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Helping injured maritime and offshore workers navigate maritime injury claims across Louisiana and the Gulf South. Decades of experience. Proven results.

Call (504) 608-4667 or visit jonesactlaw.com for a free consultation. We are 100% focused on fighting for injured maritime and offshore workers’ rights. At The Young Firm, our maritime and admiralty attorneys are dedicated to providing superior legal counsel to clients injured as a result of another party’s reckless, careless, or negligent conduct. We meticulously prepare each case and are committed to protecting the rights of the catastrophically injured and their families. For 50+ years, our attorneys have been immersed in maritime and Jones Act Law. It's what we know best, it's all we do. SPECIALIZATION IS EVERYTHING:
If you needed heart surgery, would you choose an experienced heart surgeon or a general family physician? I think we all know the answer to that question. In the same light, your maritime injury case is very specialized with unique laws to protect your rights. You wouldn't want a general personal injury lawyer, you'd want (and need) attorneys with experience practicing maritime and Jones Act law every day. The Young Firm has helped thousands of maritime workers put their lives back together after suffering an injury at work. Our extensive knowledge and network will help you:

 Get proper, unbiased, specialized medical treatment.
 Obtain enough money to live on while you recover.
 Determine if and when it’s safe to go back to work.
 Secure the best future for you and your family. Don’t wait to reach out and get answers. Contact us today to see if you have a case, we are here when you need us.

09/30/2026

A vessel’s maintenance history can tell a story long before an accident happens.

Recurring repairs, delayed maintenance, inspection notes, work orders, and crew reports may show whether a problem developed over time or had been identified before someone was injured.

That can matter in a maritime injury case.

Attorneys may review maintenance records to determine when a problem first appeared, how often it was reported, what repairs were made, and whether the vessel continued operating despite an unresolved issue.

Not every mechanical problem means someone was legally responsible. But when an accident occurs, the records created in the weeks or months beforehand can become an important part of understanding why it happened.

In maritime work, maintenance is not only about keeping a vessel running. It can also become part of the evidence.

09/27/2026

Long before modern ports, towboats, and container ships, the Mississippi River was shaping the story of Louisiana.

It influenced where communities were built, how people traveled, and how goods moved through the region. New Orleans grew at the river’s edge, becoming a gateway between the interior of the country and the Gulf of Mexico. Over generations, the Mississippi helped shape Louisiana’s culture, economy, and identity.

The river has changed course, flooded communities, carried generations of travelers, and connected Louisiana to places thousands of miles away.
Today, its role continues.

The vessels may be different and the technology more advanced, but the Mississippi remains a place where thousands of people make their living every day.

On World Rivers Day, we recognize a river that is not simply part of Louisiana’s landscape. It is part of our history — and still very much part of our working present.

09/24/2026

Maritime safety does not stop when a rule is written.

This year’s official World Maritime Day theme, “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence,” focuses on what happens next: turning maritime standards into real practices on vessels, at ports, and throughout the industry.

That means training crews, maintaining equipment, following safety procedures, enforcing standards, and making sure the rules designed to protect people actually work in day-to-day operations.

For the men and women working on the water, the difference between policy and practice can be significant. Safety ultimately depends on what happens aboard the vessel, on the dock, and during the job itself.

On World Maritime Day, we recognize the people across the maritime industry who turn those standards into action every day.

09/21/2026

Working on or around the water does not automatically make someone a “seaman” under the Jones Act.

Seaman status depends on the worker’s actual relationship to a vessel. Courts generally look at whether the worker contributes to the vessel’s function or mission and whether they have a substantial connection to a vessel, or an identifiable fleet of vessels, in both the nature and duration of their work.

That means job titles alone do not decide the issue. A deckhand, engineer, cook, or other maritime worker may qualify depending on what they actually do and where they spend their working time.

Why does that matter? Because qualifying as a seaman can determine whether an injured worker has rights under the Jones Act.

In maritime injury cases, figuring out which law applies is often one of the first—and most important—questions.

09/11/2026

On Patriot Day, we pause to remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and to honor the first responders, service members, and families forever affected by that day.

We also recognize the courage, sacrifice, and service demonstrated in its aftermath.

Today, we remember with respect and gratitude.

09/07/2026

Some jobs are easy to overlook because the work happens far from most people’s view.

Before sunrise, crews are already on the river. Cargo is being loaded. Engines are running. Lines are being handled. Offshore workers are deep into another hitch.
Labor Day is a chance to recognize the people behind that work.

Here in Louisiana, maritime labor is part of everyday life. It supports families, communities, ports, energy production, and the movement of goods across the country.

Today, we are proud to recognize the men and women whose hard work keeps our waterways and maritime industry moving.

Happy Labor Day from The Young Firm.

09/02/2026

A vessel can look seaworthy from the dock and still have problems that are not immediately visible.

That is where marine surveyors come in.

Marine surveyors inspect commercial vessels and evaluate areas such as hull condition, machinery, equipment, structural integrity, and safety systems.

Depending on the type of survey, their findings may be used during vessel purchases, insurance evaluations, damage investigations, repairs, or assessments of a vessel’s overall condition.

Their work can also become important after a maritime accident. When an injury involves failed equipment, unsafe vessel conditions, or questions about maintenance, attorneys may review inspection reports, repair records, previous survey findings, and whether identified problems were actually corrected.

A survey does more than document the condition of a vessel on a particular day. The records surrounding that inspection can help establish what was known about a problem, when it was discovered, and what happened afterward.

In maritime cases, those details can matter.

08/29/2026

Twenty-one years ago, Hurricane Katrina changed New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in ways that can still be felt today.

For those who lived through it, the memories are not just of the storm itself. They are of flooded neighborhoods, families separated, businesses lost, and a city forced to rebuild piece by piece.

But they are also memories of people showing up for one another. Neighbors opened their doors. Communities shared what they had. Families came back. Businesses reopened. New Orleans rebuilt because the people who call this place home refused to give up on it.

Today, we remember those who were lost, those whose lives were changed forever, and the strength of a community that kept moving forward.

New Orleans is a city shaped by resilience, and that resilience is worth honoring.

08/26/2026

Women have long been part of the maritime industry, working on vessels, docks, ports, offshore facilities, and throughout the businesses that keep maritime operations moving.

On Women’s Equality Day, we recognize the women who have built careers in an industry that has traditionally been male-dominated and who continue to contribute across every part of the maritime workforce.

From deck crews and vessel operations to engineering, logistics, safety, and leadership, women continue to play an important role in the future of maritime work. Today is a chance to recognize that work, the progress that has been made, and the opportunities that still lie ahead.

08/21/2026

When equipment fails offshore and a worker is injured, the legal question is not just what broke. It is also who was responsible for keeping that equipment safe.

For seamen, the Jones Act may allow a negligence claim when an employer’s failure to inspect, maintain, repair, or remove unsafe equipment contributes to an injury. Vessel owners may also face claims when equipment aboard the vessel is not reasonably fit for its intended use.

Depending on the circumstances, responsibility may involve an employer, vessel owner, contractor, equipment owner, or manufacturer.

That is why maritime attorneys often look closely at maintenance records, prior complaints, inspections, and who had control over the equipment before the accident.

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400 Poydras Street Ste 2090
New Orleans, LA
70130

Website

http://www.jonesactlaw.com/contact-us/

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