Resources

Have You Suffered a Maritime Injury? You Will Need Evidence to Collect the Financial Compensation You Deserve You may be entitled to financial compensation if you suffered a maritime injury on the job. The Jones Act and other federal laws provide maritime workers with clear legal rights—including the right to “no-fault” compensation in many cases. But, regardless of what rights you have, you will need evidence to collect the financial compensation you deserve. Even if you have a “no-fault” claim under the Jones Act, you will need to prove that you suffered your maritime injury on the job. If you have a fault-based claim against your employer, a vessel owner or another company, you will need additional evidence of negligence or unseaworthiness. Maritime Injury Claims vs. “Ordinary” Personal Injury Claims Collecting evidence for a maritime injury claim and collecting evidence for an “ordinary” personal injury claim on land are very different. Many of the types of evidence used to prove maritime injury claims are unique, and there are unique considerations for collecting evidence in maritime injury cases as well. For example, timing is often a critical factor in maritime injury cases. When an accident happens on a vessel at sea, evidence of the accident can disappear before the vessel gets back to land. Proving liability for an accident that involved hazardous water or weather conditions presents unique challenges as well; and, in many cases, employers and vessel owners will attempt to fix issues before injured workers can gather the evidence […]

READ MORE

Working at a dry dock can be dangerous. While many people assume that working on the land is safer than working on the water, this isn’t necessarily the case. Dry dock accidents are common, and many dry dock workers find themselves in need of financial compensation to cover their medical bills, lost wages, and other losses. Common Dry Dock Accidents Part of the reason why dry dock accidents are so common is that there are so many different types of accidents that can occur. For example, some of the most common accidents that leave dry dock workers suffering from serious injuries include: Exposure to Toxic Fumes or Vapors – Working in confined areas or in close proximity to boats, equipment, supplies, or materials that release toxic fumes or vapors presents several risks for dry dock workers. In addition to the risk of inhalation injuries, burns and hypoxia (oxygen deprivation) are very real risks as well. Flooding – Flooding is a risk for drydock workers who work in graving docks. If water enters a graving dock unexpectedly, workers in the dock can find themselves facing life-or-death scenarios. Forklift and Crane Accidents – Transporting materials and equipment into drydocks or onto vessels with forklifts and cranes can be a dangerous operation. This is especially true if the operator’s vision is obstructed, if the operator gets distracted, or if dry dock workers are unable to get out of the way to avoid being hit or crushed. Shifting Vessels – Dry docked vessels can […]

READ MORE