Pierre Part sits where Assumption Parish meets the Atchafalaya Basin — a Cajun community wrapped around Bayou Pierre Part, Lake Verret, and Belle River, where the water is not just scenery but a way to make a living. Generations of Pierre Part families have worked the water: commercial crawfishing and catfishing in the basin, crewing tugs and towboats on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the Atchafalaya, and taking offshore hitches in the Gulf. When that work leaves someone badly hurt, the law that applies is maritime law — and it is very different from an ordinary Louisiana injury claim. Kopfler & Hermann has stood up for injured maritime workers out of Houma since 1977.
If you were hurt while working aboard a vessel — a towboat, tug, crew boat, shrimp or fishing boat, or barge — you may be a “seaman” under the Jones Act rather than an ordinary employee. A seaman is generally someone whose duties give them a substantial connection to a vessel or fleet of vessels in navigation, both in nature and in duration (often thought of as roughly 30% or more of work time aboard). That status matters enormously, because the Jones Act lets an injured seaman hold an employer accountable for negligence, and general maritime law adds the vessel owner’s duty of maintenance and cure and claims for an unseaworthy vessel. These protections are far stronger than land-based workers’ compensation, which is exactly why classification should be reviewed carefully.
An injured Pierre Part maritime worker may be able to pursue:
Evidence on the water disappears quickly — vessels move, crews rotate, and logs get overwritten — so the sooner a claim is investigated, the better.
Report the injury and make sure it is entered in the vessel’s log or an accident report. Get medical attention right away and follow through with treatment. Write down what happened while it is fresh, and get the names of crewmates who witnessed it. Photograph the equipment or condition that caused the injury if you safely can. Be cautious about signing statements for the company before you understand your rights, and keep a copy of everything you sign.
We represent deckhands, tankermen, mates, captains, commercial fishermen, and offshore crews in cases including falls and slips aboard vessels, line- and winch-handling injuries, injuries from unsafe or poorly maintained equipment, being struck by cargo or rigging, tug and towboat accidents on the Intracoastal and Atchafalaya, drowning and man-overboard cases, and catastrophic or fatal injuries.
From our Houma office at 306 Grinage Street, we serve Pierre Part and the surrounding Assumption Parish and Atchafalaya Basin communities. We have been helping South Louisiana families since 1977 and handle maritime injury cases on a contingency basis — no fee unless we win.
Do I qualify as a Jones Act seaman?
Generally, if your work gives you a substantial connection to a vessel or fleet in navigation — in both the kind of work you do and the amount of time you spend aboard — you may qualify. A commercial fisherman or towboat deckhand often does. The specifics of your job should be reviewed by a maritime lawyer.
My employer says I can only get maintenance and cure. Is that all?
Maintenance and cure is owed no matter who was at fault, but it is not necessarily the limit of your case. If negligence or an unseaworthy vessel contributed to your injury, you may be able to recover much more under the Jones Act and general maritime law.
What does it cost to hire you?
Nothing up front. We work on a contingency-fee basis — no fee unless we win.
How long do I have to file?
Jones Act claims generally allow three years, but other deadlines can be much shorter. Call as soon as you can.
If you or a loved one was hurt working on the water, call Kopfler & Hermann at (985) 851-3311 or visit 306 Grinage St, Houma, LA 70360. The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless we win.
We also help injured workers and families in Kraemer, Napoleonville, Belle Rose, Plattenville, and Labadieville, and throughout South Louisiana. Learn more on our Houma maritime injury page.
The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Viewing this page or contacting Kopfler & Hermann does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
