Jeff Bloomfield, Esquire
Paducah Maritime Lawyer
The river transportation industry in Paducah and the surrounding region is supported by thousands of workers. Unfortunately, occasionally those workers are injured on the job. If that happens to you, be sure to contact an attorney with the specialized experience you will need to make sure you get everything you are entitled to. Let GMLB, P.C. go to work for you.
About Us
Paducah Maritime Lawyer, Lee “Jeff” Bloomfield has been practicing maritime law for over 40 years. The Paducah area includes West Kentucky, West Tennessee, Southern Illinois, and Eastern Missouri, and is home for many people who earn their living working on the inland waterways. Several main rivers run through this area, including the Ohio, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Illinois Rivers. Therefore, many leading towboat companies have offices and facilities in Paducah.
River work is very dangerous and, unfortunately, injuries can be common. But fortunately, the maritime law offers protection for injured river and maritime workers. Maritime law is a specialized area, and it requires an attorney with experience and knowledge in maritime law.
Paducah Maritime Lawyer, Jeff Bloomfield is licensed in both Kentucky and Tennessee, and he has successfully handled Jones Act and maritime claims in the Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Greater Mid-South area. Jeff’s Paducah office is conveniently located at 250 Lone Oak Rd Suite B, Paducah, KY 42001. Jeff is backed by the law firm of Godwin, Morris, Laurenzi, and Bloomfield, PC, located at 50 Front Street, Suite 800 in Memphis, with nine attorneys, a complete staff, and the resources to handle your case. The firm has recovered millions of dollars for its clients. CONTACT US TODAY FOR A FREE CONSULTATION!
Free Consultation
Think you have a case? Contact us at GMLB, P.C. for a free consultation with an experienced attorney.
No Upfront Fees
Not only are there no upfront fees, but there are no fees at all unless there is a recovery for you.
Experience Matters
Put over 40 years experience of successful maritime law claims to work for you today.
Individual Attention
Each client is different, so we take the time from the beginning to listen to your story.
Our Maritime Law Specialties
Experience matters. Paducah Maritime Lawyer, Jeff Bloomfield with the law firm GMLB, P.C. can help you with your maritime case in any of the following areas:
The Jones Act
Many maritime workers are covered under the federal law known as the Jones Act. A crewmember (seaman) of a towboat or other river vessel is entitled to have a safe place to work. The Jones Act allows an injured crew member of a towboat or other river vessel hurt due to the fault of the employer to bring a claim for damages, including for lost wages, disability, and pain and suffering. The Jones Act also provides a remedy for a seaman killed during course of employment.
Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act
Maritime workers who are not assigned to a vessel or fleet of vessels, but who are employed in work on or near the water such as dock and harbor work, barge loading and unloading, and barge and vessel building, may be covered under the federal law known as the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). The Longshore Act provides disability and medical benefits to these injured workers.
General Maritime Law Injury
General Maritime Law is a common law concept created from court decisions that determined the rights of seamen. People injured in pleasure boat accidents or other non-workers who are injured on the navigable waterways may be covered under the General Maritime Law rather than state law. The General Maritime Law may also cover maritime employees injured due to the fault of a third party other than their employer.
Unseaworthiness
A Jones Act crewmember is entitled to be provided with a seaworthy vessel. If the vessel is unseaworthy, and this causes an injury, then the crewmember can bring a claim for damages. An injured seaman does not have to prove that the entire vessel was unseaworthy. All that the injured seaman needs to prove is that some condition or aspect of the vessel, equipment or crew was not reasonably fit for its intended purpose, and that he/she was injured as a result.
Defense Base Act
The Defense Base Act covers civilian employees working outside the United States on U.S. military bases or under a contract with the U.S. government for public works or national defense. It provides workers’ medical treatment and compensation protection to those injured in the scope and course of employment. The Defense Base Act is an extension of the (LHWCA) designed to cover dock and maritime workers when they weren’t covered by the Merchant Maritime Act.
Maintenance and Cure
A crewmember who is injured or becomes sick while in the service of the vessel is entitled to recover Maintenance and Cure. Maintenance is a daily amount of money paid to the mariner and is based on the mariner’s living expenses while they are off work and being medically treated. Cure is the payment of medical expenses. Maintenance and Cure is owed by the employer without regard to the fault of the mariner.
“When your livelihood is on the line, you need someone who cares about your well-being. I want to be your voice.”
Lee J. (Jeff) Bloomfield
PARTNER
About Paducah Maritime Lawyer, Jeff Bloomfield
Experience Matters.
Lee J. (Jeff) Bloomfield
Maritime Lawyer
LEE J. (“JEFF”) BLOOMFIELD graduated from the University of Tennessee, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in 1971, and he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee Law School in 1974. Jeff received his Tennessee license to practice law in 1975 and his Kentucky license in 2009. He has practiced in the U.S. District Courts in Tennessee and Kentucky, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Mississippi, the Eastern District of Arkansas, and the Eastern District of Missouri as well as in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth and Eleventh Circuits. He is listed in Woodward White’s The Best Lawyers in America, and he is listed Super Lawyers. He is an author and lecturer on maritime, personal injury and worker’s compensation law. Jeff is currently a member of the Tennessee Association for Justice and has served on its Board of Governors and as President. He is a member of the American Association for Justice and has served as Chair of its Admiralty Section. His practice emphasizes Jones Act, Maritime and River Injuries, LHWCA and DBA claims, as well as Personal Injury.
