PERSONNEL BASKET TRANSFER INJURIES, FALLS & DEATHS

Crew members are often injured in falls, drops and impacts during transfers in personnel baskets.Some of the injuries include serious back, neck, spinal cord injuries and even deaths from falls and from heavy or hard impacts onto the dock or deck of the boat or vessel. Some workers are injured as a result of a impact occurring when the basket actually swings or rapidly falls into another stationary object and structure. Other workers have need trapped, crushed and struck by the falling or swinging personnel basket itself.

Personnel basket transfer is commonly used in the Gulf of Mexico where conditions are generally calm seas. Personnel basket transfers are used to transfer a worker to or from a crew boat or supply boat to a jackup rig, offshore platform, semi-submersible or other structures. Personnel basket transfer equipment is held on nearly every rig or vessel around the world, whether it is intended for routine (logistical) transfers or reserved for emergencies. However, the equipment is there in case it is required and it should therefore be fit for the purpose it was intended and only used when the transfer can be done in a safe manner without unnecessary risk of injury or death to the worker.

Many workers are needlessly injured due to negligence of an inexperienced or unlicensed crane operator that making a transfer to high or rough seas or windy conditions, lack of basket training to all persons involved, lack of communication between transferee and basket crew before the basket transfer, lack of communications between basket crew on the boat, platform and crane operator, making transfers at night or during poorly lighted conditions and too fast or rapid movement of basket by crane operator resulting in falls and hard impacts. Another source of injuries is from the use of swing ropes. While most swing rope injuries occur from the dock to the boat or the boat to the dock, their use is not limited to just docks. Using a swing rope can be demanding, especially in moderate to heavy sea conditions. It is under these conditions that most falls and impacts occur.

LEGAL ACTIONS & LAWSUITS FROM PERSONNEL BASKET ACCIDENTS

When a seaman is injured during a personnel basket transfer at sea, his injury is usually covered by the Jones Act. He is owed the absolute duty by his employer to provide a safe workplace and a seaworthy vessel, which also means an adequate and properly trained crew as well. Third party negligence lawsuits and claims under General Maritime Laws are also available to the Jones Act seaman against the operator of the crane, the crew or other companies whose negligent conduct caused his injuries. Lawsuits and other claims under Maritime Law also exist for non-Jones Act employees against the boat owner, operator, platform operator, crane operator and others.

If you have been injured on a ship, rig or vessel that you believe was unseaworthy or that your injuries were caused in part by the negligent conduct of your Jones Act employer or fellow seaman or due the negligence of a third party company or it's employee or due to a defective or dangerous product, then call a Maritime Personal Injury Lawyer for a FREE CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATION at 1-800-883-9858 or 1-800-468-4878.