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A boat crash on the Amite River, Blind River, or Lake Maurepas is very different from a car accident on the road. Water accidents follow special rules. The exact laws that apply depend on where the crash happened, what kind of boat was involved, and whether you were working on the water at the time.
Finding out which law applies is always the first step. At Gauthier Amedee Injury Lawyers, attorney Andre P. Gauthier has helped injured people in Louisiana since 1992. He uses that experience to investigate boat crashes and help injured boaters, dock workers, and river crew members get the support they need.
Living and working around Louisiana waters comes with some risks, whether you make your living on the river or spend your weekends fishing with family. When something goes wrong on the water, the impact on your life and livelihood can be overwhelming.
We regularly help locals and maritime workers recover from:
Because maritime deadlines are notoriously strict and each type of accident triggers a different set of legal requirements, taking the right steps early makes all the difference in protecting your family’s recovery.
If you worked aboard a vessel and got hurt because of your employer’s negligence, the law known as the Jones Act gives you an important right. Codified at 46 U.S.C. § 30104, it lets you sue that employer in court, with a jury deciding the case. That right is only useful if you act in time.
Jones Act negligence claims and most other maritime injury claims generally must be filed within three years of the injury. Dock workers and other maritime employees who do not qualify as seamen usually fall under a separate federal compensation system that requires a claim within one year of the injury.
If your accident happened on water governed by Louisiana state law rather than federal maritime law, the clock runs differently. Under La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1, most personal injury claims must be filed within two years of the date you were hurt.
Missing any of these deadlines can end your right to recover money for your injuries, no matter how serious they are or how clear the other side’s fault might be.
After an accident on the water, you need a team that knows the community, understands the law, and actually listens to what your family is going through.
Andre P. Gauthier has spent years teaching courtroom skills to law students at Southern University Law Center. In real life, that means he knows how to prepare a case thoroughly and present the facts clearly if an insurance company refuses to do the right thing.
Lee “Jody” Amedee III brings a different, valuable perspective. In the past, he also led a state task force on impaired driving. That experience gives him a clear look at how crash investigations tend to work and what it can take to prove fault, especially in boat collisions involving drugs or alcohol.
Together, their backgrounds give our team a practical, well-rounded view of every case that comes through our doors. We focus on handling the legal side of things with care and skill so you and your family can focus on healing.
Where your case gets filed depends on which law controls it. Jones Act and general maritime law claims are often filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana. That court covers Livingston Parish and sits in Baton Rouge. Longshore Act claims work differently. They start with the U.S. Department of Labor, not in a courtroom.
State law claims from Livingston Parish are generally filed in the 21st Judicial District Court. That court has jurisdiction over Livingston, St. Helena, and Tangipahoa parishes, and it hears Livingston Parish cases at the courthouse in Livingston.
Boats and barges move along the Amite River and Blind River toward Lake Maurepas, carrying both recreational and commercial traffic. That mix of uses is part of why the same stretch of water can raise either a state law claim or a federal maritime claim depending on the facts.
The Jones Act covers seamen who spend a significant part of their work time aboard a vessel in navigation. The Longshore Act covers other maritime workers, like dock and terminal employees, who do not meet that seaman test. The two systems have different proof requirements and different deadlines.
For accidents on or after January 1, 2026, Louisiana uses a modified comparative fault system under La. Civ. Code art. 2323. If your share of the fault is less than 51%, you can still recover, but the court reduces your compensation by your percentage of fault. If you are found 51% or more at fault, you cannot recover damages under Louisiana law. Federal maritime claims, including Jones Act claims, follow a different rule. Your share of fault reduces your recovery, but it does not bar your claim.
It can. Whether a specific stretch of water counts as navigable for federal maritime purposes affects whether your claim falls under state law or federal law. That in turn affects your filing deadline and where the case gets filed.
After a serious boat crash or water injury, dealing with hospital bills and time away from work is stressful enough without having to figure out complicated legal rules on your own.
Because maritime cases have strict deadlines and specific rules, getting clear answers early helps protect your rights. Our team at Gauthier Amedee is here to sit down with you, listen to your story, and explain simply how the law applies to what happened.
Don’t navigate this alone. Contact our team today to set up an initial consultation, and let us help you figure out the best path forward.
As your dedicated and trusted Gonzales, LA, personal injury law firm, part of our responsibilities are defending your rights to
fair compensation against the aggressive, strong-arm tactics of insurance companies. We have spent decades fighting against
these tactics. We know how to stand up to them, that’s why we’re your Go2Laywers. The next time insurance adjusters come
calling, don’t talk to them. Direct them to your attorneys at Gauthier Amedee Injury Lawyers.
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