Lake Charles Offshore Injury Lawyers

Experienced Lake Charles Offshore Injury Attorney

If you were hurt while working on a vessel, barge, tug, or offshore platform near the Calcasieu Ship Channel or the Gulf of Mexico, you may not be covered by standard workers’ compensation. Instead, federal maritime law provides stronger protections, which may give you the right to sue your employer for negligence, recover medical and living expenses, and request a jury trial.

Many workers are unaware of these rights, and employers often rely on that silence. As experienced Lake Charles Offshore Injury Lawyers, we are here to help you understand your legal options and hold those responsible accountable.

At Sanchez Burke, our maritime practice is led by Joseph Burke, an attorney who spent years as a professional hydrographic surveyor. Joe Burke doesn’t just know admiralty law from a textbook. He knows how maritime disasters happen, which vessels cut corners, and how employers minimize injuries when they can. That knowledge is now working for you.

Contact us today for a free case evaluation. No fee unless we recover money for you.

Why Sanchez Burke: A Maritime Background Other Lake Charles Firm Can’t Match

Two attorneys. Two backgrounds that no competitor in Southwest Louisiana can replicate. Here is what we bring to your case.

Joe Burke’s Maritime Background

Joe Burke holds a J.D./D.C.L. dual degree from LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, where he competed on the LSU Admiralty Moot Court and Trial Advocacy teams and won the Ira S. Flory Trial Competition.

Before law school, he spent years as a professional hydrographic surveyor for the U.S. Navy and the Department of Commerce, creating the nautical charts that vessels depend on. He personally surveyed the minimum depth at Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, the reef that the Exxon Valdez struck.

When Joe cross-examines a defense expert about vessel seaworthiness or navigational standards, he is not working from theory. As a dedicated Lake Charles personal injury lawyer, he has firsthand experience handling that work.

Walt Sanchez’s Trial Record

Walt Sanchez has practiced Louisiana law since 1984, with more than 40 years of trial experience. He has argued before the Louisiana Supreme Court and reversed a capital conviction in State v. Cross (1995). Walter Sanchez has been selected to the Louisiana Super Lawyers annually since 2007 and holds the Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating with a 4.9/5.0 score from 45 verified attorney peers.

Together, Walt and Joe bring more than 55 years of combined experience to every offshore injury case.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Offshore and Maritime Injury Cases Our Attorneys Handle in Lake Charles

We represent workers injured on and around the Calcasieu Ship Channel, the Port of Lake Charles, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Cameron Parish waterways, and the Gulf of Mexico. Our offshore injury practice covers:

• Jones Act negligence claims: Suing your employer directly when negligence contributed to your injury on a vessel. Even slight employer fault is enough under federal law.
• Maintenance and cure: Your employer’s obligation to pay your daily living expenses and cover your medical treatment while you recover, regardless of who was at fault.
• Unseaworthiness claims: Holding a vessel owner liable when the ship, equipment, or crew was not reasonably fit for its purpose, causing your injury.
• Barge and tugboat accidents: Injuries during fleeting operations, lockage at the Calcasieu Lock, barge disconnections, and collisions on inland waterways.
• LNG and petrochemical vessel accidents: Injuries on or near LNG tankers, supply vessels, and crew boats serving the Cameron LNG terminal and Calcasieu Ship Channel energy corridor.
• Commercial fishing injuries: Offshore and near-shore fishing vessel accidents in the Gulf of Mexico and Cameron Parish waters.
• Wrongful death on navigable waters: Representing families of maritime workers killed in offshore accidents.

If you or a loved one was injured in a maritime accident, contact our trusted Lake Charles maritime injury attorneys today for a free consultation.

What You Stand to Lose If You Wait or Sign the Wrong Thing

After an offshore injury, your employer’s first move might be to get you to a company doctor, minimize the diagnosis, and pressure you toward a quick settlement that closes out your claim forever. This is because you may have rights under the Jones Act (46 U.S.C. § 30104) that go far beyond what any employer-side process will offer you.

You may be entitled to recover:

• Full past and future medical expenses related to your injury
• Lost wages and future lost earning capacity if your injury keeps you off the water
• Pain and suffering damages
• Maintenance payments covering daily living costs while you recover
• In cases of extreme employer recklessness, punitive damages

Under the Jones Act, your employer’s negligence only needs to have played any part, even the slightest, in causing your injury. That’s a much lower bar than a standard personal injury case, but you still need to establish that you qualify as a seaman and that negligence played some role. Insurance companies and employers know this, and they move fast to limit your recovery before you understand your options.

Working the Calcasieu Ship Channel, Cameron Parish Waterways, or the Gulf Coast?

The Calcasieu Ship Channel is the vital artery of Southwest Louisiana’s maritime industry, stretching approximately 68 miles from Lake Charles to the Gulf of Mexico. Handling 65 million tons of cargo annually and carrying 7.5% of the nation’s daily oil consumption, this corridor presents constant hazards for maritime workers.

Operations at the Calcasieu Lock in Cameron Parish are particularly high-risk, such as barge disconnections, falls, and vessel collisions. When you are injured on these waters, whether on a tug, LNG tanker, or commercial fishing vessel, you are often up against employers who have dedicated legal teams protecting their interests.

As experienced Lake Charles offshore accident lawyers, we provide the aggressive, localized advocacy needed to level the playing field. From Westlake, Sulphur, and Moss Bluff to the communities of Cameron and Hackberry, Sanchez Burke is committed to protecting the rights of those who keep our region moving.

Offshore Injury Questions from Southwest Louisiana Workers

Do I qualify for the Jones Act?

You may qualify if you spend at least 30% of your working time on a vessel in navigation and your work contributes to that vessel’s function. However, 30% is a guideline, not a cutoff, and courts look at the full picture of your work history. It covers deckhands, engineers, captains, cooks, tankermen, tug operators, and many barge crew members. We can review your work history to confirm your status.

My employer told me to use workers’ comp. Is that my only option?

No. In most cases, qualifying seamen are excluded from the standard state workers’ compensation system. The Jones Act generally replaces that system with broader federal rights for maritime workers, including the right to sue your employer directly, request a jury trial, and pursue full damages for pain and suffering. Do not sign any settlement or release before speaking with an attorney who handles maritime claims.

What is maintenance and cure, and how do I get it?

Maintenance covers your basic daily living expenses while you recover. Cure covers your medical bills related to the injury. Your employer must pay both regardless of fault, from the date of your injury until a doctor determines you have reached maximum medical improvement. If your employer is delaying or denying these payments, that may entitle you to additional damages, including punitive damages in some cases.

How long do I have to file a Jones Act claim in Louisiana?

Jones Act and unseaworthiness claims carry a 3-year statute of limitations from the date of injury. That may sound like enough time, but evidence fades, witnesses move on, and vessel records can be lost or altered. The sooner you contact a maritime attorney, the stronger your case.

What does it cost to hire an offshore injury lawyer at Sanchez Burke?

We handle offshore injury and Jones Act cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing unless we recover money for you. There is no cost to contact us or review your case. Fill out our contact form or reach out today to get started.

Talk to a Lake Charles Offshore Injury Lawyer Today

You worked hard on that water. You did not sign up to be ignored or low-balled when something went wrong. Sanchez Burke represents offshore and maritime workers throughout Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, and Southwest Louisiana. Joe Burke’s background in maritime surveying and Walt Sanchez’s 40 years of Louisiana trial experience are here for you. Contact us today for a free, confidential case evaluation. There is no fee unless we recover money for you.