Jones Act Lawyer in New Orleans

Trial-Tested Representation for Gulf Coast Maritime Workers

New Orleans sits at the center of one of the most active maritime economies in the United States. The Port of New Orleans connects the Gulf of Mexico to 14,500 miles of inland waterways, and roughly one-fifth of all Louisiana jobs tie back to the maritime industry in some form. When offshore workers are seriously hurt, they need attorneys who can handle the most complex injury claims, not just settle them. We have a New Orleans office, a legal team built around Louisiana’s diverse communities, and a trial record that includes Louisiana’s largest single-injury verdict: $117 million for one client. We bring that same commitment to every Jones Act case we accept.

We’ve secured over a billion dollars in verdicts and settlements across our personal injury practice, grounded in individual verdicts of $411 million, $171 million, $117 million, and $75 million. Those results reflect catastrophic-injury trial depth that transfers directly to the high-stakes, complex litigation offshore workers face. Past results don’t guarantee future outcomes, but they do reflect what we’re willing to fight for on your behalf.

If you were injured on a vessel in the Gulf of Mexico or on Louisiana waterways, call our New Orleans office today at (225) 209-9943 for a free consultation. We don’t get paid unless we recover compensation for you.

What the Jones Act Covers

The Jones Act, formally the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (46 U.S.C. §30104), gives qualifying seamen the right to sue their employer directly for negligence. Standard workers’ compensation bars that kind of lawsuit. Under the Jones Act, that bar doesn’t exist, and the full range of damages available in a civil negligence claim is on the table.

Whether you qualify as a seaman depends on the Chandris two-part test: a worker must spend roughly 30% or more of their working time on a vessel in navigation, and their duties must contribute to the vessel’s mission or function. Job titles don’t determine seaman status. The reality of how you work does. Covered workers include deckhands, captains, engineers, cooks, crane operators, and drillers whose primary work is vessel-based. Tugboats, barges, jack-up rigs, crew boats, supply vessels, dredges, and certain floating platforms all count as vessels under the law.

Workers on fixed offshore platforms, longshoremen, and harbor workers generally don’t qualify as Jones Act seamen. They’re typically covered instead by the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. Employers routinely dispute seaman status to avoid Jones Act liability, which is one reason it matters to have an attorney who knows how these disputes unfold.

Maintenance, Cure, & the Full Scope of Your Rights

Injured seamen have two parallel rights that exist regardless of fault. Maintenance covers daily living expenses during recovery. Cure covers all reasonable medical care. Both continue until you reach maximum medical improvement, the point at which your condition has stabilized as much as it’s expected to. These rights aren’t contingent on winning a negligence claim.

An employer who willfully refuses or unreasonably delays maintenance and cure payments can face punitive damages under general maritime law. The U.S. Supreme Court confirmed this in its 2009 ruling in Atlantic Sounding Co. v. Townsend. Beyond maintenance and cure, a successful Jones Act negligence claim can recover medical expenses, lost wages, diminished future earning capacity, pain and suffering, permanent disability, and loss of enjoyment of life. These categories are unavailable under standard workers’ compensation. The gap between a workers’ compensation outcome and a full Jones Act recovery can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Negligence & Unseaworthiness: Two Theories, One Case

The Jones Act uses one of the most favorable causation standards in American law. An injured seaman only needs to show that the employer’s negligence played any part, however slight, in causing the injury. This featherweight causation standard is far easier to meet than the standards that apply in most personal injury claims on land.

Employer negligence under the Jones Act can include failure to provide a safe workplace or adequate equipment, failure to train or hire competent crew, ignoring dangerous conditions, and the negligence of a fellow crew member. Separate from that claim, a vessel owner carries an absolute, non-delegable duty to provide a seaworthy vessel. 

An unseaworthiness claim doesn’t require proof of negligence at all. It requires only that an unsafe condition caused the injury. Defective equipment, inadequate crew, improperly stored lines or cables, defective decks, malfunctioning lifeboats, and dangerous work procedures can all support an unseaworthiness claim. In most cases, both theories should be evaluated and pursued simultaneously.

Common Offshore Injuries in Gulf Coast Jones Act Cases

Gulf Coast maritime workers sustain some of the most severe injuries in any industry. Crew boats and supply vessels departing the greater New Orleans area are among the most common sources of Jones Act claims filed in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Injuries occur on tugboats, barges, jack-up rigs, semi-submersibles, and dredges operating throughout the Gulf of Mexico and along the Mississippi River.

Injury types we handle include:

• Falls overboard and man-overboard incidents
• Slip and fall accidents on deck
• Crane and rigging accidents
• Struck-by incidents involving cargo or equipment
• Burns from steam, engine exhaust, or fires
• Electrical shocks and chemical exposure
• Explosion injuries

These incidents frequently cause traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, broken bones, amputations, and severe burns that end careers and require long-term care. When a seaman dies due to employer negligence or unseaworthy conditions, Jones Act wrongful death claims are available to surviving family members, covering lost financial support, loss of companionship, funeral expenses, and the worker’s projected future earnings.

Why Clayton, Frugé & Ward for Your Jones Act Claim

The employer’s insurance team begins protecting its position immediately after an offshore injury. The size and trial record of the firm representing the offshore worker can affect how that claim is evaluated and what the employer may be willing to pay. A firm that has demonstrated it can take cases to verdict creates a fundamentally different negotiating position.

Our trial record in catastrophic personal injury litigation, including verdicts of $411 million, $171 million, $117 million, and $75 million, reflects the depth we bring to complex, high-stakes cases. We accept cases other firms reject, applying the same analytical rigor and innovative strategy to Jones Act claims that has produced results across our personal injury practice. Our team reflects Louisiana’s diverse communities, with cultural connections and legal backgrounds that shape how we present and argue each case. When you work with us, you’re part of our family, not a file number.

Steps to Protect Your Jones Act Claim After an Offshore Injury

What you do in the days immediately following a maritime injury can affect your claim. The Jones Act statute of limitations is three years from the date of injury under 46 U.S.C. §30106, but waiting weakens your case. Vessel logs, maintenance records, safety inspection reports, and crew member statements can disappear through routine destruction or simply the passage of time.

Take these steps as soon as possible:

• Report the injury to your supervisor and make sure it’s documented in the vessel’s official log; follow up in writing.
• Choose your own doctor rather than relying solely on a company-recommended physician, and keep records of every visit, diagnosis, and prescription.
• Don’t give recorded statements to your employer, their claims adjuster, or their insurer before speaking with a Jones Act attorney in New Orleans.
• Don’t sign anything from the employer or their insurer without legal review, including status forms that could waive your seaman rights.
• Contact an attorney early so evidence can be preserved and the correct legal framework, Jones Act, unseaworthiness, or both, can be identified from the start.

Jones Act cases in New Orleans may be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana or in Louisiana state court. The choice involves strategic considerations that depend on the specific facts of your case.

Talk to a Jones Act Attorney in New Orleans Today

If you were hurt working on a vessel in the Gulf of Mexico or on Louisiana waterways, don’t navigate the legal process alone while your employer’s insurer builds its case. Our New Orleans office can evaluate available claims, explain your rights under the Jones Act, and fight for the compensation you may be entitled to pursue. We handle the legal battle so you can focus on getting better.

Your consultation is free, and we don’t collect a fee unless we recover compensation for you. Contact Clayton, Frugé & Ward today at (225) 209-9943 to speak with a Jones Act lawyer in New Orleans.