Working for one of the shipping companies in Ocean Springs can be a hazardous profession. Employees who earn a living unloading cargo or performing maintenance routines on vessels are subject to many dangers. Immediately after sustaining an injury at work, it is best to seek help from an Ocean Springs dock worker accident lawyer. A knowledgeable maritime injury attorney could advocate on your behalf and help you seek the compensation you need.
Working on one of Ocean Springs’ docks is a difficult way to earn a living. Simply being outside during rough weather can cause water to accumulate and leave the entire area with limited visibility. Many of these workers use heavy machinery or hand tools which could malfunction and inflict serious injuries. Additionally, working near the water could lead to slips and falls.
Many of these dock worker injuries affect not just a person’s health, but also their ability to earn a living. It is not unusual for an injury to require a trip to the emergency room, surgery, lengthy rehabilitation, and permanent disability. These physical injuries may also affect a dock employee’s overall quality of life and ability to perform their job for the foreseeable future. A seasoned Ocean Springs dock worker accident attorney could help to evaluate how a workplace accident has affected an employee’s life.
Most employees in Ocean Springs and around the country are fortunate to enjoy protection under state workers’ compensation laws. This means that an employer must provide workers’ compensation insurance to their employees that covers the costs of medical treatment and wage loss in case of a workplace injury.
Unfortunately for most dock workers, they are not so fortunate. A federal collection of laws called the Jones Act exempts maritime employers from this requirement. The Jones Act, specifically 46 United States Code §30104, extends the provisions of the Federal Employer’s Liability Act to include seamen. For these workers to collect compensation after a workplace injury, they must pursue their employers directly in United States District Court negligence cases.
The Jones Act applies to people who spend at least 30 percent of their work hours on a navigable vessel. As a result, a dock worker who spends their time performing maintenance tasks on a vessel at port may qualify under this Act. An experienced Ocean Springs dock worker accident attorney could help to examine whether an injured dock worker may be able to claim compensation under the Jones Act.
When a dock worker is injured while on the job, they could sustain severe injuries. Unfortunately, injured maritime workers may not recover compensation for damages under workers ‘compensation. Instead, if you endure an injury while working on a boat, the only way to collect compensation for your losses is to directly sue your employer. An Ocean Springs Dock Worker Lawyer could help with this process. A lawyer can act quickly to evaluate your losses, to determine if you qualify under the Jones Act, and to demand that negligent employers provide payments for medical care, lost wages, and emotional traumas. Call today to schedule a consultation.