The Port of Savannah is the second-largest shipping port in the country. It employs hundreds of thousands of workers onshore and offshore, including thousands of longshoremen and dockworkers. Longshoremen are a critical part of the shipping and receiving industry. Unfortunately, shipping docks and ports can be dangerous workplace environments.
If you or a loved one was injured while working as a longshoreman in Savannah, Georgia or the coastal regions of South Carolina or Florida, Bowen Painter Injury Lawyers can help you stand up for your legal rights. Our Savannah longshoreman injury lawyers have more than 20 years of experience representing longshoremen and litigating Jones Act claims. Contact us today to request your free case evaluation with a trusted maritime injury attorney.
What Are Common Longshoreman Accidents and Injuries?
The job of a longshoreman is to load and unload cargo onto ships at a port or dock. Longshoremen and other dockworkers work outside, in all types of weather, and in dangerous environments that involve large equipment and heavy machinery. There is also a great deal of vehicle traffic, including powered industrial equipment and tractor-trailers transporting cargo.
Some of the most common types of accidents that injure and kill longshoremen include:
Under federal and state law, longshoremen and dockworkers have legal rights after accidents. If someone could have prevented your accident, such as an employer, you may have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit. Even if no one was at fault, a workers’ compensation claim could still reimburse you for your losses.
Waters in the coastal regions of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida have long provided workers with all sorts of opportunities to earn a living. Consult with our Savannah Longshoreman/Jones Act injury attorneys today for a free consultation.
What is the Longshoreman/Jones Act?
The Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act (LHWCA) protects these workers by guaranteeing compensation and medical care for employees who become disabled from injuries that may occur when loading, unloading, repairing or building a seafaring vessel, or in other circumstances. The law also guarantees benefits to survivors when these work-related injuries cause an employee’s death. The Jones Act protects the seamen and women who risk their health and lives at sea and in other waters by guaranteeing compensation for injuries that result in physical and mental pain and suffering, bodily disfigurement, and wrongful death. The law may also cover lost wages and benefits, depending upon the facts of a given case.
Many LHWCA claims depend upon medical records created whenever an injured worker visits the doctor for any kind of diagnostic testing or treatment. Employers’ insurance carriers may direct an injured worker to see one of its preferred care providers. But under this law, longshoremen, dockworkers, and shipyard workers have a right to choose their own provider, which makes LHWCA benefits different from standard worker’s compensation insurance. If an injured worker follows the company’s advice to “just go see our doctor,” they may put their chances at winning fair compensation at risk. They may even ask an injured employee to sign a company document that says somewhere in the fine print that the employee agrees to use the insurance company’s preferred care provider.
Procedural rules governing lawsuits in these areas can change depending upon whether a vessel was at sea or at port at the time a worker sustains an injury, or whether the worker was on land or at sea. The Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act, Jones Act, General Maritime Law, and Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act all provide different types of remedies to injured parties. Only experienced maritime injury attorneys will be able to fully investigate the facts surrounding a worker’s injury and then litigate a claim successfully.
What Are Your Rights as an Injured Longshoreman Under the Jones Act?
The Jones Act is a federal law that, among other things, extended the Federal Employer’s Liability Act to include seamen. It enabled workers who are injured at sea while performing occupational activities to bring personal injury lawsuits against their employers in certain circumstances. The Jones Act states that if a seaman is injured in the course of employment or dies from an injury, the victim or a personal representative has the right to bring a civil action against the employer.
A civil action – a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit – aims to hold one or more parties financially responsible (liable) for causing a preventable workplace injury. The purpose of a civil action is to make an accident victim whole again by reimbursing him or her for related losses, including medical expenses and lost wages. It does this by holding the person who caused the injury or death legally accountable.
What Financial Compensation Is Available After a Harbor Injury?
You may be eligible for financial compensation as an injured longshoreman in Savannah if one or more parties caused or contributed to your injury. If your employer failed to properly train you or provide personal protective equipment, for example, you may have grounds to file a lawsuit against your employer for causing your injuries.
As a longshoreman, you are also protected by the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. This act guarantees financial compensation for medical bills and lost wages for employees who have disabilities from injuries that occurred at work. It also provides death benefits to family members after the loss of a worker’s life at a port, dock or shipyard.
Consult With an Experienced Longshoreman Injury Attorney in Savannah Today
After an accident at work, an occupational injury, or the death of a loved one as a longshoreman, it is important to hire an attorney in Savannah with experience with these types of cases. Our Savannah longshoreman injury lawyers have years of experience with Jones Act litigation, general maritime law, workers’ compensation, and more. We understand what it takes to successfully resolve these cases and achieve the best possible results for our clients.
Discuss how we can help you and your family after a Port of Savannah accident or longshoreman injury. Call us or contact us online today to request a free initial consultation.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Savannah, GA
Bowen Painter Injury Lawyers
800 Commercial Ct, Suite1, Savannah, GA 31406
Open 24/7
Our firm is located near you. We have an office in Savannah, GA.
Find us with our GeoCoordinates: 32.005029,-81.1083453,723
IMPORTANT: Even if you were injured on the job you may not be limited to recovering only from worker’s compensation. We specialize in investigating on-the-job injuries to determine whether there are wrongdoers we can hold responsible for your injuries so you can be fully compensated for your loss. DO NOT LET YOUR EMPLOYER TELL YOU THAT YOU MUST SEE THEIR DOCTOR, DO NOT SIGN ANY AGREEMENTS OR SETTLEMENTS, AND DO NOT LET YOUR EMPLOYER TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE LIMITED TO A WORKER’S COMPENSATION RECOVERY WITHOUT TALKING TO US.
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