Amelia sits on the Intracoastal Waterway and Bayou Boeuf in St. Mary Parish, in the heart of the Morgan City fabrication corridor. Its shipyards, fabrication yards, and marine-service docks build and repair the vessels and platforms that supply the Gulf oilfield, and its workers are welders, fitters, riggers, crane operators, and vessel crews. It is heavy, hazardous work — and when someone is hurt in the yard or on the water, the law that applies is not always the one the company points to.
Kopfler & Hermann has represented injured South Louisiana workers since 1977. Our Houma office is a short drive from Amelia, and we know the difference between a shipyard claim and a seaman’s claim — a distinction that can decide the outcome of your case. Call (985) 851-3311 for a free, confidential consultation — no fee unless we win.
In a fabrication-and-vessel town like Amelia, the single most important question is often which law covers you. It changes your deadlines, who you can sue, and what you can recover.
A worker told they only have a Jones Act claim — or only a comp claim — may actually have rights under a different law entirely. We make sure the right one is applied.
This matters more in Amelia than almost anywhere. The Jones Act generally gives a seaman three years to file suit (46 U.S.C. § 30106). But most shipyard and fabrication-yard injuries fall under the LHWCA — where you generally must report the injury within 30 days and file your claim within about one year. A yard worker who assumes he has three years, as a seaman would, can lose a valid claim. If your case is not maritime at all, Louisiana’s personal-injury prescriptive period is two years for incidents on or after July 1, 2024. Because the line between these systems is not always obvious, have your case reviewed quickly.
From our Houma office we represent injured yard and vessel workers across the Morgan City corridor and South Louisiana — Amelia, Berwick, Patterson, Bayou Vista, and Morgan City. When an injury makes travel hard, we come to you.
Most likely the LHWCA rather than the Jones Act. Shipyard, fabrication, and dock workers who are not crew members of a vessel are generally longshore workers, not seamen. That distinction changes your deadlines and your rights, so it is worth confirming with a lawyer.
Only if you have a substantial connection to a vessel in navigation — generally around 30% or more of your work aboard. Vessel crews may qualify; land-based yard workers usually do not. We can review your actual duties.
Usually not. A factual incident report is routine. The concern is recorded insurer interviews, downplaying your injury, or signing fault or settlement documents. If you stuck to the facts, you are likely fine — call before saying more.
Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee — no fee unless we win — and the consultation is free.
Not always. Many claims resolve without trial. We file suit when it serves your recovery.
If you or a loved one was hurt in an Amelia shipyard, fabrication yard, or on the water, talk to a lawyer who knows which law protects you. Call Kopfler & Hermann at (985) 851-3311 for a free, confidential consultation. Our office is at 306 Grinage St, Houma, LA 70360 — helping Houma since 1977.
This page is attorney advertising and is provided for general information only; it is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Kopfler & Hermann represents injured workers and families across South Louisiana. If you are in a nearby community, we can help there too:
