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Maritime Attorney in Palm Harbor
Passengers and boaters face risks on the water from collisions, unsafe conditions, and crew negligence. We help victims seek compensation and justice.
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances. The attorney featured above is licensed in Florida. For a full list of attorneys in your state please visit our attorney page.
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Working at sea is dangerous. There is no doubt about that. Accidents at sea can occur due to many reasons. Some are unavoidable, such as bad weather conditions, while others occur due to negligence. If you or your beloved has been injured due to another party's negligence, you may be entitled to compensation under the Jones Act or other maritime laws. Here are some common causes of maritime accidents across the country.
Fatigue
Some maritime accidents occur due to fatigue. When maritime workers are overworked, the risk of losing concentration while at work is always high. And when that happens, the chances of accidents in such an environment significantly increase.
The human body needs rest after working long hours. Therefore, the employer's responsibility is to ensure that their workers are not overworked. But despite this common-sense requirement, some employers require workers to work more than they should. The result is usually disastrous.
According to the Maritime Labor Convention, maritime workers should not work for more than 14 hours within 24 hours. A typical work shift should consist of eight hours, with one day reserved for rest. As per the convention, maritime workers should also not work more than 72 hours in any seven-day period. Additionally, they should have at least 10 hours of rest in any 24-hour period.
These laws might vary slightly, but they generally provide an overview of how maritime employers should plan their employee's schedules. Despite these rules, some employers encourage their employees to work more than they should, promising higher compensation. But no amount of compensation can reverse certain injuries or even death caused by fatigue.
Slips, Trips, and Falls
Working at sea means you'll have to deal with wet surfaces most of the time. As a result, the risk of slipping and falling is usually high in such an environment. For this reason, maritime employers are required to provide their employees with enough training to handle slippery surfaces, among other measures to eliminate the risk of slips, trips, and falls. But that's not always the case in some work environments.
According to OSHA, slips, trips, and falls are among the most common types of maritime accidents. And the sad truth is that most of these can be avoided by exercising caution and sensitizing employees about the risks involved.
Inexperience and Lack of Training
Despite being one of the most dangerous professions, many maritime workers lack the experience and training needed to work in such an environment. Understandably, many people choose to work in this industry because the wages are relatively higher than most professions. In addition, many maritime jobs require little or no experience. But even though you may not need prior experience to work in certain positions in this industry, it is your employer's responsibility to offer the required training.
But the sad truth is that some employers do not train their employees to work aboard a sea vessel. Some begin to work right after getting hired, hoping to learn while on the job. But given the risks involved, maritime employers should always ensure that they hire individuals with proper training. So if you got injured in such an environment because you did not receive the required training, you might have a case against your employer.
Collisions
Collisions are not new to the maritime world. The saddest thing about some of these accidents is that they occur due to human negligence. If you or your loved one has been harmed due to a maritime collision, you may need to speak with an experienced maritime lawyer.
Dangerous Working Conditions
Sea vessels may seem beautiful from the outside, but they can pose great dangers to workers if certain conditions are not met. Workers in these environments must be trained and informed about their work environment, including the dangers involved. There's always the risk of fires, explosions, chemical exposure, and other dangerous conditions depending on the work environment.
In addition, it is the employer's responsibility to identify these dangerous conditions and eliminate them or provide measures to counter them should they threaten the lives or well-being of workers aboard the sea vessel. A simple act of negligence is all it takes to sink a ship, injure sea workers, or even claim their lives. Talk to an experienced Morgan & Morgan maritime attorney if you have been injured due to a maritime accident caused by dangerous working conditions.
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What Should You Do After a Maritime Injury?
Since maritime injuries do not occur in the same environment as most traditional injuries, many people do not know what to do in these situations. However, knowing what to do after a maritime injury can significantly improve your chances of obtaining a favorable outcome when you file a personal injury claim against the negligent party. Here are some steps to guide you or your loved one after such an injury.
Seek Medical Attention
There is a common misconception that the decision to seek medical attention after an injury is inspired by the need to file a lawsuit thereafter. On the contrary, your health comes first. Therefore, even if you decide not to file a lawsuit against the other party, you need to ensure that you are healthy after the accident.
The same applies even if you feel fine after the accident - do not underestimate the importance of seeking medical attention. You might be surprised to discover how such an injury could significantly impact your life and health. For example, internal bleeding is not the kind of injury you would easily detect without seeking medical attention. And when you suffer internal bleeding, you risk falling into a coma due to a shortage of oxygen supply to the brain.
This further explains why personal injury attorneys advise their clients not to discuss their injuries without legal advice. When you get injured, the insurance company will want to find out more about the nature of your injuries. So if you tell them that you feel okay and later discover that all along, you have been bleeding internally or experiencing other hidden symptoms, it may be much more difficult to connect these symptoms or injuries to the original incident.
A medical doctor will examine your injuries and write a report detailing the extent of injuries suffered. You can then rest easy if there is nothing to worry about. But if the injuries are severe, your doctor will begin the treatment process right away, increasing your chances of recovering.Gather Evidence
If possible, gather evidence of the dangerous condition that caused the injury. Be sure to let your attorney know if you could not gather evidence for any reason. They might still be able to build a strong case on your behalf.
Contact an Attorney
Contact an experienced maritime lawyer for a case evaluation. At Morgan & Morgan, we provide free case evaluation for all kinds of injuries. All you need to do is fill out the free online case evaluation form.
Why Hire a Maritime Lawyer?
First things first, maritime laws are complex. This explains why you do not always come across law firms or attorneys practicing this type of law. It requires a lot of knowledge and resources to not only practice maritime law, but also help injury victims receive the compensation they need and deserve.
More statistics show that in every 100,000 maritime workers, 15.9 are at a risk of suffering fatal injuries. To put things into perspective, this is six times the rate of all workers in the United States.
Here is how a maritime lawyer can help:Determine Liability
When it comes to maritime laws, the process of deciding liability is slightly different. Many factors come into play. For example, there are times when it may be necessary to file a claim against more than one party. An experienced maritime lawyer will evaluate your case and determine the party responsible for the injury, ensuring that you maximize your claim.
Gather Evidence
Many attorneys will tell you that gathering evidence is one of the most important things to do after an injury caused by negligence. But most people ignore that you may not even have the chance to pick up your phone and take photographs of the dangerous condition after such an injury. Sometimes, you may not even have witnesses to talk to after the accident. But this does not mean you do not have a case against the negligent party.
In some situations, the evidence you have might be a great starting point but not good enough to force the other party to compensate you for the injuries. The evidence might also not be strong enough to convince the court to rule in your favor. But that's not something you should worry about when working with an experienced maritime attorney. After evaluating your case and determining that you deserve compensation, the lawyer will also help you gather the required evidence.
It is also important to note that the law firm or attorney you choose to work with determines whether you will be able to build a strong case against the other party. For example, if you work with a law firm or attorney that lacks enough resources to fight for you, they won't be able to build a strong case or gather the required evidence to support your claim. But when you contact Morgan & Morgan, the largest personal injury law firm in the country, we will help build a strong case on your behalf.
Our law firm has access to unlimited legal resources to investigate maritime accidents and build strong cases for our clients. We have been practicing personal injury law for over three decades and have built strong relationships in various industries. When you choose to work with us, we will hire a team of investigators to collect crucial evidence required to build a strong case for you, increasing your chances of obtaining a favorable outcome.Creating a Legal Strategy
Maritime accident cases require a unique approach. For instance, did you know that commercial mariners are not usually covered under traditional workers' compensation plans? For this reason, the process of filing claims for such cases is quite different. At Morgan & Morgan, you can count on our maritime attorneys to help break down these complex legal processes and create the right legal strategy to maximize your claim.
Negotiating on Your Behalf
After building a strong case against the other party, our attorneys will also negotiate on your behalf. And if the insurer is not unwilling to settle the case out of court, they will face our attorneys in court when we file a lawsuit against them. In most cases, when such cases go to court, the other party ends up paying more than the initial proposed offer. This is because court cases are expensive and time-consuming.
Contact Morgan & Morgan Maritime Lawyers in Palm Harbor, FL
Morgan & Morgan ticks all the right boxes when you need an experienced team of Palm Harbor maritime lawyers to fight for you or your loved one. We are the country's largest personal injury law firm boasting an army of over 800 experienced attorneys ready to fight for you. Despite all that, we do not charge any consultation fees. And the best part of it all is that you do not pay us anything unless we win. Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced Palm Harbor maritime attorney.
Our offices are open 24/7, ready to serve you. Call (727) 275-6090 to speak with someone who cares about your rights as a maritime worker.