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Dredge work is essential to maintaining navigable channels in and around ports and harbors but can also be backbreaking and potentially dangerous labor. Even with proper safety precautions and equipment in place, dredge workers can still get hurt on the job in various ways, any of which could possibly be the end of their career and the start of a long and slow path to maximum medical recovery.
Because of the unique risks that dredge workers and other maritime industry workers face every day, federal law provides them with unique protections after workplace accidents, which a maritime injury attorney could help you take advantage of. By working with a dedicated Pearland dredge accident lawyer, you could effectively maximize the benefits available to you after an accident on the job.
Common Injuries for Dredge Workers
The process of cutting, scooping, or suctioning sediment from the bed of rivers and canals is not particularly hazardous if every worker does their job carefully and the various pieces of equipment involved all function correctly. Unfortunately, dozens of dredge workers nevertheless get hurt every year as a result of momentary recklessness or carelessness by a co-worker, employer, contractor, or another third party like a maintenance tech or component manufacturing company.
Malfunctioning or improperly maintained machinery, lack of safety training and/or equipment, falling objects, collisions and groundings, and even explosions can cause life-changing harm to dredge workers in and around Pearland. Some injuries that are particularly common in dredge accidents include:
- Injuries to the hands and joints from repetitive motions
- Crushing injuries
- Severe burns
- Exposure to hazardous materials
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal damage
- Limb amputation
- Hypothermia
- Drowning
No matter what specific injury a dredge worker suffers on the job, a diligent Pearland attorney could help them maximize their financial recovery for their ensuing losses under applicable federal and state laws.
How Do Dredge Accident Claims Work?
Workers who get hurt while working on dredging vessels may have several options for pursuing financial restitution, depending on how exactly they got hurt and how severe their ensuing damages were. On the most basic level, dredge workers are entitled to “maintenance and cure” benefits under maritime law for any injury they sustain while aboard a vessel in navigable waters as a result of another person or entity’s negligence.
Additionally, the Jones Act is the federal equivalent of Texas workers’ compensation for maritime employees who work primarily offshore in any capacity. Through a successful Jones Act claim, a qualified Pearland lawyer could help you pursue compensation for the costs of all dredge accident-related medical care, both in the past prior to filing the claim and in the future for long-term or permanent injuries.
Other damages that may be available through this type of claim include lost income, lost future earning capacity, physical pain, emotional trauma, and lost consortium. Family members of maritime workers killed in dredging accidents may be eligible for survival benefits through a Jones Act claim, including funeral expenses and lost financial support.
Get in Touch with a Pearland Dredge Accident Attorney Today
Dredge accidents are all too common in the Houston and Galveston areas, and the injuries they cause often have lifelong and possibly even life-threatening consequences. If you got hurt while working on a dredging vessel, effectively pursuing financial recovery from your employer could be crucial to preserving your future stability after a dredge accident.
A knowledgeable Pearland dredge accident lawyer could be your dedicated and steadfast ally from start to finish of your claim. Schedule your initial consultation by calling our firm today.
