According to an article at MarineLink.com, at least 75 percent of marine casualties result from human error, and 16 percent of maritime casualties can be primarily attributed to fatigue. When fatigue is not the primary cause of an accident, it has been noted to play a role 37 percent of the time.
Experts tend to agree that insufficient rest has been a longtime problem among seafarers and little has been done to address this problem. In the past, dating back to the World War II era, ships would spend a week or longer in port after a long voyage while cargo was handled by different workers. This would allow the crew to get plenty of rest and shore leave.
Today, that is no longer the case. Cargo is loaded and unloaded within a day or 2. The crew is usually also busy with tasks of conducting inspections, making repairs, and handling re-inspections right before departure. Catching up on sleep is usually not a choice, and although there are some laws regarding working hours, mariners sometimes exceed those hours.
When fatigue exists while on the job, it could lead to serious injuries, if not fatal injuries. Your employer should make sure you are well rested, physically, and mentally healthy before performing your duties while out at sea.
Contacting a Maritime Law Attorney
Maritime law provides you with certain protections your employer may not want you to know about. A maritime law attorney from The Young Firm in New Orleans, Louisiana, can help you if you have suffered boating accident injuries, an offshore accident or other injuries that fall under maritime law or the Jones Act. Though we are based in Louisiana, we are ready and able to help injured victims throughout the U.S. Order our free Maritime Injury Law guide and/or our guide to what to do when you are injured offshore to learn all about your rights as an injured worker.
When you are ready to get started with your Jones Act injury case, we urge you to contact us today for a FREE case evaluation – call toll-free at 866-703-2590.
