Franklin is the St. Mary Parish seat, an old sugar town on Bayou Teche where U.S. 90 runs west toward the coast. For generations, Franklin families have divided their working lives between the cane fields and mills and the offshore oil industry down the road in Morgan City and out of Intracoastal City. A lot of Franklin men and women make the drive to catch a crew boat or a chopper and spend their hitch on a rig, a supply vessel, or in a fabrication yard. That offshore work is among the most dangerous there is, and when a Franklin worker is seriously hurt, the compensation available under maritime and federal law is very different from ordinary state comp. Kopfler & Hermann has represented South Louisiana’s working families since 1977, and we help injured offshore workers from Franklin and across St. Mary Parish.
Offshore injuries are governed by federal maritime laws, and which one applies changes your rights. A worker assigned to a vessel who spends a substantial part of his time aboard — generally around thirty percent or more — is usually a seaman under the Jones Act. A seaman hurt because of negligence or an unseaworthy vessel can sue for full damages, and is owed maintenance and cure regardless of fault. A worker injured on a fixed platform, in a shipyard, or doing dockside vessel work may instead fall under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, and injuries on the outer continental shelf can bring in still other rules. These distinctions decide your deadlines, who can be held responsible, and the value of your claim — so an offshore injury should be reviewed by a lawyer who handles maritime cases, not treated as routine.
Franklin’s offshore workforce faces the same hazards that put crews in the hospital up and down the coast: falls from height, crane and rigging failures, being struck by loads, fires and explosions, crush injuries, and dangerous transfers between vessels and platforms on the open Gulf.
Depending on your status and the facts, you may be entitled to recover for:
A Jones Act claim generally must be filed within three years of the injury under federal law (46 U.S.C. § 30106). Longshore Act claims usually require written notice within about 30 days and filing within roughly one year. Claims that fall under Louisiana law rather than maritime law can carry a two-year prescriptive period for incidents on or after July 1, 2024. Because a single offshore accident can involve more than one of these systems, it is important to find out which deadline governs your case before time runs out.
Report the injury and make sure a written accident report is made. Get medical care and describe your symptoms honestly and completely. If you can do so safely, photograph the equipment, the area, and the conditions, and write down the names of the crew and any witnesses. Keep your own copy of everything you sign. Be cautious about giving a recorded statement to a company or insurance adjuster before speaking with a lawyer — early statements are routinely used to reduce claims.
We represent offshore and marine workers from Franklin and the Teche communities in platform and drilling-rig injuries, crew-boat and supply-vessel injuries, crane and rigging accidents, fires and explosions, falls from height, crush and amputation injuries, back and spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, personal-transfer and swing-rope accidents, and offshore wrongful-death claims. We also handle Longshore Act claims for shipyard, fabrication, and dock workers whose injuries fall under that federal system rather than the Jones Act.
Franklin, Patterson, Baldwin, Charenton, and the St. Mary communities are part of the offshore coast we have served for decades. From our Houma office we represent injured workers and their families throughout St. Mary, Terrebonne, Lafourche, and the surrounding parishes. We are glad to come to you when an injury makes travel hard, and we handle these cases on a contingency basis.
I live in Franklin but got hurt offshore out of Morgan City — where would my case be handled?
Where you live does not decide the case; the nature of your work and your accident does. Offshore claims often proceed under federal maritime law regardless of the town you call home. We regularly represent Franklin and St. Mary workers hurt offshore.
How do I know if I am a Jones Act seaman?
Seaman status turns on the nature and extent of your connection to a vessel or fleet. A worker who spends a substantial part of his time aboard a vessel in navigation may qualify. Because the answer controls your rights, it is worth having a lawyer review the details of your job.
What does it cost to hire Kopfler & Hermann?
Nothing up front. Offshore injury cases are handled on a contingency fee, so there is no fee unless we recover for you.
If you or a family member was seriously hurt offshore, call Kopfler & Hermann at (985) 851-3311 for a free, confidential consultation. There is no fee unless we win your case. Our office is at 306 Grinage Street, Houma, LA 70360 — helping Houma since 1977.
We also help injured offshore workers and their families in nearby communities, including Patterson, Berwick, Amelia, Bayou Vista, and Mathews. Franklin offshore cases connect to our main Houma maritime injury practice.
The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading 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. For advice about your specific situation, please speak with a licensed Louisiana attorney.
