If you were injured on the job, a New Orleans longshore attorney can help you get the compensation you deserve. Read on to learn more about how the professionals at Scott Vicknair can help you seek financial damages for your longshore-related injuries, and contact us today for a free consultation. Longshoremen are tasked with loading and unloading cargo from vessels. It’s hard work, but it’s essential. Unfortunately, it’s also an incredibly dangerous job. There’s ample opportunity for injury, and even death.
If you’re a longshore employee, you’re exposed to hazardous material, heavy equipment, and even just wet surfaces that can cause slips, trips, tumbles, and falls. There’s no shortage of dangerous work, and you’ll need all the help you can get from a maritime accident attorney if you’re ever injured.
The Real Price of a Longshore Injury
An injury is painful, but that’s just the start of a very long and frustrating process. When you’re injured, you’re stuck with medical bills that can break the bank, and a lengthy period of recovery that may prevent you from collecting a paycheck for a very long time.
This financial instability can be stressful, especially if you’re just trying to heal up and get back to work. But if you were injured on the job, you shouldn’t pay out of pocket while you’re just trying to get back on your feet. Fortunately, you can count on the services of a New Orleans longshore attorney to help you get the money you deserve.
Know Your Rights as a Longshore Worker
An essential job means essential protections, and longshore employees are no different. The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA, commonly known as the Longshore Act) was passed in 1927 to ensure that longshore workers are protected in the event of injuries.
Under the Longshore Act, longshoremen, ship-builders, ship-breakers, and even harbor construction employees are able to seek compensation for the injuries they sustained on the job. This is different from the Jones Act, which exclusively covers the right of seamen and other crew on board vessels to seek compensation – but it works very similarly.
The Longshore Act grants you and your fellow longshore employees the right to seek compensation, but it’s not free money. You’ll still need a qualified lawyer to help you battle on your behalf.
A Longshore Lawyer Can Make a Difference
A claim for workers’ compensation can be difficult, whether you work in a harbor or in an office. However, longshore injuries can be much more severe than injuries sustained on other job sites, and because of their unique nature, longshore injuries need to be handled by lawyers who have specialty experience in the field.
Suffering From An Injury As A Longshoreman
As a New Orleans longshore accident lawyer understands, when you work as a longshoreman, whether on a dock, a pier, or a wharf, there is a greater possibility of danger than there might be with other jobs. Though each injury case will be different, you may be facing time off of work or you may be out of work for a longer period of time depending on the expected amount of time it will take to heal. If you were injured while working as a longshoreman, it is crucial that you understand what your rights are and how you can go about pursuing compensation. To see how a lawyer can help you, reach out to the team at Scott Vicknair, LLC.
Learn More About the LHWCA
When you are trying to understand how compensation works when you were injured while on the job, you have probably come across the LHWCA. This act applies to longshoremen, shipbuilders, ship repairmen, and maritime workers, just to name a few. To understand if you are covered, it is best to speak with a New Orleans longshore injury lawyer. They can thoroughly review your case to let you know how best to proceed. However, you may have a good idea of whether or not you are covered if:
- Your job requires that you work near navigable water. If you spend a good portion of your day working on a wharf, dry dock, terminal, or pier while you build or fix a boat/vessel or load or unload cargo, it is likely you qualify.
- Your job requires you to transport shipping containers away from ships.
Similar to other types of workers’ compensation, you could expect that if you become injured or diseased specifically as a result of the work you are doing as a longshoreman, then you would qualify for certain compensation. You can even fight for compensation for things like asthma, mesothelioma, and skin diseases if they were triggered by the work you do.
What might the compensation cover?
When you are fighting for compensation after an injury or illness, you want to know that it will cover your needs. Compensation may include:
- Diagnostic testing
- Hospital stays
- Surgeries
- Medication
- Physical therapy
- Medical devices
I’m worried my injury or illness will not allow me to return to my original job. What can I do?
When you have a lawyer by your side, know that they will work hard to get you the help you need now and help for the future. If you or your doctor do not believe that you will be able to return to your original job, it is possible you could be eligible for vocational rehabilitation. This means you could receive help for counseling, job development, and even job placement.
Becoming injured while at work can be difficult. When you would like to fight for compensation for your injuries, it is time to speak with the team at Scott Vicknair, LLC. To see what our longshore lawyer can do for you, schedule a consultation now.
How Longshoremen Get Injured
As a New Orleans longshore lawyer understands, there are many different ways that a longshoreman can become injured given the nature of the job. At Scott Vicknair, we are incredibly appreciative of the labor and hard work you do and are here to represent you when you are seeking compensation for injuries or illnesses. Because of the work that you do, there are several ways that you may become injured and we can help you fight for compensation. Give our office a call to see what we can do for you.
- Falling. Because of the heights at which you may be required to work, you may find that you are put in positions where you are more at risk of falling from higher surfaces. When you load or unload cargo it is possible for catastrophic injuries from a fall, whether you fall onto a ship, a dock, or in the water. This could lead to broken or fractured bones, internal bleeding, spinal injuries, or brain injuries.
- Slipping and falling. You’re right next to the water for most, if not all, of your job. The ground you walk on will likely be incredibly wet and even though you might be used to it, it is still possible to slip and fall.
- Heavy equipment accidents. You may be required to use various types of equipment for your job, including cranes, forklifts, or other vehicles due to the heavy cargo that needs to be moved around. Any of these kinds of equipment can do serious damage to a longshoreman, whether it is getting hit, crushed, or malfunctioning in any way.
- Exposure to dangerous substances. A lawyer knows that in your line of work, it is extremely common to be exposed to various chemicals every single day. When this is the case, you may be at a significantly greater risk of getting lung diseases or cancer.
- Exposure to loud noises. When you are around certain machinery all the time, you may be exposed to loud noises every day. When this happens, it can cause hearing loss early on.
- Objects falling on you. With loading and unloading cargo and the machinery you are around, it is not uncommon for something to get knocked off of a high surface or for a piece of equipment to snap and break. When this happens, it can cause something heavy to fall. If you are under this object, you may find that you suffer from brain damage, broken bones, or permanent disabilities as a result.
Get the Legal Representation You Need From a New Orleans Longshore Accident Attorney
When you have become injured as a result of working as a longshoreman, it is crucial that you get legal representation so that you are not fighting alone. If you were injured on the job and are ready to move forward to fight for compensation, reach out to the team at Scott Vicknair, LLC. We care about giving you the representation you need during this time. Schedule an appointment to speak with our New Orleans longshore lawyer now.
