Maritime injuries refer to harm or trauma suffered offshore while at work or engaging in recreational activities, such as boating or fishing. If you or a loved one suffered a maritime injury in Savannah, Georgia, the experienced team of attorneys at Bowen Painter Injury Lawyers can help you understand your legal rights and options. The law in Georgia may entitle you to financial compensation for many of your losses.
Contact our Savannah law firm to receive a free consultation with a Savannah maritime injury lawyer. We also operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you do not pay your attorney unless we are successful in securing financial compensation for your losses.
Why Is it Important to Hire a Trial Attorney in Georgia?
Hiring a Savannah maritime injury attorney can give you benefits that you will not receive with a non-trial attorney. Insurance companies in Georgia are more likely to offer larger settlements because of the threat of a trial. This is especially critical in cases involving industrial injuries, workplace injuries, or spinal cord injuries.
The reputation that a trial law firm has among its adversaries means the defendant in your case will take you more seriously, knowing you can go to trial and win if a fair value isn’t offered for your injuries. Furthermore, a trial attorney understands how to build a strong case by preparing it for trial and won’t overlook important evidence or details.
Maritime injuries can arise during a day of recreation or a day at work. Collisions involving speed boats, jet skis, or other large watercraft can cause serious injury, if not death, to those involved. During the trauma, medical treatment (both immediate and ongoing), lost wages, and a decline in quality of life can be very difficult to appraise. You need an attorney with the experience and foresight to recognize these needs so that you receive the highest recovery possible.
Employers are legally responsible for providing a safe working environment on land and at sea. Congress enacted the Jones Act to protect maritime workers—longshoremen; seamen; dock and shipyard workers; tug, dredge, and barge operators; and even bridge workers—from the hazards of the job, including injuries sustained as a result of an employer or co-worker’s oversight or negligence. Collisions, explosions, mechanical malfunctions, and a lack of safety precautions can leave many lives altered, whether they be victims or their families.
Bowen Painter Injury Lawyers is well-versed in Jones Act litigation and personal injury law. With years of experience and a record of high-dollar recoveries, Bowen Painter Injury Lawyers challenges insurance companies to recovery fairly and justly. For all maritime injuries in the coastal regions of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, call Bowen Painter Injury Lawyers.
Savannah Maritime Injury Resources
What Are Maritime Injuries?
Maritime injuries are injuries suffered in accidents that occur offshore, on the water. They can refer to injuries suffered at work in the maritime industry or during recreational boating activities. Maritime injuries can also refer to maritime-based shore accidents. Some of the most common causes of maritime injuries in Savannah are:
- Job-related hazards
- Watercraft collisions
- Dock and pier accidents
- Slip, trip and fall accidents onboard a vessel
- Failure to keep a proper lookout while boating
- Boat and equipment malfunctions
- Unseaworthy vessels
- Lack of safety precautions
- Poor maritime worker training
- Defective maritime products
- Toxic chemical exposure
- Fires and explosions
- Electrocutions
If a maritime injury occurs due to someone else’s careless or reckless act or omission, the at-fault party could be liable (legally and financially responsible) for victims’ losses. For example, if your employer failed to properly prepare you for the dangers associated with an offshore job in Savannah, your employer could be liable for a related maritime accident and injury.
Workplace Maritime Injury Claims
Workplace maritime injuries occur relatively often in Savannah. The Port of Savannah is the second-busiest port in the country for container shipping, behind only the Port of Los Angeles. It holds an important position in international shipping and trade due to its convenient position on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, along with immense warehouse space and terminals. The Port of Savannah currently employs about 440,000 workers.
Employers in the maritime industry have a legal obligation to provide safe working environments, both on land and at sea. A law known as the Jones Act protects maritime workers, including dock and shipyard workers, seamen, longshoremen, barge operators, and bridge workers. The Jones Act extends the Federal Employer’s Liability Act to seamen, enabling workers who are injured at sea to file personal injury lawsuits against their employers.
You may be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit against your employer in Savannah if it or one of its employees caused or substantially contributed to your accident at work. If a defective piece of equipment caused your maritime accident, however, you may be able to file a product liability lawsuit, instead. Your case may require an in-depth investigation to determine the cause of your injury or a loved one’s death.
Recreational Maritime Injury Claims
Recreational boating activities are popular off the coast of Georgia. Every year, thousands of seasonal residents and tourists flock to popular destinations such as Tybee Island to get in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, not all recreational boating and watercraft activities are safe for participants. Annually, hundreds of boating and other watercraft accidents are reported to the Coast Guard, along with many serious injuries and even deaths.
If you were injured in a recreational maritime accident, you may be eligible for financial compensation from the owner or operator of the vessel. The owner may be liable if he or she failed to properly inspect, repair or maintain the vessel, resulting in malfunctions or capsizing. Otherwise, the operator could be liable for mistakes such as improper lookout, boating under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and speeding.
What Compensation Is Available For a Maritime Injury or Death in Georgia?
A serious maritime accident can lead to life-changing injuries, such as broken bones, third-degree burns, lacerations, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, and accidental drowning. You or a loved one may require ongoing medical care that costs thousands of dollars over a lifetime. You may also suffer losses such as lost quality of life, physical pain and emotional suffering, and lost wages. You may be eligible for financial recovery for all of these economic and noneconomic losses, and more.
A personal injury lawsuit in Georgia could reimburse you for the following types of financial damages related to a maritime accident:
- Hospital bills
- Latent medical care
- Disability costs
- Past and future losses of income
- Property or watercraft repairs
- Pain and suffering
- Wrongful death damages
- Punitive damages
Although no amount of money can reverse the injuries and losses you sustained, a successful settlement or judgment award could allow you and your family to move forward with greater peace of mind. Holding one or more parties accountable for your maritime accident can bring you justice and a sense of closure. It can also pay for your related expenses without costing you anything out of pocket. A Savannah maritime injury attorney can help you understand what you are eligible to pursue.
Contact Our Savannah Maritime Injury Attorneys for a Free Consultation
Bowen Painter Injury Lawyers has years of experience in personal injury law and specifically in Jones Act litigation. With skilled trial lawyers and record-breaking recoveries, our law firm has what it takes to overcome challenges and go up against insurance companies to recover fair and just compensation for a maritime accident on your behalf. We’ve recovered millions, and top legal organizations like Avvo and FindLaw have recognized our success.
If you have been injured or a loved one died due to a maritime injury We proudly handle cases in Chatham County and its surrounding areas such as the coastal regions of Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. Call right away to request a free injury consultation with a Savannah maritime injury lawyer. You can also contact us online or visit our law office in Savannah, Georgia and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Maritime Medical Clinics
- Hunter Army Airfield – Horace Emmet, 685 Wilson Boulevard, Savannah, GA 31409
- Landmark Hospital of Savannah – 800 E 68th St, Savannah, GA 31405
- Memorial Health University Medical Center Emergency Room – 4700 Waters Ave Entrance, Savannah, GA 31404
- Landmark Hospital of Savannah – 800 E 68th St, Savannah, GA 31405
*Disclaimer – we do not endorse these companies or profit from having them listed on our website.
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