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

A longshore worker was killed on the job while transporting cargo in Jacksonville, Florida. Investigations into the accident are being conducted by both Jacksonville police and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

According to a representative of the Jacksonville Port Authority, 51-year-old Gregory Daise, an employee of Coastal Maritime Stevedoring, was killed during vessel cargo operations on February 19th. The events leading up to and causes of his death are being investigated by Jacksonville police and OSHA. There is currently no additional information available on the details of the accident. Coastal Maritime Stevedoring LLC is a stevedoring company based in Jacksonville, Florida; the company provides loading and unloading services for various kinds of cargo, in addition to warehouse and marine terminal management. The company is capable of handling over sized and unusual cargo, including: military cargo, water crafts, locomotives, cranes and construction machinery. Daise was apparently involved in transporting cargo for Coastal Maritime at the time of the accident.

Maritime workers who perform essential activities related to the industry such as loading and unloading of cargo and repairs of equipment and machinery on any kind of maritime vessel, including platforms, rigs and ships are covered under a maritime law called the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act. These employees are not technically Jones Act seaman because their work does not involve being stationed on navigable waters for long periods of time and they do not fulfill the criteria mentioned in the Jones Act. Often, longshore workers perform loading and unloading operations in the port and injuries received during such activities qualify for compensation under LHWCA laws. Longshore benefits cover injured workers as well as deaths. In case of death workers' dependents are eligible for benefits under the LHWCA.

Maritime Accident

Our team of Florida maritime attorneys at Arnold & Itkin LLP have represented hundreds of longshore workers who have been injured on the job. We have helped many recover physically, emotionally and financially from devastating accident.

If you've been injured in a maritime accident, contact a maritime injury attorney at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free evaluation of your case.

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An appeals court has ruled that a Louisiana oil worker who suffered injuries while working on an oil production platform is eligible for maritime employee benefits, although his work largely consisted of non-marine activities.

Terry Hudson was working on an oil production platform along the coast of Louisiana, when a salt water pump explosion left him with serious injuries. Hudson applied for compensation under the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act (LHWCA), but his claim was rejected.  Coastal Production Services Inc., Forest Oil Production and the insurer ACE American Insurance Company, rejected the claim on the grounds that the injuries occurred on a platform, which is normally used for oil separation and storage purposes. The platform is also used as living quarters for company employees. According to the grounds for rejection, the platform was not used as a site for maritime activities. The closest maritime activity to the platform was the loading of oil cargo which took place on a nearby barge. Loading and unloading of the cargo are just one of the duties that maritime workers who are eligible for benefits under LHWCA are engaged in.

Hudson appealed, and now his stand has been vindicated by a review panel, as well as the 5^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The judgment decided that even if the exact spot where the injury occurred is not meant for cargo loading activities, the maritime worker is still eligible for compensation benefits if that spot is somehow involved with the loading of products. Here, the platform where the accident occurred is used for storage of oil that would later be loaded onto ships.

Workers who fall under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act are eligible for certain compensation benefits even though they are, technically, not seamen. The Jones Act benefits are only available to seamen as defined by the act, and the LHWCA was passed to protect workers who are not seamen, but still perform important activities like loading and unloading cargo or building and performing repairs on vessels, terminals and platforms. These benefits include payments for medical expenses, rehabilitation and compensation for any occupational disease that may arise in the course of maritime employment.

Maritime Injury Claims 

People who have been injured in an accident on board a tanker, oil rig or other vessel may be eligible for benefits and should seek the counsel of an experienced maritime lawyer.

If you have been injured in a maritime accident, contact a maritime attorney at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free evaluation of your case.

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