Maritime Offshore Injuries

Maritime offshore injuries include but are not limited to the injuries of anyone who is employed on any boat, ship, or other watercraft that is in the sea. However, maritime offshore injuries laws do not apply to longshoremen, who are covered under a separate set of statues. These laws however, do extend to those who work on certain offshore oil platforms. The platform workers that are covered are those who work on offshore oil rigs that are not permanent fixtures in their present location. Rather, they are the types of oil rigs that can be towed and moved from location to location.  Workers above these sorts of oil rigs are covered under the same laws for injury as workers aboard ships and boats of all kinds.

Maritime Offshore injuries are covered by a set of laws called the Jones Act. These laws are designed specifically to protect workers in offshore employment situations. The laws are separate and different from other laws governing worker safety because of the unique challenges and situations people who work offshore face on a daily basis. These laws also cover the compensation such workers are entitled to receive in the event of any kind of an injury while on the job. These laws are federal and apply to all crew members aboard all vessels. Whereas other laws protecting the safety and financial security of employees vary from state to state, the Jones Act is federal, covering all sea based workers.

Maritime offshore injuries can be very serious due to the dangerous nature of much offshore work. Working on any kind of a sea going vessel is dangerous, even at the best of times, with an entire host of dangers and potential problems that are not encountered in most other venues of employment. This is why it becomes so important for employers to provide safe and well monitored working conditions, in order to not exacerbate the already dangerous working conditions their employees face on a daily basis. Workers who are injured under these circumstances are entitled to significant financial compensation on the behalf of their employers and that compensation falls into two categories; maintenance and cure.

Someone who has sustained maritime offshore injuries will know that they can often limit your ability to work and earn a paycheck for sometime after the injury. The maintenance part of the compensation package an employer must offer an injured employee is designed to cover the costs of everyday living that would normally be supported by the worker’s own paycheck. In the situation where they are unable to earn in order to support themselves any longer, the employer who was responsible for their safety must shoulder the responsibility of supporting them as well. Many times employers will attempt to offer ridiculously low maintenance payments that could not actually support someone with today's costs of living. The services of a knowlegeable and experienced maritime lawyer can be invaluable for an injured sea worker to ensure they are receiving adequate maintenance payments. The second part of the compensation is called cure and refers to the employer’s responsibility to pay for all medical costs associated with the injury that their employee sustained.

If you feel that you may have a case that should be covered by the Jones Act, give us a call and one of our highly qualified attorneys will discuss your options with you. The Ogletree Abbott Law Firm employs attorneys that are knowledgeable in this field and we are well aware of the lengths that employers will go to in order to protect their assets. Let us protect your rights and get you what you deserve for your injury.