Offshore Hand Injuries: A Louisiana Jones Act Lawyer Discusses Your Rights
Have you sustained a hand injury while working offshore? You are not alone; finger and hand injuries are among the most common on-the-job injuries suffered by seamen.
Whether you work on an offshore oil platform, a barge or a supply vessel, if you are a seaman, you rely on your hands to do your job. Although the hand and wrist seem simple, if any of the 27 bones, nerves, arteries, veins, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joint cartilage in the hand are injured, you may not be able to work until your hand heals.
Types of hand injuries:
Lacerations (cuts)
Contusions (bruises)
Fractures
Dislocations
Crushing injuries
Soft tissue injuries
Amputations
Burns
Infections
Repetitive motion and vibration injuries
There are many ways that a seaman can sustain a hand injury. Some common causes of hand injuries among maritime workers include:
Heavy machinery accidents
Malfunctioning equipment
Electrical or chemical fires
Improperly secured cargo
Heavy lifting
Falling objects
Mooring line accidents
Slips and falls
Cargo loading and unloading accidents
Repetitive motion and vibration
Many hand injuries can be prevented with proper training, equipment maintenance and safety equipment. It is your employer's responsibility to ensure that your work environment is safe.
If you are a Jones Act seaman and you are unable to work because of a hand injury, you are entitled to receive maintenance and cure benefits from your employer. Maintenance payments cover a portion of your living expenses while you are recovering from your hand injury. Cure provides payment for your medical costs. You can learn more in our article: "What Is Maintenance And Cure?"
Jones Act Rights If your injury was caused by employer negligence, improper training, or unseaworthy conditions aboard a vessel, you may have a Jones Act claim. Jones Act damages include: pain and suffering, medical expenses and loss of wages and fringe benefits.
Not sure if you have a case? Unseaworthiness encompasses a variety of injury causes; if you aren't sure that you have a case, please discuss it with a Louisiana Jones Act lawyer. The initial appointment is free, so you have nothing to lose.
