Maritime Lawyer

Los Angeles Maritime Lawyer

Working in the maritime environment presents many risks. The maritime industry is arguably amongst the most dangerous industries in the country. Maritime workers are faced with a wide range of hazards that workers in other industries aren’t exposed to. Employers are required by law to ensure a reasonably safe work environment for their maritime employees.

Unfortunately, boating accidents still do happen. When they do, they can result in serious injuries. However, with the help of an experienced and knowledgeable Los Angeles maritime lawyer, injured maritime workers can recover the compensation that is rightly theirs.

The Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (officially the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act) is a federal law that provides compensation and medical benefits to employees injured while working on the navigable waters of the United States, including docks, piers, and other maritime facilities. This act ensures that workers such as longshoremen, harbor construction workers, and ship repairers receive necessary medical care and wage loss benefits if they suffer work-related injuries or illnesses.

The law also offers compensation to dependents in maritime injury cases of work-related deaths. If you’ve been injured while working in a maritime environment, legal assistance is crucial to navigating the complexities of the Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act and ensuring you receive the benefits you deserve.

Attorney Preston Easley has been representing injured maritime workers for decades. He has over 30 years of experience working in the maritime industry. He understands the ins and outs of maritime law. He has the skills and knowledge to deal with any complications that may present themselves in the process of recovering compensation.

Contact the Law Offices of Preston Easley to schedule a consultation with a maritime accident attorney in Los Angeles, CA. Discuss your case with Attorney Preston Easley and gain a deeper insight for free. We offer high-quality legal representation for maritime workers and maritime laws on a contingency fee basis. That means that we don’t get paid unless you do.

Common Types and Causes of Maritime Accidents

Common maritime accidents include:

  • Crane accidents
  • Drowning accidents
  • Electrocution
  • Exposure to toxic chemicals
  • Slip and fall accidents
  • Fires
  • Explosions
  • Accidents involving defective equipment
  • Unseaworthy vessels
  • Asbestos exposure and many more

Maritime accidents can occur for any number of reasons. Some of the most common causes of accidents in the maritime work environment include:

  • Human errors including mistakes made by coworkers
  • Poor maintenance of tools and equipment
  • Hazardous conditions on the vessel such as poor lighting, uneven floors
  • Lack of adequate training
  • Lack of proper storage of hazardous materials
  • Use of defective products

Injuries resulting from maritime accidents vary in severity. These injuries may include:

  • Burns
  • Smoke inhalation
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Head injuries
  • Spinal cord damage
  • Back injuries
  • Neck injuries
  • Broken or fractured bones
  • Chronic diseases from long-term exposure to toxic chemicals
  • Repetitive stress injuries and many more

At the Law Offices of Preston Easley, we’ve witnessed the far-reaching impact that accidents can have on accident victims. We’re committed to defending the rights of injured maritime workers. We have the skills, knowledge, and resources to fight to recover full compensation on your behalf.

Contact our law firm to schedule a free consultation with an experienced and skilled Los Angeles maritime lawyer from our law firm. Attorney Preston Easley will review your case and explain your rights and options to you.

About Maritime Worker Injuries in Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles is a city located in Los Angeles County in California. The city is the largest in California. It is also the second-largest city in the US. This city is home to the Port of Los Angeles, which processes about 20 percent of the cargo entering the US annually. Thousands of workers keep this port running throughout the year. Hundreds of thousands of passengers are processed at this port annually.

If you are a maritime worker and were injured while working on a sea vessel, contact the Law Offices of Preston Easley for representation by an experienced and knowledgeable Los Angeles maritime lawyer.

Reach Out to the Law Offices of Preston Easley to Consult with an Experienced Los Angeles Maritime Lawyer

Being injured at work as a maritime worker can be especially stressful and even overwhelming. However, you are entitled to seek compensation for your injuries. Attorney Preston Easley, an experienced maritime accident attorney in Los Angeles, CA, will provide you with high-quality legal representation on a contingency fee basis. That means that you won’t have to pay until our law firm recovers compensation on your behalf.

Contact The Law Offices of Preston Easley to schedule a free, confidential, and no-obligation consultation with an experienced and skilled Los Angeles maritime lawyer and get started on recovering the compensation that is rightly yours.

Frequently Asked Questions about Maritime Accidents

Is there a time limit for filing for compensation under the Jones Act for injuries I suffered while working at sea?

The Jones Act enables people who work at sea to recover compensation for injuries they have suffered while working at sea. This federal law allows workers three years to file a claim to recover compensation. This statute of limitations begins on the date of the boating accident. Failure to file within this period could result in you missing out on the opportunity to recover compensation for your injuries and other damages.

There are exceptions to this statute of limitations. For example, if you were working on a vessel owned by the government, you will only have two years within which to make your maritime injury claim. It is therefore important to consult an experienced Los Angeles maritime attorney as soon as possible after your accident. We at the Law Offices of Preston Easley will get started working on your case as soon as possible and ensure you don’t miss out on any deadlines.

Am I covered by the Jones Act?

The Jones Act is a federal law that covers any seamen working aboard a vessel that was in navigation at the time of their injury. The law defines a vessel as being ‘in navigation’ if it is:

1. moving 2. a float 3. in operation on navigable waters

Seamen under the law include the captain or any crew member aboard the vessel. The vessel may or may not be moving while in navigable waters.

If you’re not sure whether you are eligible to seek compensation under the Jones Act, contact the Law Offices of Preston Easley to consult with an experienced and knowledgeable maritime accident attorney in Los Angeles, CA. Attorney Preston Easley has over 30 years of experience representing injured seamen. He will review your case for free and determine the best approach for your case.

Cases We Handle

maritime-worker

Longshoremen & Shipyard Workers

Longshoring and shipyard work are very dangerous occupations. Workers in these fields, along with marine construction workers, are covered by the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, a very generous no-fault workers’ compensation system. It covers medical expenses, temporary disability, permanent disability and vocational rehabilitation.

Jones Act Seamen

Jones Act Seamen

A seaman is a member of the crew of a vessel or group of vessels under common ownership or control. The vessel can be anything from a raft to a cargo ship. We represent seamen who work aboard recreational vessels, tugboats, dredges, barges, skiffs, workboats and cargo ships. We also represent seamen who are marine construction workers

Diving

Diving

We represent people who have been injured in SCUBA diving accidents and Commercial diving accidents. We also handle diving boat accidents. Diving can be very dangerous. We successfully represented a commercial diver who was seriously injured while cleaning the propeller of a U.S. Navy ship at Pearl Harbor

Construction & Industrial Accidents

Construction & Industrial Accidents

Construction and industrial sites can be very dangerous. Although you generally cannot sue your own employer for a construction site or industrial accident (generally workers’ compensation is your exclusive remedy against your employer) there are many circumstances in which you can file a third party lawsuit against an entity other than your employer for an unsafe condition at a work site which causes you to be injured

Crane & Forklift Accidents

Crane & Forklift Accidents

The Easley firm has extensive experience with crane and forklift accidents and workplace accidents involving dangerous equipment and machinery. These accidents can be caused by operator error and they can be caused by the unsafe and defective condition of the equipment

Motor Vehicle & Truck Accidents

Motor Vehicle & Truck Accidents

Motor vehicle accidents can result in serious injury and death. These kinds of accidents can involve automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians and unsafe road design and unsafe road conditions

Passenger Vessel Accidents

Passenger Vessel Accidents

Passenger accidents are common on recreational vessels, catamarans, tour boats and cruise ships.  They are frequently caused by rough sea conditions and unsafe conditions aboard the vessels.  The Easley firm has extensive experience in the field of maritime law.  We have made new law in the field of maritime law with numerous precedent setting decisions in the State Appellate Courts, the Ninth Circuit Federal Court

Defense Base Act

The Defense Base Act is an extension of the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act which covers civilian employees of U.S. defense contractors injured overseas, including war zones. The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensations Act as extended by the Defense Base Act is a very generous no fault workers’ compensation system

Areas Where We Practice

Preston Easley is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. He served five years of active duty as a Naval officer — three years as a deck officer on a fast frigate and two years as a patrol boat skipper. Mr. Easley also served aboard a tank landing ship in the reserves.

  • LOS ANGELES
  • LONG BEACH
  • SAN PEDRO
  • WILMINGTON
  • SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
  • SAN DIEGO
  • CHULA VISTA
  • NATIONAL CITY
  • IMPERIAL BEACH
  • RIVERSIDE COUNTY
  • VENTURA
  • OXNARD
  • SANTA BARBARA
  • PORT HUENEME
  • ORANGE COUNTY
  • OAKLAND
  • SAN FRANCISCO
  • STOCKTON
  • SACRAMENTO
  • NEWPORT BEACH
  • MORRO BAY
  • CARPINTERIA
  • RICHMOND
  • SAN RAFAEL
  • SAN LUIS OBISPO
  • MONTEREY
  • VALLEJO
  • MARE ISLAND
  • LAKE HAVASU
  • DANA POINT
  •  
  • HONOLULU
  • BARBERS POINT
  • NAWILIWILI
  • PEARL HARBOR
  • MAUI
  • HILO
  • KONA
  • LAHAINA
  • SAND ISLAND
  • KAUAI
  • KAHULUI
  • KAWAIHAE
  • KIKIAOLA
  • KAILUA
  • OAHU
  • LIHUE
  • PORT ALLEN
  • NA PALI COAST
  • KANEOHE
  • BIG ISLAND

Let Us Get You The Compensation You Deserve

Preston Easley is an experienced lawyer with considerable expertise in handling federal and state personal injury cases. He will aggressively seek the maximum amount of compensation you are entitled to receive. Attorney Easley represents victims of serious and fatal accidents involving cars, trucks, construction projects and maritime work.

Construction Workers We Help
  • Crane and Forklift Operators
  • Pile Drivers
  • Scaffold Workers
  • Iron Workers
  • Carpenters
  • Electricians
  • Operating Engineers
  • Electricians
Maritime Workers We Help
  • National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) Shipyard Workers
  • Manson Construction Company Workers
  • Manson Dredging Workers
  • Dutra Dredging Workers
  • Commercial Divers
  • Scuba Divers
  • Commercial Fisherman
  • Government Maritime Claims Against the Navy, Army Corps of Engineers, or the US Coast Guard, etc.
  • Marine Construction Workers
  • Offshore Oil and Gas Workers
  • Seamen
  • Shipyard Workers
  • YYK Enterprises, Inc.
  • Pacific Tugboat Service
  • Long Beach Container Terminal
  • Tugboat, Dredge, Longshoremen, and Ferry Workers
  • Barge Crews and Barge Workers
  • Marisco Limited
  • HL Welding
  • SSA Marine
  • Catalina Express
  • R.E. State Engineering
  • Shimmick Construction
  • Nova Group
  • American Scaffolding
  • Safway Scaffolding
  • Kirby Tugs
  • Crowley Tugboats
  • P&R Water Taxi
  • Continental Maritime
  • Pacific Ship Repair
  • Seaward Marine
  • Healy Tibbitts
  • General Construction
  • BAE Shipyards
  • South Coast Welding
  • Matson
  • Pasha
  • Hawaii Stevedores, Inc.
  • McCabe, Hamilton & Renny
  • Young Brothers
  • Sause Bros.
  • Foss Maritime
  • Fenix Marine Services
  • ITS
  • Total Terminals
  • TraPac
  • PCMC
  • Maersk
  • Yang Ming
  • China Overseas Shipping
  • Evergreen
Boating Accidents
  • Catamaran Accidents
  • Charter and Tour Boats
  • Cruise Ship Accidents
  • Passenger Accidents
  • Jet Ski and Personal Watercraft
  • Motorboat Accidents
  • Recreational Accidents
  • Scuba Diving Accidents
  • Speed Boat Accidents
  • Yachts and Sail Boat Accidents
  • Repair Accidents
  • Crew Accidents