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Offshore Injury Lawyer Louisiana
Experienced Louisiana Maritime & Offshore Attorney
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Injured? Joe Knows.
No Fee Unless We Win
Hurt offshore, on a vessel, or on a rig? Jones Act, LHWCA, unseaworthiness, maintenance & cure — we know the offshore playbook. Free consultation. No fee unless we recover.
- Trusted since 1977 — 45+ years fighting for South Louisiana families
- A real person answers 24/7 — no voicemail, no robots, no out-of-state call center
- No junior associates on your case. Joe works with every client directly
- No fee unless we win. Free consultation. Multi-million-dollar recoveries.
45+Years Serving South Louisiana
1989Firm Founded in Houma
MillionsRecovered for LA Families
24/7Live Answering — No Robots
Hurt offshore, on a vessel, or on a rig? Talk to a Houma maritime attorney today. No fee unless we win.
Serving Louisiana Since 1977 | Jones Act & Maritime Experience | Free Consultation | No Fee Unless We Win
Call now: (985) 851-3311
When You Get Hurt Offshore, the Company Already Has Lawyers Working
The boat docks. The chopper lands. Before you reach Terrebonne General, the company safety officer has filled out their incident report — the one that ends up in front of the insurance adjusters and the defense attorneys. Their phone calls have already been made. Their version of what happened is already on paper.
Yours is not. That is the first thing we fix.
Joe Kopfler has practiced law in Louisiana since 1977 and founded Kopfler & Hermann in Houma in 1989. He has handled Jones Act, offshore, and longshore cases in the 32nd Judicial District Court and in federal court for over four decades. When you call this office, you talk to Joe. Not a case manager. Not a junior associate flown in from another city.
The case review is free. The phone call costs nothing. And nothing you say obligates you to hire us.
Fill out the form below and a member of our team will reach you promptly. There is no obligation and no charge for the conversation. Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship — see disclaimer below.
Maritime Cases We Handle
Kopfler & Hermann represents offshore injury and maritime workers across South Louisiana. Maritime law is its own world — federal statutes, admiralty doctrine, and decades of case law layered together. The category your case falls under determines which laws protect you and how much you can recover.
The Jones Act (46 U.S.C. § 30104) protects crew members who spend a significant part of their work time on a vessel in navigation — deckhands, engineers, captains, mates, cooks, and other crew on crew boats, supply vessels, tugboats, liftboats, and dredges. The Jones Act gives you the right to sue your employer for negligence and lets you recover for unseaworthiness, lost wages, medical care, and pain and suffering.
Workers on fixed platforms, jack-up rigs, and semi-submersibles in the Gulf are typically covered under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), which incorporates Louisiana law into federal maritime jurisdiction. If a vessel was involved in your injury, general maritime law may also apply. Sorting that out is the first job.
Crew boats, supply vessels, tugboats, push boats, and work boats are the backbone of the Gulf oil-and-gas industry. Falls, equipment failures, line-handling injuries, and unsafe deck conditions all give rise to Jones Act and general maritime claims. The U.S. Department of Labor's Longshore program may also apply depending on your role.
If you are a dock worker, ship repairer, shipbuilder, or harbor worker, you are likely covered under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA). LHWCA benefits are administrative, but you may also have third-party tort claims against vessel owners or equipment manufacturers whose negligence contributed to the injury.
Deckhands take the worst of it. Tying off in heavy seas, working swing ropes, handling cargo on a moving deck — these are the jobs where the wrong wave at the wrong moment ends a career. Crew boat injuries almost always involve Jones Act claims plus claims against the vessel owner for unseaworthiness.
From the Deepwater Horizon era to the ongoing LOOP class action, Louisiana maritime workers have been at the front of spill response and toxic exposure litigation. If your work has put you in contact with crude, chemicals, or contaminated water, you may have a claim that goes beyond a standard injury case.
First 72 Hours After an Offshore Injury
What you do in the first three days after a maritime injury can shape your entire case. Here is the short list.
- Report the injury in writing. Verbal reports get lost — or rewritten. Insist on a written report, get a copy, and keep it.
- Get medical attention immediately. Go to the doctor the company points you to if you must, but get yourself to an independent doctor as soon as possible. Your medical record is the spine of your case.
- Do not give a recorded statement. The company's insurance adjuster will ask for one. They are not on your side. Politely decline until you have spoken to a lawyer.
- Save everything. Photos of the scene, names of witnesses, the safety report, your work schedule, your medical paperwork. Put it all in one folder.
- Call Kopfler & Hermann. The consultation is free. The sooner we know about your case, the more options you have.
Why Hurt Offshore Workers Call Joe Kopfler
Born in Houma. Joe Kopfler grew up here and has served Louisiana since 1977. Kopfler & Hermann operates out of a single Houma office at 306 Grinage Street — no satellites, no out-of-state call centers.
45 years handling maritime claims in Louisiana courtrooms. Jones Act, LHWCA, OCSLA, and general maritime law in the 32nd JDC, 17th JDC (Thibodaux), and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans.
Direct attorney access — no case mills. You will not be routed to a call center. You will not be handed off to a junior associate after you sign. When you call this office, you talk to Joe.
Contingency basis — no upfront cost. You owe nothing unless we win your case. The case review is free. The consultation is free.
See our full maritime practice or contact us directly.
Selected Maritime Case Results
We do not guarantee outcomes. Every case is different. The following are illustrative of the kinds of matters this firm has handled.
Seven-figure recovery — maritime wrongful death. A family lost a loved one in a multi-state catastrophic incident. Co-counseled and resolved for a multi-million-dollar recovery.
Seven-figure recovery — spinal cord injury. A client suffered severe spinal injuries in a commercial vehicle collision. Tried in the 32nd Judicial District Court in Terrebonne Parish.
Six-figure recovery — offshore worker injury. A vessel-based worker injured by faulty equipment. Resolved through Jones Act litigation.
Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Each case is evaluated on its own facts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I covered by the Jones Act?
If you spend a substantial portion of your work time as a member of the crew of a vessel in navigation, you likely qualify as a "seaman" under the Jones Act. That covers most deckhands, engineers, captains, mates, cooks, and other crew on crew boats, supply vessels, tugboats, liftboats, dredges, and similar vessels. Workers on fixed platforms generally are not seamen but may have OCSLA or general maritime law claims. The classification matters — call us and we will sort it out.
How long do I have to file a Jones Act claim?
Jones Act claims generally have a three-year statute of limitations under 46 U.S.C. § 30106. LHWCA, OCSLA, and general maritime law claims may have different limits — and Louisiana state-law claims that may overlap (for example, claims against a non-employer third party) follow Louisiana's two-year prescriptive period for injuries on or after July 1, 2024 under Civil Code Article 3493.1. There are circumstances that shorten or extend the available window. Do not assume you have time. The sooner we know about your case, the more options you have.
What if the company says the accident was my fault?
Maritime law uses a comparative fault doctrine — even if you bear some responsibility, you can still recover, with damages reduced by your percentage of fault. The Jones Act standard for employer negligence is also very favorable to injured workers: you only need to show the employer's negligence played any part, even a slight part, in causing your injury. The company's adjuster will not volunteer that. We will.
Should I sign anything the company gives me?
Not without talking to a lawyer. The Louisiana Bar's Rules of Professional Conduct protect your right to legal counsel, and any release, settlement, or recorded statement you give before consulting an attorney can be used against you. Call us first.
LET JOE FIGHT FOR YOU
If you or a loved one has been hurt, don’t wait. Call Kopfler & Hermann today for a free consultation. A real person answers 24/7 — not a voicemail, not a robot. Joe Kopfler has practiced law in Terrebonne Parish since 1977 and has spent more than four decades fighting insurance companies and getting real money for South Louisiana families. You pay nothing unless we win. Your case matters — let’s get it done.
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Office Location
Kopfler & Hermann, Attorneys at Law
306 Grinage Street, Suite 400
Houma, LA 70360
Phone: (985) 851-3311 | 985-851-3311
24/7 Live Answering | Serving Terrebonne, Lafourche & St. Mary Parish
The verdicts and settlements referenced are representative of cases handled by Kopfler & Hermann and are not a guarantee or prediction of the outcome of any other claim. Every case is different and past results do not guarantee future outcomes. No fee unless we recover on your behalf; client may be responsible for case costs and expenses. Joseph G. Kopfler is licensed to practice law in Louisiana.
