7 Questions to Ask Your Maritime Injury Lawyer in Baton Rouge, LA

Maritime injuries happen all too frequently in Baton Rouge, whether it’s longshoremen and river workers at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge or rig workers in the oil fields of the Gulf. Accidents can lead to severe injuries and even death.

If you are considering hiring an attorney after an offshore injury, here are seven questions to ask your maritime injury lawyer and how to know if your lawyer is a good fit for you.

What Is Your Experience in Maritime Law?

Offshore injuries are often covered under maritime laws such as the Jones Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act and involve elements other than those of other kinds of personal injuries.

Your lawyer needs to have a deep understanding of maritime law, offshore work, and the unique and often hazardous circumstances that can occur in these workplaces.

How Many Cases Like Mine Have You Worked On?

Each case is unique, and every injured person deserves to have their case handled with the utmost care and respect. But when your lawyer has worked on cases with similar issues, whether that’s the type of injury or where the injury occurred, their experience can be a great benefit in your situation. Don’t be afraid to ask for specifics about the outcomes of their cases, whether they’ve gone to trial, and what the settlements were.

What Outcomes Are Possible in My Case?

An attorney can’t guarantee a specific result in your case, but a skilled maritime injury lawyer can tell you the possible outcomes and give you an idea of what to expect. It’s important to have an attorney who helps you prepare for your case and understand the risks of personal injury claims. A good lawyer can be honest about the chances of a favorable outcome, as well as explain the elements of your case that will help and hinder those chances.

What Is Your Strategy to Win My Maritime Injury Case?

The legal strategy in your maritime injury case will be as unique as your case is, but a knowledgeable attorney can apply various techniques and take action that increases your chances of a successful result. Building your case may include investigating the accident, collecting evidence, conducting witness interviews, working with other professionals, and making decisions about how much to negotiate before going to trial.

How Much Compensation Can I Expect?

Offshore accidents are different from other personal injury cases because the extent of the employer’s negligence can affect the amount of compensation that can be recovered. Compensation can include economic damages like medical expenses and lost wages, non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, and punitive damages in cases where extreme or intentional negligence caused your injuries.

How Will You Update Me?

Choosing the right maritime injury lawyer in Baton Rouge for you may not just be about skills and knowledge. It can also include their professionalism and responsiveness. Knowing how often they will update you, how you can expect them to contact you, and how to get your questions answered can help you face your legal claim with more confidence and composure. Some lawyers prefer phone calls, emails, text messages, or online client portals.

How Do You Charge?

Most maritime injury lawyers charge on a contingency basis, which means that you don’t pay anything upfront, and they only get paid if you win your case. It’s important to make sure you understand their fee structure, what percentage of the settlement they take as their fee, what factors can influence that, and what other expenses there might be such as filing fees, court costs, and hiring professional witnesses.

FAQs

What Should You Do After a Maritime Injury?

After a maritime injury, you should take care of your safety and your health above everything else. Seek medical treatment and report the accident. Request a copy of the accident report and keep all documentation, bills, and other paperwork related to your case in one place. Make sure you consult with an offshore injury lawyer before you sign any settlements, forms, or waivers from your employer or insurance company.

How Do You Maximize Your Personal Injury Claim?

You can maximize your personal injury claim in many ways, such as keeping good records, being aware of your rights and the laws, being careful when speaking to insurance companies, and not being too eager to get your settlement. The most crucial step can be consulting an experienced personal injury attorney because they often know important considerations of a claim that you may not, like calculating the future impact of your injuries.

What Does a Maritime Injury Lawyer Do?

A maritime injury lawyer represents people who have been injured in offshore accidents, often at their jobs, and helps them recover financial support to compensate them for the injuries they suffered as a result of the accident. They can review the facts of the case, develop a strong legal strategy, negotiate with insurance companies, and represent their client in court if the case goes to trial.

How Hard Is It to Win a Personal Injury Case?

Each personal injury case is different, and how hard a case is to win depends on several factors, including the quality of the evidence available, how serious the injuries are, how clear the liability is, and how open the parties are to negotiation. Your maritime injury lawyer can explain the elements of your case and help you determine how certain factors may affect your chances of a favorable result.

Why Legal Help Is Important

In many cases, injured people find they need an attorney to help them navigate the process of getting proper compensation after a maritime accident, but finding the right lawyer for you can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re dealing with the pain and stress of a serious injury. Knowing what questions to ask a lawyer can help you understand the process and be better prepared when you have your initial consultation.

At the Knightshead Law Firm, we take a client-focused approach to each case and make the time to give each client the time and attention they deserve so we can fully understand their circumstances and needs. Our goal is a positive outcome for each client, and we can fight to protect your rights and hold negligent parties accountable. If you’ve suffered a maritime injury in the Baton Rouge area, contact our office today to discuss your case.