In a maritime accident, it can often be the mistakes and misjudgments of a fellow crew member that cause an injury aboard a ship. If a crew member fails to follow procedures, the result can be a debilitating accident that leaves you with medical expenses and the inability to work. The Jones Act holds your employer liable for their failure to properly train and supervise staff.
Washington and Oregon Lawyer for Crew Member-Caused Injury
If you were a crew member aboard a vessel and were injured due to the negligence of another crew member, you may be able to recover from the employer who failed to sufficiently train and supervise your colleagues. A lawyer from BOATLAW, LLP can help you seek recovery from all responsible parties under the Jones Act. Contact us today at 1 (800) 262-8529 to schedule a free consultation.
Attorneys at BOATLAW, LLP are licensed and experienced in federal courts, which hear maritime cases, across the Pacific Northwest, including in Oregon, Washington, Alaska and California.
Maritime Crew Negligence Information
Employer Responsibility for Crew Member Mistakes
A vessel operator has a duty of reasonable care to all people who work on their ships. This means that the operator must act as a “reasonably prudent” operator.
A reasonably prudent operator ensures that the staff on his or her ship are qualified and well-trained, equip those crew members appropriately and enact sufficient supervision to ensure they are properly following procedures.
When a vessel operator fails to take all those necessary steps, he or she has breached his or her duty to the crew. If you, as a Jones Act seaman, were hurt as a result of this failure, you may have a claim for damages.
Types of Injuries Caused By Crew Negligence
Proper procedures that, when ignored, can cause serious injury include:
- Loading and unloading cargo
- Operating cranes
- Operating heavy machinery
- Operating and repairing nets
- Cleaning decks
- Handling dangerous chemicals
For the vessel operator to be liable, the danger must be foreseeable. All of the above and many other normal day-to-day job duties on a ship have well-documented and foreseeable dangers. It is, therefore, necessary that a vessel operator have proper procedures in place for crew members to follow and proper supervision of these employees to ensure they are following procedures.
The employee must have been engaging in an action within the scope of his or her employment when he or she was injured. This can be a point of contention in lawsuits involving the negligence of fellow crew members.
BOATLAW, LLP | An Alaska or California Attorney for Crew Negligence
If you are or were a seaman on a vessel and suffered an injury due to the negligence of another crew member, you may be able to recover from your employer or the owner of the vessel on which you were working. A skilled Washington maritime lawyer may be able to help you. At BOATLAW, LLP, we represent clients in federal courts throughout the Pacific Northwest. Call us today at 1-800-262-8529 to schedule a free consultation.
This article was last updated on Tuesday, July 10, 2018.
