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