Crew members who service and transport goods to drilling rigs, oil platforms, ships, and wind farms often brave dangerous conditions in the course of their jobs. The role of crew boats is critical, delivering personnel, fuel, food, and potable water to these satellite installations. Crew boats may face adverse conditions due to the boat’s relatively small size. Mechanical failures and operator error could result in maritime injury.
If you or a loved one were injured while working at sea, it is best to consult a Pascagoula crew boat accident lawyer. A skilled maritime injury attorney could help you wade through the process of seeking compensation for the injuries you have endured.
Crew boats may be employed to transfer crew for rotation between shore and offshore, in-field personnel changes, operational or repair purposes, or in response to emergencies. Crew boat injuries can result from:
Crew boat members may be especially at risk when responding to emergencies such as gas leaks or explosions on drilling rigs or platforms.
A plaintiff could bring a claim for their injuries under several different laws, depending on the worker’s role, the responsible party, and where the accident occurs.
If a worker or seamen, sustains an injury resulting from an issue with the crew boat at sea, they may be able to bring a Jones Act claim for unseaworthiness. The warranty of a vessel’s seaworthiness is put to the test.
The critical question is whether the vessel or some part thereof was reasonably fit or functional for the intended use. Failure to uphold the warranty for a broken vessel or its operation, including machinery, appliances, on-board gear and equipment, and cargo, can create liability for vessel owners.
A claim will also lie if an accident arises and injury occurs due to an incompetent skipper or short-staffed vessel. Even a fellow seaman of savage disposition who assaults a crewmember can give rise to an unseaworthiness claim.
Depending on the circumstances of the Pascaguola crew boat accident, other maritime laws may apply. For example, the Longshore Harbor Worker Compensation Act (LHWCA) could under certain circumstances apply if the thrust of an employee’s job is critical to repairing, building, loading, unloading, or disassembling a vessel.
Additionally, the Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA) provides a right of action for survivors of a worker killed on the high seas, generally regarded as an accident more than three nautical miles from shore. The act allows for recovery on the part of the decedent’s beneficiaries for tortious acts that took place beyond state territorial waters.
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) may, under some circumstances, be applicable when a crew boat member was injured while working on the outer continental shelf in natural resource extraction.
Plaintiffs should consider consulting an attorney because maritime law could be complicated to handle on your own. A knowledgeable attorney can be vital to crafting a successful legal strategy.
Legal counsel could help a victim recover compensation for their damages such as medical expenses, lost wages, as well as pain and suffering. Contact a Pascagoula crew boat lawyer today to discuss your options.