Texas Harbor Worker Injury Attorney
Helping Injured Harbor Workers
Working on the high seas can be a dangerous endeavor. It is important for maritime employers to provide a safe working place and safe working conditions that abide by the laws and regulations. Extra diligence and training are also needed to ensure protection for offshore employees. Harbor workers and their employers have the legal responsibility to follow safety guidelines and to be mindful of the hazards on docks and in shipyards.
When an accident occurs on a dock or shipyard, a harbor worker can receive compensation if they are employed with a United States company. Even with safety regulations in place, harbor workers are subject to serious injuries and even death while performing their daily duties. From ship repairers to shipbuilders and shipbreakers, all harbor workers need to understand how the law protects their rights. If you or a loved one have been injured while working as a harbor worker, a Texas offshore injury attorney may be able to help you seek benefits from your employer. The legal team at Arnold & Itkin LLP has experience helping the victims of shipyard accidents and injuries, and we will work hard to get you the compensation you deserve.
Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act
The Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA) is especially beneficial for harbor workers. The LHWCA provides job-injury and occupational-disease protection to employees who are injured working on the navigable waters of the United States, and also provides benefits for harbor workers who are injured in shipyards and boat yards located on navigable waters. This provision includes adjoining shore installations such as dry docks, terminals, wharves, building ways and other areas that are used by the employer and company for shipbuilding tasks.
Under the LHWCA, a harbor worker is able to file for disability compensation and medical care if he or she has been disabled from injuries that occurred while performing offshore duties. If your loved one has been killed in a tragic harbor worker accident, the LHWCA may also provide benefits for you and your family. The LHWCA does not stipulate that a worker's employer needs to be found at fault for the worker's injury. Regardless of the fault, a harbor worker may be entitled to seek compensation from their employer if they are injured or if they incur an occupational disease from their workplace.
Shipyards present an occupational hazard to workers through repeated exposure to asbestos. Asbestos-containing materials were commonly used in the construction and renovation of ships in the past, exposing thousands of harbor workers to asbestos while working on dry docks and shipyards. Our firm has experience in helping the victims of asbestos-related conditions, and we can assist you in seeking compensation for your health conditions.
Under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, you may be able to receive financial compensation benefits such as:
- Rehabilitation services
- Medical and disability payments
- Wrongful death benefits for survivors of maritime workers who die from work-related injuries
- Vocational rehabilitation
- Medical benefits for occupational diseases that arise naturally from maritime employment
A Texas Harbor Worker Injury Lawyer – Helping You Seek Compensation
Harbor workers are required to handle machinery and large equipment to complete daily tasks of constructing, converting, overhauling, repairing, dry docking and outfitting ships. Most workers are unaware that they have the right to refuse to engage in unsafe practices if they are in direct violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines. These standards and requirements are found under part 1915 of OSHA Safety and Health Standards for Shipyard Employment. If you have refused to engage in unsafe practices and are experiencing discrimination, a suspension or a discharge from your employer as a result, your rights are protected under the OSHA Safety and Health Guidelines.
A skilled harbor worker injury attorney can defend your rights under the law against your employer and other parties. Please don't hesitate to contact our firm for vigorous and compelling legal defense if you have suffered any type of offshore injury. Our attorneys are waiting to advocate for your best interests so that you can recover the compensation you need and deserve.
Contact a Texas harbor worker attorney at Arnold & Itkin LLP to discuss the specifics of your injury case.