Our Maritime Head Injury Attorneys Help Maritime Workers Recover Financial Compensation
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and other types of head injuries can have life-altering consequences. They can cause cognitive impairments, emotional instability, and chronic pain, and, in some cases, they can even shorten workers’ life expectancies. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury while working offshore or in the maritime industry, you need to hire an experienced maritime head injury lawyer who can help you collect the financial compensation you deserve.
From medical care to loss of income, head injuries can be costly. They can also leave injured workers facing a reduced quality of life. Serious head injuries can impact workers’ ability to spend meaningful time with their spouses and children, and they can also have other day-to-day effects. All of these are losses that injured workers and their families can potentially recover under maritime law.
Common Maritime Head Injuries
The warning signs listed above (among others) can be symptomatic of several different types of traumatic brain injuries. Some of the most common head injuries among maritime workers include:
- Concussions – Concussions are extremely common head injuries, and they frequently go overlooked. Despite growing medical knowledge of the risks of concussions, many companies in the maritime industry still do not take the risks of these injuries seriously. Workers who suffer concussions need rest, and their brains need time to heal before it is safe for them to return to work.
- Contusions – A contusion is a bruise on the brain. While bruises themselves are not necessarily dangerous, the swelling that often accompanies bruising can present risks when it causes pressure inside the brain or impinges the nerves or blood vessels inside of the skull.
- Coup–Contrecoup Injuries – Coup-contrecoup injuries occur when the brain bounces off of one side of the skull before making a second impact on the opposite side. These injuries are particularly common in high-impact collisions. Similar to concussions and contusions, rest is essential for recovery from coup-contrecoup injuries, and maritime workers must be extremely careful to avoid suffering a second injury before their brain has fully healed.
- Hematomas – A hematoma occurs when damage to a blood vessel inside of the skull causes bleeding around the brain. Hematomas can present several risks, including the risk of life-altering (or life-threatening) brain damage without appropriate treatment in some cases.
- Hemorrhaging – A hemorrhage is a type of stroke caused by a burst artery in the brain. Even if a maritime worker does not experience severe effects immediately, a hemorrhage should almost always be treated as a medical emergency.
Warning Signs for Traumatic Brain Injuries
Due to the variety of risks most maritime workers face on a day-to-day basis, head injuries in the maritime setting are extremely common. While it will be obvious that a worker has suffered a head injury in some cases, in others it can be harder to tell.
With this in mind, maritime workers and their loved ones should exercise caution whenever they have concerns about a possible head injury. When in doubt, seek medical treatment promptly. Some examples of warning signs that a maritime worker may have suffered a traumatic brain injury on the job include:
- Dilated pupils
- Feeling anxious or depressed
- Feeling disoriented or confused
- Headaches that worsen or don’t go away
- Memory loss
- Nausea or vomiting
- Seizures or convulsions
- Trouble falling asleep or difficulty staying awake
- Visual impairments or disturbances
- Weakness, numbness or tingling in the arms or legs
It is important to keep in mind that a direct blow to the head is not necessary to cause brain trauma. While it is fairly common for maritime workers to suffer head trauma due to falls, collisions, falling objects, and other job-related risks, brain injuries can also occur in other scenarios. Whiplash and violent shaking of the head caused by collisions or rough seas, nearby explosions, and near-drowning incidents can all cause traumatic brain injuries as well.
Seeking Financial Compensation for a Head Injury Under Maritime Law
Seeking financial compensation for a maritime head injury is different from seeking financial compensation under different situations. State workers’ compensation laws do not apply, nor do the laws that apply to car accidents and other accidents on land. Instead, these claims are governed by maritime laws—and most often the Jones Act.
The Jones Act entitles “seamen” to maintenance and cure benefits when they get injured on the job, and it allows seamen and their families to recover additional compensation in cases involving company negligence. If you need to seek financial compensation for a maritime head injury, it is important that you speak with a lawyer who has experience handling Jones Act claims as soon as possible.
It Is Important that You Speak with a Lawyer about Your Claim
Many injured maritime workers try to file for maintenance and cure on their own. Often, companies will tell their employees that they don’t need a lawyer, and they will use various other tactics to try to prevent their employees from collecting the benefits they deserve. If you or a loved one has been injured, you have the right to hire a lawyer, and you should hire a maritime injury lawyer to make sure you receive just compensation.
When you choose us, we will get to work immediately on your maritime head injury case. We will investigate the cause of the accident, and we will help you avoid costly mistakes. For example, we will help make sure you see the right doctor, and we will help make sure you do not accept a settlement before you know how much you are entitled to recover.
From offshore rigs and barges to commercial fishing vessels and charters, we handle all types of maritime head injury cases. No matter what, where, or why it happened, we can help you protect your legal rights.
Talk to a Maritime Head Injury Lawyer Today
Are you entitled to financial compensation for a maritime head injury? Contact us to find out. For a free and confidential consultation, call 800-468-4878 or submit your case online now.
