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Need an offshore injury lawyer? Have you been injured in an offshore or maritime accident?

The world’s most hazardous workplace is the ocean. The maritime sector in the United States employs over 400,000 people nationwide and is present in almost all states.

Shipyards, marine terminals, fishing, aquaculture, seafood processing, commercial diving, and maritime transportation are just a few industries that employ marine workers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the risk of illness, injury, and mortality for maritime workers is higher than that of the typical American worker.

Offshore injuries usually necessitate costly medical care, often long-term. They can result from slips and falls, equipment failure, collisions, fires, unsafe work practices, and negligence.

Workers who suffer catastrophic injuries may be unable to resume their jobs if they are physically unable to do so. Families may suffer greatly from this, particularly if the worker is the only source of income and cannot continue working.

Laws that apply to land-based workers are not the same as those that govern injuries sustained offshore. Please immediately contact a knowledgeable offshore injury lawyer at Montagna Maritime Law to ask for a free case review if you or a loved one is hurt or becomes ill while working offshore.

Need an offshore injury lawyer?

Categories of maritime injuries

It is acknowledged that employment in the marine business, particularly offshore work, has significantly higher hazards than land-based jobs and that the work is physically demanding. A person may sustain extremely slight injuries, terrible injuries, or even pass away. Many times, small injuries have the potential to worsen over time.

Among the most typical injuries sustained offshore are Lawyer for Offshore Injury TBI or traumatic brain injury, which can occur in any situation. Construction and industrial settings are among the many environments in which offshore employees frequently operate.

Brain injury can occur from a blow to the head from a slip or fall or by dangling or colliding with hazardous goods. Permanent cognitive or psychological changes may arise from this.

Back and Spine Injuries: Working with machinery, lifting large objects, and doing demanding tasks can result in back strain from prolonged standing, lifting, twisting, and straining. Vehicles or unstable loads can cause falls or injuries to offshore workers. Back and neck injuries can cause persistent pain, restricted movement, and, in the worst situations, paraplegia or quadriplegia.

Spinal and back injuries can result in long-term disability, even in cases where prompt medical attention is received. The most frequent type of injuries are from slips and falls, which can be quite dangerous. Slippage and fall-related accidents can lead to fractures and shattered bones injuries. Slipping on a ship’s or platform’s deck occasionally results in a fall into the ocean, quickly becoming highly dangerous.

Hearing loss: If workers are not given or required to wear hearing protection, they will likely eventually be exposed to noise levels high enough to cause hearing impairments. When there is a lot of noise in the workplace, tinnitus or complete hearing loss may occur.

Amputation may be necessary in cases of limb loss caused by accidents such as seizing and crushing a leg beneath unstable cargo like coils, pipes, plates, or tires, working with cables under tension, or inadvertently walking in a truck or forklift path. Losing a limb is a catastrophic accident that frequently calls for a prosthesis.

Crushing Injuries and Broken Bones: For daily tasks or building, offshore work usually relies heavily on heavy machinery. Injuries can frequently result when this machinery breaks down, or safety precautions are not taken. These injuries frequently result in crushed or shattered bones. In addition to causing harm to internal organs, crushing injuries can be fatal.

Frostbite and hypothermia: Marine and offshore employees frequently labor in harsh conditions day and night. This indicates that the severe cold to which offshore workers are frequently exposed might cause hypothermia or frostbite. Exposure to water, whether from falling into the water or from harsh conditions, increases these risks.

Drowning: If recovery is not swift, falling into water can soon become a potentially fatal injury. Additionally, even in very warm water, hypothermia can become a problem.

Lung damage: Workers may sustain severe chemical injuries in the event of an accident or when safety precautions are not followed or applied. The lungs may sustain significant, long-term harm if these substances are breathed.

Exposure to high concentrations of these substances can occasionally be immediately fatal. In other situations, brief exposures may cause small wounds that develop over time or become chronic.

Deaths: Each year, terrible accidents involving offshore workers occur on the US East Coast. You are entitled to compensation if your loved one dies due to an accident or carelessness.

Compensation Claims for Offshore Injury

A catastrophic injury sustained offshore has the potential to alter one’s entire life. Depending on the extent of your injuries and the events leading up to them, you might be eligible for reimbursement for Lost Earnings.

For wounded offshore workers and their families, lost wages claims can substantially impact them. You may pursue damages for lost wages, loss, and other injury-related losses if your injury prevents you from working.

Medical Expenses: You most likely have many medical expenses if you were seriously injured abroad. It’s possible that you can submit claims for both anticipated future medical costs and present charges. Surgery, physical therapy, rehabilitation, mental health services, and treatment-related travel expenses are all covered by claims. “aches and pains” refers to physical and mental suffering.

The former includes bodily pain from injuries sustained, aches and pains, deformities, and persistent problems; the latter includes mental suffering from mental agony, stress, anxiety, and a diminished quality of life.

In addition, maintenance and treatment are basic rights that all sailors have if they meet the requirements of the Jones Act. Your employer must cover your regular living expenditures (maintenance) and medical costs (treatment) while you are off work in the event of a work-related injury.

Working offshore and not fitting the description of a “seaman”? You can be eligible for compensation under the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act (LHWCA), a different federal legislation.

In the worst situations, injuries sustained offshore may be fatal. Employees’ families may be able to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against the negligent party to obtain compensation.

Selecting the Best Offshore Accident Lawyer

A skilled marine or offshore injury lawyer who can vigorously defend your legal rights is crucial if you have suffered injuries in an offshore disaster. Maritime attorneys are adept litigators who comprehend national and state maritime legislation and international agreements. They also have a solid grasp of their abilities to win your case and get you the most money possible for your injuries.

Few lawyers practice marine law and Montagna maritime law attorneys since it is a very specialized and professional area of law. Contact us now to speak with a knowledgeable maritime lawyer about your legal options and receive a free case evaluation at no cost upfront.