You’ve reported your offshore injury and returned home. Now what comes next? The decisions you make after leaving the vessel can directly affect your health, your benefits, and the strength of your Jones Act claim. From seeking prompt medical treatment to keeping track of all insurance communications, your actions and choices matter.
With guidance from the maritime injury lawyers at Mike Brandner Law, seamen that have suffered a Louisiana offshore injury can better understand how to protect their rights to just compensation.
Related post: What to Do after an Offshore Injury (Part 1)
Steps Injured Seamen Should Take after a Louisiana Offshore Injury
Once medical treatment begins, your employer and their insurance company often start building a defense. They may try to show that your injury wasn’t work-related and minimize its severity. Knowing what to do and what to avoid can help you stay one step ahead.
The following steps provide injured seamen with actionable steps that can help protect their medical care, preserve key evidence, and avoid mistakes that can weaken a Jones Act claim. Taking these actions early can make a meaningful difference in the outcome of your case.
1. Choose Your Own Doctor
You are not required to rely solely on a company-selected physician. Seek treatment from an independent doctor you trust. Company doctors may minimize injuries or rush return-to-work decisions to protect the employer’s interests.
2. Gather and Prepare Documents
Make sure that you get copies of any medical records, drug prescriptions, and travel expenses related to your Louisiana offshore injury. You should also maintain a written log of symptoms, missed work, and pain levels. Detailed documentation creates a timeline that builds a strong claim and limits disputes.
3. Avoid Recorded Statements
Insurance adjusters may contact you under the guise of “checking in.” Their goal is to collect statements that can later be used against you. You are not required to provide a recorded statement. It is in your best interest to decline to make a statement and refer them to an experienced maritime law attorney.
4. Track Maintenance and Cure Payments
Under maritime law, you are entitled to maintenance for living expenses and cure for medical treatment until you reach maximum medical improvement. If payments are delayed, reduced, or stopped early, your employer may be held legally responsible.
5. Preserve Evidence of Unseaworthiness
Many offshore injuries stem from unsafe conditions such as defective equipment, unstable work surfaces, or poor training practices. An experienced maritime lawyer can obtain vessel logs, safety records, and inspection reports to establish negligence or unseaworthiness.
Related post: How Maritime Law Protects Injured Seamen
Contact a Jones Act Claims Lawyer Near You Today
If you are dealing with a Louisiana offshore injury and have questions about your medical care, maintenance and cure benefits, or a potential Jones Act claim, contact a top maritime injury lawyer at Mike Brandner Law. We have experience protecting injured seamen from insurance tactics and employer pressure.
Schedule your free consultation to learn more about your legal options. Call (985) 345-1111 or (504) 345-1111, connect through LiveChat, or fill out a secure online form now. Our legal team is dedicated to helping injured Louisiana seamen get the compensation they deserve.