Off-shore workers are exposed to many risks that can cause disastrous accidents. Off-shore workers face a higher risk of severe and fatal injuries than the average American worker. No matter how many precautions off-shore employers and their employees take, off-shore accidents still happen.
Off-shore accidents can be financially, physically, and emotionally devastating. If you’re a maritime worker or seaman and have been hurt in an off-shore accident at work, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. A Broussard off-shore accident lawyer from our firm can help you find out if you’re eligible, answer any questions you have, and guide you through the process of a legal injury claim.
Common Off-Shore Accident Injuries
Off-shore accident injuries can range from minor to fatal. These injuries could depend on the type of accident, the accident’s severity, the precautions taken to reduce risks, and emergency response time. Some of the most common injuries include:
- Spinal Cord and Back Injuries:Hard labor, heavy loads, and operating equipment often require hours of pulling, twisting, lifting, and standing, which can cause muscle strain and repetitive motion injuries. Off-shore workers can also sustain injuries from being struck by unstable loads or vehicles. These accidents and activities can cause injuries such as a back or neck injury, limited movement, chronic pain, and paraplegia or quadriplegia.
- Loss of Hearing: Off-shore workers can be exposed to noise that can diminish their hearing. Without the right hearing protection, workers can develop tinnitus or even total hearing loss. It’s vital that workers, especially those exposed to significant noise, wear the proper hearing protection at all times.
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Some off-shore workers must do their jobs in an industrial and construction-like environment. They handle drilling machines and equipment, cranes, and other types of moving equipment. A worker can get hit on the head, causing a traumatic brain injury, resulting in permanent personality or cognitive changes.
- Slip and Falls:These are some of the most common injuries. Slipping on a wet surface, or tripping on ropes, nets, or cargo can cause broken bones, contusions, concussions, or a traumatic brain injury.
- Falling Overboard: Falling overboard can result in a life-threatening injury, hypothermia, even in relatively warm waters, and even drowning. Though there are several measures to help reduce the risks of drowning, this terrifying accident can still happen.
- Loss of Limbs: Working with nets, cables, pipes, and unsteady cargo can lead to injuries that require amputation. Workers can also unintentionally walk into a truck or forklift path and get crushed. Such injuries may require prosthetics and physical rehabilitation.
- Lung Damage: Some workers, like oil rig workers, are exposed to toxic chemicals. When such workers fail to use proper safety procedures, they can inhale these chemicals, and this can cause severe and long-term lung damage. Minor exposure can lesser damage that can still become cumulative or chronic.
- Broken Bones: Off-shore workers rely on heavy equipment for drilling and construction. These machines can break down and cause injuries, such as crushed or broken bones. Broken bones left untreated can cause further internal injuries.
- Hypothermia and Frostbite: Off-shore employees sometimes have to work in extreme environments during the day or night. This can expose them to extremely cold conditions that cause frostbite or hypothermia.
Every off-shore accident case is different. A Broussard off-shore accident lawyer can guide you in seeking compensation specific to your injuries.
For a free legal consultation with a off-shore accident lawyer serving Broussard, call (337) 777-7777
The Jones Act
While off-shore workers have a right to pursue compensation for work-related injuries, they’re not covered by worker’s compensation. As a maritime off-shore worker, you must file a claim under either the Jones Act or the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) to pursue compensation after an off-shore accident.
The Jones Act allows seamen to file a lawsuit directly against their employer for compensation after an injury. To qualify for the Jones Act, you must work onboard a navigating vessel and spend at least 30% of your time on the vessel. You must also prove that some form of negligence took place and resulted in your injury. The statute of limitations for the Jones Act is three years, which means you must file your suit within three years of the date of your injury. You must also report the injury to your employer within seven days.
If you don’t qualify to claim under the Jones Act, you might qualify for benefits under the LHWCA.
Broussard Off-Shore Accident Lawyer Near Me (337) 777-7777
The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act
The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) covers any maritime employee not covered by the Jones Act. This can include dock workers, harbor workers, tugboat operators, and shipping terminal employees.
Under the LHWCA, you have just one year from the date of your accident to file your injury claim, and you must report the off-shore accident to your employer within 30 days.
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How Can a Broussard Off-Shore Accident Lawyer Help?
Maritime law can be complex and hard to understand at the best of times. When you’re hurt and in pain, everything can seem more complicated, and it can be hard to focus on the details. A lawyer from our firm can handle your case from start to finish, so you can simply focus on healing.
An off-shore accident lawyer can gather evidence, take photos of the scene, talk to eyewitnesses, and study any video surveillance footage. Your lawyer could also negotiate with insurance adjusters and your employer’s legal team. Your lawyer can investigate your claim and determine the law applicable to your case. Your lawyer could also review logs and records to know if proper procedures were followed and establish negligence. Your lawyer can also represent you in court, if necessary.
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Contact Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers in Broussard Today
If you’ve recently sustained an injury or lost a loved one in an off-shore accident, our off-shore accident lawyers can help. We can handle all of the details of your case so you can rest and recover. Call Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers today for a free case review. We can answer any questions you may have and will keep all of your information confidential.
Call or text (337) 777-7777 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
