If you are an employee on board a stricken vessel, you are entitled to medical care when you have contracted an illness—but whether that medical care is sufficient will depend on the nature of your disease. Any ship will be equipped to tide a sick worker through a nasty bout of the flu, or a case of food poisoning, but diseases that are more serious require treatment on the mainland. In this case, all you can ask from your employer is to stabilize your condition (if possible) and deliver you to a mainland hospital as soon as possible.

If you contract a serious illness on board a ship, no matter what its source, your employer must pay for your medical bills—even if you incur them at a mainland hospital. That's where the Jones Act comes in; in the wake of an illness, you can file a claim against your employer, which will then have to pay for your “maintenance and cure” up until the time you're completely better (or, at least, until your condition can no longer be improved). Questions? Contact the Jones Act and offshore law experts at V&B Attorneys (877-724-7800) for a free consultation today!

• Start with lawyers who are "Board Certified."  The organizations that govern lawyers in each state (these are called "state bars") have procedures by which lawyers can become "board certified" in a specialty area.  In Texas, one available specialty area is Personal Injury Trial Law.  Less than 2% of all attorneys in Texas hold this certification.  In order to become Board Certified in Personal Injury law in Texas, many rigorous requirements must be met.  Most states have board certification requirements that are similar to those in Texas.  If you restrict yourself to interviewing Board Certified lawyers, you will be speaking to "the best of the best."  Indeed, Board Certification is the only professional recognition expressly recommended by the State Bar of Texas.
• Narrow your search to Board Certified attorneys who have a lot of experience handling Jones Act cases.  Once you have narrowed your search to lawyers who are Board Certified in Personal Injury Law, further narrow your search to those who regularly handle Jones Act lawsuits.  I cannot stress this enough to you:  most lawyers have never, and will never, handle a Jones Act case.  Do you want to hire a lawyer who has never handled your type of case?  Do you want your lawyer to have to "reinvent the wheel" during your entire case because he or she doesn't handle Jones Act cases?  You will be much better served by placing your future in the handles of an attorney who specializes in Jones Act claims.
• Further narrow your search to lawyers who have a documented history of success in handling injury cases.  Lawyers you interview should be able to provide you with a list of their documented successful case results.  Without a prior documented history of doing a good job on Jones Act cases, what kind of confidence would you have in your attorney?  Prior case results are very important, and you should insist any lawyer provide this to you.  If they cannot meet your request, you should look elsewhere.
• Get references from the lawyer's prior clients.  Want to know what it's like to be a client of any particular lawyer?  Ask that lawyer's past clients!  Ask the lawyer for a list of written references.  If the lawyer cannot provide this to you, then keep looking.
• Make sure the lawyer will actually handle your case and not refer it out.  Some lawyers will take your Jones Act case, and then refer it out to some other lawyer who will handle your case.  Ask attorneys up front if they intend to do this.  You are entitled to know whether the attorney you hire will be handling your Jones Act claim.  At our law firm, we don't refer out our Jones Act cases - we handle them all ourselves.

​In your search for a lawyer, focus your inquiry on the above topics.  If you do, odds are you will find the best lawyer for your Jones Act claim.

As you can probably guess, maximum medical improvement looks a lot different when you're the injured party than when you're the company paying the bills. It's in an employer's interest to declare maximum medical improvement as soon as possible, with the goal of either getting the employee back to work or (more likely) shifting the burden of his continuing care onto the state or a third-party insurance company. The injured worker, meanwhile, may dispute that he has attained maximum medical improvement—his back still hurts when he picks up heavy objects, he still feels dizzy when he exerts himself, etc.—and would prefer his employer to keep funding his medical recovery.

What do you do when there is a deadlock between you and your employer about whether or not you have attained maximum medical improvement? Well, your best strategy is to hire an experienced Jones Act attorney, who will aggressively represent your interests and make sure that your employer provides the full extent of the compensation you deserve under the law. Contact the Jones Act and offshore law experts at V&B Attorneys (877-724-7800) for a free consultation today!

These adjusters are trained on how to make you do things that will hurt your offshore injury claim.  Now, they certainly don't tell you up front that this is what they are paid to do.  No, they tell you they are trying to "help" you and such.  But this is not true.  They are paid to ensure that your company pays you nothing, or as little as possible.

One common way these maritime adjusters will try to hurt your Jones Act claim is by asking you to sign various "authorization forms."  The forms are long and convoluted, full of legalese and confusing language.  If you sign these forms, you are giving your company the right to explore your personal background, with no limits whatsoever.  This includes your personal medical history, employment history, family background  . . . the list goes on and on.

Why do they want this information?  So they can use it against you when you pursue your Jones Act claim.  That's the only reason they want it.

If your maritime injury claim ends up in an actual lawsuit, there are rules of evidence that govern what kind of information your company is allowed to dig up on you.  The rules of evidence generally will not allow your company to pry in to your personal background to the extent they want to do by having you sign their authorization forms.

So, if your company or the maritime claims adjuster asks you to sign these forms, tell them you are not required to do so, and you will not do it.  Indeed, there is no offshore law that requires you to sign these forms in order for you to collect the benefits you are entitled to under the Jones Act and maritime law.

If the company tries to deny your claim if you refuse to sign their forms, then it would be a good idea for you to contact a Board Certified attorney who handles offshore injury and Jones Act claims.

If the Jones Act applies to your claim, then your employer must pay all of your medical bills related to your injury.  Under the Jones Act, this is called "cure."

So, if you receive medical bills, send them to your employer.  Your employer should pay them.

If your employer refuses to pay your medical bills related to your injury, it may be time to consult with a Board Certified attorney who handles Jones Act lawsuits.

We are often called on to help injured seamen enforce their employer's obligations under the "cure" provisions of the Jones Act.  Often, once the company sees that a our law firm is involved, they pay the medical bills to fullfill their "cure" obligations.

If you don't make sure a written accident report is prepared after your injury, the company will likely claim your accident never happened.  They will say you are making it up.  Then, when you try to recover your "maintenance & cure" benefits or assert a Jones Act claim, your company will deny your claim and pay you nothing.  Your company may even refuse to pay for any medical treatment for your injuries.

Another reason to ensure a proper accident report is prepared is so you can document how your accident happened, and document any safety issues that contributed to the accident or your injuries.  As time passes, memories fade.  If you document safety issues soon after your accident happens, then these important matters will not be forgotten.  If you end up filing a Jones Act lawsuit, a thorough accident report will go a long way towards helping your case.

Also, almost every maritime employer has a rule that says you must complete an accident report for every injury, no matter how minor the injury may be.  Now, in actual practice, supervisors often persuade injured workers not to file an accident report because it's time-consuming, a hassle, or will cost all the crew money out of their safety bonuses.  However, if you agree not to prepare an incident report, and then you make a Jones Act claim, the company will turn around and say you failed to follow their safety rules which required you to complete an accident report.

The bottom line is this:  if you are injured on the job, no matter how minor or major the incident or injuries are, always make sure an accident report is prepared.  If your  boss gives you a hard time and won't give you the forms to do this, simply write out what happened on a sheet of paper, write down any safety problems that caused you to get hurt, and give it to your boss and to the company.  Make sure you keep a copy for yourself.  If you end up making a legal claim, making your own accident report will protect you against the predictable attacks from your company following your injury.

This is all nonsense. Just maybe, 100 years ago, a merchant marine would have no choice but to laugh off a serious accident and chalk it up to the inherent dangers of working at sea. Today, though, there are laws in place to protect the rights of offshore workers—most notably, the Jones Act, which allows an injured sailor to file a claim against his employer after a serious injury (no matter whose fault the accident was). The only reason your employer is telling you to “get over” your injury is because it doesn't want to shell out any money for your medical bills and time off from work, not because “real sailors” don't make a big deal out of serious head wounds.

At V&B Attorneys, we know that many offshore jobs are indeed more dangerous than comparable mainland jobs—but that doesn't mean you should expect to be injured, or not expect to receive any compensation if you wind up in a mainland hospital. Questions? Contact our Jones Act and offshore law experts at 877-724-7800 for a free consultation today!

• You may have a harder time getting what you deserve than you think, and your employer may try to minimize your claim. 
• Your employer may try to trick you into giving up your rights, giving a recorded statement, seeing only company-approved medical professionals, or doing something that might jeopardize your claim. 
• You may be tempted to accept a settlement that is too low, a settlement that won’t cover your long-term needs, or the first settlement that is offered. 
• The laws and guidelines that cover your specific injuries may be difficult to understand and interpret without legal guidance. 
• Your attorney can aggressively protect your rights, pursue all possible avenues for compensation, and often secure a larger settlement than you can on your own. 

If you were injured in an offshore accident, an experienced Jones Act attorney can help you protect your rights and answer your questions—even if you don’t ultimately decide to hire an attorney to handle your claim. Reach out to us today for a completely free and confidential consultation at 877.724.7800, and we’d be happy to address your concerns and provide further guidance. 

You Can Help Your Husband

The law does not allow you to file a lawsuit or pursue a claim on behalf of your husband, even if he is in a coma, unless you have the legal authority to do so. Marriage in and of itself does not give you that legal authority. Instead, you must present a durable power of attorney that you and your husband executed prior to his injury, or you must petition the court for guardianship of your husband.

An Experienced Houston Jones Act Attorney Can Help You Help Your Husband

You don’t have to carry this burden alone. You don’t have to fight with your husband’s employer or the insurance company to get what your husband deserves. Instead, we encourage you to contact an experienced Houston offshore injury attorney who can advise you of your family’s rights and zealously advocate for your husband’s full and fair recovery.

For more information, please contact us today at 877.724.7800, and please read a FREE copy of our report, Insider’s Guide to Winning Your Maritime Injury Case.

In fact, “maintenance” and “cure” don't really have equal standing in your Jones Act suit. What you'll really be after, in most cases, is “cure”—compensation for all the medical expenses in the wake of your accident (including, in most cases, those you incur yourself by seeking treatment on the mainland). “Maintenance” is usually less of an issue; this refers to compensation for your time off work, and you can only hope to get paid for any expenses you incur out-of-pocket (so if you're recuperating at home, and not a treatment facility, there's not much you can really claim in the way of “maintenance”).

Basically, if you are pursuing a Jones Act case, you should let your lawyer worry about the finer points of “maintenance” and “cure” and how they pertain to your actual medical bills and the financial losses you incurred as a result of your injury. What you want to do is get back on your feet as soon as possible, with a minimum of expense, rather than worry about archaic terms that were coined in the 19^th century. Questions? Contact the Jones Act and offshore law experts at V&B Attorneys (877-724-7800) for a free consultation today!

• You recuperated from your injuries at a relative's house, and were not asked to pay rent
• Your medical bills were already covered under your existing insurance
• You declined any medical treatment from your employer and laid out your own cash for a mainland physician
• You can't produce receipts (or other records) proving that you had to support yourself while you were out of work
• Your treatment, by a third-party physician, was not within accepted medical guidelines

In short, in order to collect maintenance and cure, you must prove that you suffered financially as a result of your injury—which, for most Jones Act plaintiffs, will be easy enough for an experienced attorney to establish. Questions? Contact the Jones Act and offshore law experts at V&B Attorneys (877-724-7800) for a free consultation today!

You would be making a big mistake, though, if you called on your family attorney to represent you after you were injured while working in an offshore capacity (on a cruise ship, at a dockyard, on an oil platform, etc.). The fact is that offshore torts demand an attorney who is deeply experienced in offshore law, and particularly the Jones Act, the century-old legislation that allows injured seamen to recoup damages from their employers if they have been injured at work. Even if he's unfamiliar with the Jones Act, your family attorney may agree to represent you, on the faulty premise that all he'll need to do is spend an evening “reading up” on the necessary legislation in order to press your claim. Inevitably, you will wind up wasting time (and money) on a completely ineffective legal strategy, when an experienced Jones Act attorney would have immediately known what to do!

If you have been injured in any sort of offshore capacity, give your family attorney a break and hire an experienced Jones Act and offshore law attorney from V&B Attorneys. Give us a call today at 877-724-7800 to find out what we can do for you!

Matters will be different, though, if you develop a reputation for suing your employer at the drop of a hat. If you have sued various companies three, four, or more times—successfully or not—that's unusual enough that word may indeed get out and any prospective employers will be aware of your past history. Since it's statistically unlikely that you happened to be injured, through no fault of your own, multiple times with multiple employers, any company would be well within its rights to decline your application, and to spread the word that you have a history of baseless litigation. You won't have much luck fighting this kind of “blacklist” in court, since any reasonable judge or jury would see that you're out for a quick buck by taking advantage of the system. (And if you have been injured, multiple times, in accidents that were not your fault, perhaps it's time to consider changing to a less hazardous line of work!)

At V&B Attorneys, we're not interested in representing you if you have lost multiple Jones Act lawsuits—but we are interested if you have been genuinely injured at sea because of the negligence or recklessness of your employer. Questions? Contact our Jones Act and maritime law attorneys at 877-724-7800 for a free consultation today!

After the recent events on the Alabama Mobile River, where there were six explosions on a fuel barge, some may wonder who is liable for the injuries the workers sustained during the explosions under the Jones Act. The Jones Act is unique in that negligence must be proven in order for someone to be held liable for the injuries. If you are injured while working on the sea or river, you may be forced to prove the negligence of another party.

The following are three parties who may be responsible for your injuries if you are injured in an explosion as an offshore worker.

• Negligent employer or fellow crewmember – If the accident that left you injured was caused by the negligence of your boss or co-workers, the Jones Act will hold your employer responsible for paying for your injuries.
• The owner of the barge – If the vessel where you are working was defective for any reason or was not properly maintained causing an accident to happen, the owner of the barge may be held responsible.
• Independent contractors aboard a barge – Sometimes, you may need to invite an independent contractor aboard a barge to help with a specific job. If the independent contractor acts negligently, they may also be held responsible for your injuries.

Filling a claim under the Jones Act is not easy. If not done correctly, you could be forced to pay for the mistakes of someone else. Contact our Houston Jones Act attorneys for help with your claim from start to finish. We will work with you to ensure you get the best outcome possible in your claim.

Since explosion injuries can be so severe, it seems like common sense to seek immediate medical attention at the closest emergency room. But for those people who were not near the epicenter of the blast and who may not think that they suffered severe enough injuries to justify a trip to the emergency room, it is also imperative to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Smoke inhalation, injuries to the ears, and any residual problems from being thrown from the force of blast can all have detrimental effects on the body if not handled right away.

In addition to seeking immediate medical attention, it is also very important to follow all orders from your doctor. It can be easy to skip physical therapy appointments or not follow up with your primary care physician if you are feeling “OK” or if the stress of dealing with the emotional aftermath of the explosion seems to be too much to handle, especially when there are others whose injuries may be worse than your own. 

Don't jeopardize your right to compensation after a serious accident. The Jones Act attorneys at Vujasinovic & Beckcom urge anyone injured in any type of offshore accident, including fuel barge explosions, to get help both medically and legally. This means contacting attorneys who are experienced in handling claims involving injuries occurring on the water.

Vujasinovic & Beckcom have dedicated their practice to helping offshore accident victims, and they can provide you with a comprehensive consultation, free of charge. Simply call 877-724-7800, or fill out our online form to the right, and an attorney will get back to you within 24 hours. Call or click today, and you can also receive a free copy of their report, Insider's Guide to Winning Your Maritime Injury Case. 

Take, for example, the fuel barge explosion on the Mobile River. The victims of that tragic accident will most likely be entitled to compensation for their injuries, which can be obtained by filing a Jones Act claim. 

But faced with a similar situation, how would you know which injuries you can be compensated for? Is there a specific list that must be adhered to? 

While every situation is different, many times, any injury that is a result of the offshore accident is eligible for compensation. In the instance of a fuel explosion, an injured victim can typically fight for compensation for the following:

• Burns or other heat-related wounds 
• Fractures caused by being thrown by the force of the explosion 
• Injuries to the ears as a result of sheer volume of the explosion
• Injuries related to smoke inhalation
• Problems caused by concussions or other serious head traumas
• Emotional struggles resulting from the stress of the accident, including post-traumatic stress syndrome

Injuries not mentioned on this list are not automatically ruled out. The best way to determine exactly what can be compensated is to ask an attorney who is practiced in handling Jones Act cases. That is where V&B Attorneys come in. Not only do they help those injured in offshore accidents, but they dedicate much time and effort to educating the community on rights under the Jones Act.

For information on how you can have the Jones Act attorneys at Vujasinovic & Beckcom handle your case, call 888.473.1258 or fill out the contact form on the website. Not only will an attorney get back to you within 24 hours, but you will also receive a free copy of their special report, The Insider's Guide to Winning Your Maritime Injury Case. 

So why would it matter if the treating physician is employed by the company you work for or by someone else, as long as he or she is competent and can get you the care you need? In reality, their employer may have a negative impact on the treatment you receive. 

If you see a company doctor to diagnose and treat injuries related to your offshore accident, there is a good chance that the doctor could overlook certain aspects of your care in order to downplay the situation and protect your employer, including:

• Failing to run the full gamut of tests to ensure all injuries are completely ruled out
• Making a quick and often inaccurate diagnosis without the above-mentioned tests. 
• Releasing you back to work too early
• Not properly documenting your injuries 

When it comes time to filing a Jones Act claim and obtaining compensation for your offshore accident injuries, your attorney will need to rely on a physician's diagnosis and test results to prove the extent of your injuries. If the treating doctor does not have your best interest at heart, the diagnosis could be skewed, and your claim could be jeopardized. 

Don't run the risk of ruining your claim before it even starts. If you are injured in an offshore accident like the recent Mobile River fuel barge explosion, seek medical treatment from a doctor of your choice, not one assigned to you by the company at fault for the accident. 

Are you afraid that you will be forced into seeing the company doctor? Call V&B Attorneys at 877-724-7800 or fill out their online form and schedule an appointment to discuss your situation—for free—and to learn your legal rights. Make sure to also request your free copy of their special report, Insider's Guide to Winning Your Maritime Injury Case. 

Many people know that when they are injured by another person or entity, their only recourse might be to file a lawsuit. But, a lot of people don't have a great understanding as to what a lawsuit is, and what the process means.

What is a personal injury lawsuit?

A personal injury lawsuit is brought by an injured person with the goal of making them as close to whole as they were before the injury. In a monetized society, this means paying for obvious costs like medical bills and lost wages, but also includes assigning dollar values for a person's pain, suffering physical impairment, disfigurement and loss of enjoyment of life.

To begin a lawsuit, papers are filed with the clerk of the court. One of the great benefits of hiring an attorney is that the lawyers know which court will be the best venue for your case.

After your papers are filed, both sides - you and the defendant - learn about the facts of the case. This is called discovery. Discovery lasts for a certain period, and then the court will set the case for trial. Unfortunately, due to a shortage of judges across the country, there are extremely long waits to get in front of a judge. You will often have to wait a year before your case goes to trial.

The majority of personal injury cases settle before trial.

One main reason why they settle before trial is that both sides spend the entire duration of the lawsuit working toward a settlement. The entire time your case is being worked, your legal team will be evaluating the settlement value of your case. Both parties will negotiate the best settlement they can before trial, and it is up to you whether to accept the settlement or to try your case in front of a jury.

If you have questions about a personal injury lawsuit, or if you want to discuss your legal options with our board certified attorneys, contact V&B Attorneys now. Call us at 888.473.1258 or fill out one of our contact forms on the website.

These circumstances can make life very difficult for an oil-rig worker who has been injured in any type of accident. Since it's in the interest of the rig's owner and operator to preserve its bottom line, the powers-that-be will usually attempt to minimize the worker's injuries, with a view toward reducing any potential payout under the Jones Act (which extends the protections of mainland employees to maritime workers and dockhands). In the worst case, the injured worker may find himself accused of malingering or making up his symptoms, or the employer will claim that the accident was caused by the individual's own negligence, and not hazardous conditions or a malfunctioning piece of machinery.

What can you do if you have been injured on an oil rig? Well, you have no choice but to hold your own until you have been evacuated to the mainland, but at that point, there's nothing preventing you from hiring a Jones Act and maritime law attorney who can see to your interests. Intrigued? Contact V&B Attorneys today at 877-724-7800 for a free consultation!

Video Courtesy of USA Today