Missouri Maritime Law Firm Protecting Your Rights
As with many states that border the Mississippi River, Missouri provides access to various terminals and waterways, making water transportation a popular maritime activity. Unfortunately, that also means accidents on Missouri waterways are common, and many workers are seriously injured or even killed every year. If you or a loved one has been hurt, a Missouri tugboat accident lawyer at Willis Law Firm can help.
Compensation is Available for Injured Crew with a Missouri Barge Accident Lawyer
Maritime law, also known as admiralty law, provides special remedies for maritime workers to be able to pursue compensation for injuries sustained due to negligence of a vessel’s owner or operator. The Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) are two federal maritime laws that work to keep crew members safe. These laws apply to various maritime workers who are injured while working aboard or near a Missouri vessel.
If you have been involved in a barge accident, you may be able to make a claim with a Missouri barge accident lawyer for damages that include, but are not limited to:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Costs from rehabilitation
- Pain and suffering
At Willis Law Firm, our Missouri barge accident lawyer team takes your claim for compensation seriously. Vessel owners and operators have a duty to follow maritime laws and regulations to keep their crew members and passengers safe. There is no excuse for a vessel owner or operator not to conduct inspections and ensure the safety of everyone aboard. Their negligence can and does cause serious injuries, and we hold them accountable.
How are Barge Accidents Compensated?
Maritime workers are protected by government regulations. These regulations outline specific criteria that are important in determining how you will be compensated after an accident or injury.
Your Missouri barge accident lawyer at Willis Law Firm will gather all the necessary information to determine if you qualify for compensation and, if so, what legislation and requirements apply to your claim. For example, The Jones Act provides maritime workers compensation but only if the accident or injury happened on navigable waters.
Our maritime law firm is often asked how much compensation they can receive, but this question is virtually impossible to answer as the amount of your award depends greatly on the circumstances of the accident and the extent and severity of your injuries. Contact a Missouri barge accident lawyer at Willis Law Firm for a free consultation to determine if you can be compensated after a barge accident or other maritime accident.
Unique Dangers Facing Maritime Workers in Missouri
Maritime work is especially dangerous, and vessels working and transporting cargo and passengers in Missouri navigable waters yield injuries and fatalities every year due to the negligence of vessel owners and operators. Maritime workers often require specialized knowledge, skills, licenses, and training to help them stay safe while performing their essential job duties. Some unique dangers facing Missouri maritime workers include:
- Loading and unloading ships with special high-powered industrial equipment
- Handling hazardous materials and toxic chemicals (such as benzene or jet fuel)
- Working in situations requiring strenuous physical labor, heavy lifting, and small or enclosed spaces
- Operating in extreme temperatures and weather
- Facing increased exposure to illnesses and diseases (such as leukemia, AML leukemia, blood cancers, and other types of cancers)
Given the volume of maritime work performed each year and the injuries sustained, workers need representation and advocacy by an experienced Missouri barge accident lawyer who can advise them of their rights when injured on the job as well as fight for the compensation they deserve. Willis Law Firm advocates for injured Missouri maritime workers.
About The Missouri River
Formed by the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin rivers in the Rocky Mountain region of southwestern Montana, the Missouri River stretches approximately 2, 341 miles. The Missouri River is the second-longest river in North America and the fifteenth longest river in the world. The river travels seven states: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri. Chief cities along the river include Bismarck and Williston, ND, Pierre, SD, Council Bluffs, IA, Omaha, Nebraska City, NE, Atchison and Leavenworth, KS, and Kansas City, Columbia, and St. Charles, MO.
More than 95 significant tributaries feed into the Missouri River. Some of the longest tributaries of the Missouri River include the Platte, Kansas, Milk, James, and Yellowstone Rivers. Ports, terminals, and harbors along the river include:
- Howard/Cooper County Port in Boonville, MO
- Port of Kansas City in Kansas City, MO
- Port of St. Joseph in St. Joseph, MO
- Port of Metropolitan St. Louis – St. Louis, MO
- Southeast Missouri Port Terminal (SEMO) – Scott City, MO
- New Madrid County Port Terminal – New Madrid, MO
Common Injuries Our Missouri Tugboat Accident Lawyer Team Sees
Tugboats are a type of vessel used in Missouri waterways that are designed to help other vessels in distress by towing or pushing them. These vessels are built to be powerful and sturdy because of the nature of their work. However, because of the dangerous work they perform, sometimes crew members, passengers, or even bystanders have been injured in tugboat related accidents.
Some accidents our Missouri tugboat accident attorney commonly sees from injured clients who performed work aboard a Missouri tugboat, or other vessels, include, but are not limited to:
- collisions,
- improperly lifting heavy cargo and equipment,
- equipment breakdowns,
- mechanical failures,
- slips and falls from wet surfaces,
- falling offboard, and
- exposure to toxic chemicals.
These accidents cause a variety of different injuries to maritime workers aboard a Missouri tugboat, such as fractures and broken bones, drowning, back injuries, amputated limbs, burns, and more.
Contact Willis Law Firm Today for a Free Consultation
An experienced Missouri barge accident lawyer or Missouri tugboat accident lawyer can advise you on the legal remedies available to you for injuries you sustained while on or near a Missouri vessel. Willis Law Firm helps workers and their families who suffer from maritime-related injuries. Our firm has over 40 years of experience working with maritime laws and helping maritime workers and their families obtain the compensation they deserve.
If you have questions about maritime law and the remedies available for yourself or a loved one injured while working on or near a Missouri vessel? If so, call us at 1-800-468-4878 or email us through our online web form for a free consultation.
