Kentucky Jones Act Overview
Kentucky Jones Act & Maritime Lawyers for Paducah Injured Workers
The Jones Act attorneys at Gordon & Elias, L.L.P. have both actual time-on the river and time in the court room. They know the Jones Act and the maritime business and they know exactly what to do to maximize your monetary recovery. When you hurt your back, neck, head, shoulders or knees, you need Jones Act lawyers that “don’t play”. One call to Gordon & Elias, L.L.P. and you will experience and feel the difference. There is no obligation if you call and, like all other personal injury situations if there is “no recovery…..then you pay no fee or expenses”. However, we are not in this business for our clients to get “no recovery” we are in it to win and to win big. This is you and your family’s livelihood at risk and we never forget that. You can call all the Jones Act attorneys you want, just call us and see the difference at 1-800-773-6770.
Tugboat • Towboat • Barge Accident Lawyers
If you or a loved one has been hurt on the inland rivers, the first thing you should do is hire experienced Jones Act lawyers to protect your rights. It does not matter whether you are a deckhand, engineer or Captain, you need medical care and money. We know this and that is why the first thing we will do is make sure that you have the best medical treatment possible and have the money to pay your bills.
Jones Act Lawyers for Tow Boat Kentucky Based Workers on Inland Rivers
Paducah, Kentucky is ideally situated at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers for maritime business. From this area, tow boats, tugs and barges serve as the backbone of American commerce. The towing and fleeting business is hard work. The companies involved are constantly taking short cuts…you know it and we know it. When shortcuts are taken, people get hurt. These employers owe you a duty to give you a safe place to work. Just some of the towing companies in and around Kentucky are:
Ingram Barge Company (IBCO), part of Ingram Marine Group, is headquartered out of Nashville, Tennessee but has three main terminals in (1) Tampa, Florida; (2) Huntington, West Virginia and (3) the Lafarge Terminal in Silver Grove, Kentucky. They are constantly in the Paducah area. Ingram has been working on the inland waterways since 1946. It operates between Minnesota and Louisiana; Corpus Christi to Pittsburgh and into St. Louis Missouri and out of Chicago, Illinois. Its vessels include hopper barges, tank barges, tow boats, and harbor tugs. Ingram employs all types of seamen that, when injured, have a Jones Act maritime claim.
Marquette Transportation Company, L.L.C., headquartered in Paducah, Kentucky. Its river fleet vessels range from 3300hp to 8800hp in the upper Mississippi, lower Mississippi, Illinois and Ohio Rivers; its Gulf of Mexico – Inland waterway fleet range from 1250 hp to 3300hp operating Operates the entire U.S. inland waterway system with special emphasis on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway from Brownsville, Texas, to St. Marks, Florida; and Marquette, together with its offshore sister company, i.e., HLC Tugs, has 20 plus offshore and inland tugs ranging from 400 to 5000hp operates the Gulf of Mexico, the Eastern Seaboard, Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, and even further from the United States. Finally, it is a American Waterways Operators (AWO) and its subgroups, including the AWO Inter-Regional Safety Committee, River Industry Action Committee (RIAC), Lower Mississippi River Committee (LOMRC), Illinois River Carriers Association (IRCA), Ohio River Ice Committee (ORIC), United States Coast Guard (USCG) License Renewal Process Quality Action Team and the Greater New Orleans Barge and Fleeting Association (GNOBFA).
Crounse Corporation, CGB Marine, an operating division of CGB Enterprises, operates out of Paducah and Maysville, Kentucky. It employs over 300 people, over 200 of which are Jones Act workers, and with a fleet of 30 towboats ranging from 1200 to 4300hp; 948 barges; and it transports more than 30 million tons of cargo a year mainly of coal but also limestone, sand, gravel, and steel products are shipped. Their service area includes the Ohio River and its tributaries, as well as the Tenn-Tom and Black Warrior systems.
All of the above are members of the American Waterways Operators (AWO) which is a national trade organization for the United States tugboat, towboat and barge industry. The AWO is constantly working to undermine the rights of seaman by filing amicus curiae [friend of the court] legal briefs trying to limit the rights of injured seamen when it comes to Jones Act damages and maintenance & cure benefits as well as having paid lobbyists urging legislation to be passed. It does so from the dues of vessel owners and Jones Act employers. In fact, as recent as September, 2008, the AWO filed a brief in favor of Weeks Marine which is the owner of Atlantic Sounding. The AWO’s brief and legal theories were attempting to deny an injured seaman the right to collect punitive damages. The Supreme Court rejected the AWO’s legal analysis but they will continue to try, at every turn, to limits the rights of seaman. Other larger members in the AWO include Moran Towing Corporation and the Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company.
Know Your Rights
Members of the Maritime Law Association, both Mr. Elias and Mr. Gordon can answer your questions and will gladly do so 24/7/365. If you have been injured, just call 800-773-6770 or fill in the on-line form and experience for yourself exactly what we mean. This is your life, your future and your income and you should make the right decision when choosing a Jones Act attorney to represent you. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.
