Job-related injuries can be costly. Along with incurring medical bills, you can also lose income if you are unable to work, and the pain and suffering caused by your injuries can impact many aspects of your day-to-day life.
Working on a tugboat can be extremely dangerous. From the significant forces involved with tugging to the risk of being thrown overboard next to a cargo ship or in heavy marine traffic, there are numerous issues that can leave tugboat captains and crew members suffering from serious, life-altering or even life-threatening injuries.
Contact Our Arkansas Tugboat Injury Lawyer to Find Out How These Laws May Impact Your Claim Accidents that occur on or near the navigable waters are governed by a unique set of federal laws, and, in some states, special state maritime laws. Maritime workers who perform work on and off vessels near navigable waters may be covered under either the Jones Act or the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). The Jones Act and LHWCA are complex federal laws that provide compensation to various maritime workers who are injured from the work they performed aboard a vessel (such as a barge) or in loading, unloading, or repairing a vessel offshore. The Jones Act The Jones Act provides compensation for certain maritime workers. Specifically, the Jones Act covers crew members, also known as “seamen.” It is not required for a vessel’s employee to aid in the vessel’s actual navigation to be considered a seaman. The employee must be doing work on the ship and contribute to the vessel’s function or the accomplishment of the vessel’s mission. The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) The LHWCA is a federal law that also provides protection in the form of compensation to employees injured on the job that occur on or near the navigable waters. This act may provide compensation to workers in the form of payment for medical care, rehabilitation services, and survivor benefits to dependents of injured workers who are killed from their maritime work. Workers covered by the LHWCA […]
