Maritime Law

This act allows injured victims to collect compensation from their employer if they can show the employer played any role in the injury. Some examples might be spills on deck, inadequate training, or even overworking employees leading to fatigue-related or overuse injuries.

Unseaworthiness Claims: An unseaworthiness claim is a claim you bring against your employer for not maintaining seaworthy conditions aboard a vessel. These claims require you as the plaintiff to prove that your injuries were the result of unsafe conditions on the vessel, such as poorly maintained equipment or tools. In these claims, workers must show that the employer’s negligence of unseaworthy conditions caused their injuries.

Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA): The Longshore Act covers workers who work in maritime occupations but are not “master or member of a crew of a vessel.” Some common examples of workers who may be covered under the LHWCA include dock workers, harbor construction workers, longshore workers, oil rig workers, and ship repairers.

This act is similar to the Jones Act, as it provides legal recourse for workers injured on the job. It is a form of workers’ compensation that provides the worker with 66.66% of their wages during recovery. It also provides for compensation for permanent injuries or disabilities and familial compensation for wrongful deaths for maritime workers.

If you are a maritime worker who was injured on the job, or if your employer violated maritime workers’ compensation regulations, you may have a personal injury case against your employer to seek compensation for your damages and injuries.