Offshore workers put their health and lives at risk every day. It is often dangerous work, and unfortunately, employers don’t always make safety a priority regarding the risk offshore injuries.
If you or a loved one has suffered offshore injures due to an employer’s or coworker’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation beyond what is offered by workers’ comp or the Jones Act. However, some offshore workers are not qualified as sailors or seamen and do not have protection under the Jones Act.
These workers must refer to other acts, such as the US Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). Underneath the LHWCA, onshore and offshore workers who work on vessels that do not have coverage under the Jones Act may seek compensation for injuries or death.
The LHWCA allows offshore workers to draw compensation for medical expenses and any rehabilitation therapy necessary for work-related offshore injuries that occur on navigable US waters or attachments to our borders. If in the case an employee suffers death under the protection of the act, their dependents would be the sole beneficiaries.
Our maritime injury lawyers at Pepper & Odom, P.C. represent victims of offshore injuries and accidents in Alabama, Mississippi and throughout the U.S. We can evaluate your case and advise you of your options.
Types of offshore injuries
Offshore Injuries sustained on oil platforms and aboard ships can be devastating. Some of the most common injuries that victims suffer include:
Head Injuries – Falling equipment, a blow from a boom, falls from heights, and other hazards can cause traumatic brain injury and other head injuries. These types of conditions can range from a concussion to a brain injury that seriously impacts your quality of life and ability to work and support your family.
Back Injuries – Falls, heavy lifting, and other hard labor can lead to significant back injuries that have long-lasting effects. Common injuries such as herniated disc, cracked vertebrae, spinal cord injuries, and nerve damage may lead to chronic pain, permanent disability, and require surgery with an extended recovery period.
Burns – Combustible fumes, defective safety equipment, welding accidents, electrical issues, and loss of well control can cause explosions and fires that result in serious burns, disfigurement, or death. Inadequate safety protocols and human error are often causes of serious burn injuries. These types of injuries may necessitate multiple plastic surgeries that require painful, lengthy recoveries.
Amputation – Improper use of cables, mooring lines, and crush accidents such as getting caught under heavy equipment or between two vessels can result in life-altering injuries. The costs of prosthetics and home modifications alone can reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
An injured victim may have to undergo grueling physical and occupational therapy, surgery, and other medical treatment, and can suffer serious psychological conditions such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
Employer negligence causes serious offshore injuries and death
Our maritime accident attorneys have handled tragic cases in which offshore injuries resulted in the workers death, they unnecessarily lost their lives on the job. Falling cargo, explosions, electrocutions, falls, equipment failure, and other preventable accidents caused by employer negligence can result in serious injury or death.
Some common types of employer negligence that can lead to injury or death include:
- Failure to implement appropriate workplace safety measures
- Inadequate or improper employee training
- Ordering workers to perform dangerous actions
- Ordering employees to perform actions outside the scope of their training
- Failure to warn of dangers
- Failure to adhere to OSHA standards
- Failure to assist injured employees
- Lying to employees
- Unnecessarily plotting a course through known hazards
- Other dangerous conditions
Treatment of offshore injuries
Maritime workers have rights to obtain treatment from their trusted physician after suffering a work related injury while at sea. However, your choice of physician may affect your case and how it may turn out.
To help determine what you can receive compensation for, you must obtain a doctor’s written report of your treatment and diagnosis, and testimonial. However, it is a possibility to suffer an injury that leaves you unconscious.
During that time, your employer may choose the nearest emergency hospital for you. However, an employer is liable under maritime law if you receive improper medical treatment in the case they choose a physician for you in a non emergency situation.
Instead of prioritizing your health, an employer’s chosen doctor may try cheaper treatments and procedures to save. These doctors do not have your best interests in mind, leaving room for negligence and, in some cases, malpractice.
Injuries that are misdiagnosed and left untreated properly can become worse. Fortunately, having the knowledge of a maritime law attorney at your disposal could help you in the case of malpractice.
At Pepper & Odom, we have attorneys with experience in maritime law, worker’s compensation, and other forms of personal injury in relation to offshore injuries. Don’t allow an insurance company, your employer, or anyone else to slow you down from getting the treatment you deserve.
If you are a maritime worker who suffers any offshore injuries, having the backing of the right attorney and doctors can ensure you get the compensation you need. Additionally, a personal injury attorney can be there to make sure you don’t have to worry about the overwhelming process of building your case.
How our maritime accident attorneys can help
Our team of experienced attorneys is well-versed in the complexities of maritime law, the Jones Act, and industry best practices. We know what to look for when determining whether employer negligence may have played a role in an offshore injury case.
We understand how to build solid cases and put all the evidence together to prove negligence. Our lawyers fight aggressively to help injured workers recover the full and fair compensation they deserve for offshore injuries.
We take the weight off your shoulders so you can focus on what’s important – your healing and recovery. If you’ve lost a loved one in an offshore accident and believe that it was due to employer negligence, our maritime injury lawyers may be able to help you recover compensation by filing a wrongful death claim.
Cases involving offshore injuries and maritime law are complex. Having a seasoned maritime accident attorney by your side is critical to ensuring all responsible parties are held accountable for their negligent acts.
Your initial case evaluation is always free, regardless of whether we proceed with your claim.