Broken Bones

With the heavy equipment on a ship or harbor, the climbing often required for a seaman to do his or her duties, slippery decks, and other hazards, broken bones can be common on a ship or while working on a dock. Numerous accidents can lead to a fracture, which may be minor or lead to long-term disability. If you are a maritime employee who suffered from broken bones due to the negligence or wrongful acts of your employer or other crew members, it is critical that you exercise your right to recover.

Washington and Alaska Maritime Lawyer for Broken Bones

If you have suffered a fracture while working on a maritime job, you could be eligible to recover under the Jones Act or another law pertaining to those who work at sea. A skilled Washington maritime lawyer can help you identify your options, and seek to help you get the compensation you deserve. Call Anderson Carey Williams & Neidzwski today at 1 (800) 262-8529 to schedule a consultation to discuss your case.

We represent maritime workers throughout the Pacific Northwest, including in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and California.

Information on Maritime Fractures

Severity of Fractures At Sea

Bones can become broken in several ways. The severity of the break will often depend on what happens when it fractures.

Compound: The bone breaks through the skin. These can be very severe, with blood loss and infection likely.
Hairline: This is a small crack in the bone.
Complicated: A break may be complicated if it damages other organs, including nerves or veins.
Comminuted: This type of break means the bone is shattered or broken into small pieces.
Avulsion: Tendons connect muscles to bones. An avulsion fracture means the tendons have detached, often pulling out a portion of the bone.
Compression: When two bones collide and break, it is a compression fracture.

The severity of a break may often depend on the particular bone injured. A fractured femur, tibia, humerus, clavicle, rib, skull or pelvis will all have different effects.

Broken bones, despite their severity, may cause a person to be out of work for a long period of time. Fractures at and around joints can lead to long-term disability and mobility problems, which may affect future ability to work.

Negligence and Wrongful Acts Leading to Broken Bones

The Jones Act allows seamen who have suffered injuries on the job due to the negligence or wrongful acts of an employer to seek compensation. This includes the negligence and wrongful acts of other employees at the workplace.

If a fellow crew member mishandled equipment and caused an accident that caused broken bones, for example, you may be able to recover under the Jones Act. If your employer did not have proper procedures that led to you falling and experiencing a fracture, you may be able to recover. If your employer did not have the proper medical equipment to immobilize a broken bone, you may recover.

If you did not fit the requirements of the Jones Act, there may be another law under which you may recover. Contact a skilled attorney to discuss your options.

Anderson Carey Williams & Neidzwski | Attorney in Oregon or California for Fractures at Sea

If you have suffered from a broken bone while working at sea, you may have a right to receive compensation for your injuries. An experienced Washington lawyer at Anderson Carey Williams & Neidzwski can help you. Contact us today at 1 (800) 262-8529 to schedule a free consultation.