1-800-BOATLAW

Medical Expenses

Maritime law includes its own form of personal injury law, with federal obligations under the Jones Act and other maritime laws. The types of recoverable damages for injuries sustained due to negligence in the maritime sphere, however, are largely the same as in regular tort law.

There are two types of damages in maritime personal injury law: compensatory and punitive damages. Compensatory damages are intended to compensate the victim for losses sustained as a result of injury. Punitive damages are awarded to the victim to punish the defendant for wrongdoing.

An example of compensatory damages are medical expenses. Under general maritime law, an individual may be entitled to recover reasonable past and future medical expenses in a maritime personal injury claim.

Attorneys for Recovering Medical Expenses in Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska

If you or someone you know was injured in service of a vessel, or in a maritime accident, and is now facing expensive medical bills, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at BoatLaw, LLP.

BoatLaw, LLP consists of lawyers who are experienced in admiralty and maritime law with offices that serve Seattle and Bellingham, WA; Portland, OR; and San Francisco, CA. Our lawyers are dedicated advocates and skilled litigators who will fight to get you the best possible settlement.

Call 1 (800) 262-8529 to schedule a no obligations, confidential consultation with our office.


Back to top

Types of Medical Expenses Covered

Medical expenses can be extensive and sometimes treatment goes well beyond a stint in the hospital or a single surgery. In more serious cases, an individual may need at home care or multiple surgeries.

Statistics have shown that medical expenses due to an injury can cripple a person’s finances. Some medical expenses that may be covered under a claim for compensatory damages include:

  • Rehabilitative expenses
  • Hospital bills
  • Medical treatments
  • Medical equipment
  • At home care
  • Physical therapy

Back to top

Types of Injuries in Maritime Claims

The United States Bureau of Transportation Statistics for the Department of Transportation reported over 4,900 maritime accidents every year from 1992-2014. In 2015,  over 4,000 vessels were involved in accidents, 46 people were killed, and 108 people were injured. Since maritime work can be dangerous, the types of injuries that result are usually very serious and may be life altering.

Some of the injuries that occur due to maritime accidents include:


Back to top

Damages in a Maritime Claim

Medical expenses are also an example of economic damages. Economic damages are those damages that have a quantifiable monetary value, i.e., a cost.

Thus, economic damages can be any money that was spent solely due to another person’s negligence. Compensatory damages are the damages awarded to a prevailing victim to repay that lost money.

If a victim proves that they sustained a monetary loss in a quantifiable amount due to another person’s negligence, the court will likely order the defendant to compensate the victim for his or her loss by awarding compensatory damages.

Medical expenses are not generally difficult to prove because they can be shown with medical bills or the standard amount that a particular health facility charges for medical services.


Back to top

Find an Attorney to Recover Medical Expenses in Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska

If you or someone you know has been injured in a maritime accident in Washington, Oregon, California, or Alaska and they need help recovering the cost of medical expenses, contact the experienced personal injury maritime lawyers at BoatLaw, LLP.

Our attorneys are highly educated, skilled professionals, who have fought for their clients’ rights in the courtroom. They have cultivated a niche practice in admiralty and maritime law and understand how to use the law to their advantage.

Contact BoatLaw, LLP at 1 (800) 262-8529 for more information on how one of our experienced attorneys can help you.


 

  • The Maritime Law Association of The United States
    The Maritime Law Association of the United States (MLA) was founded in 1899. Its formation was prompted by the organization, some three years earlier, of the International Maritime Committee.
  • Washington State Bar Association
    The Washington State Bar Association operates under the delegated authority of the Washington Supreme Court to license the state's nearly 40,000 lawyers and other legal professionals.
  • Oregon State Bar
    The Oregon State Bar is a government agency in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded in 1890 as the private Oregon Bar Association, it became a public entity in 1935 that regulates the legal profession.
  • Alaska Bar Association
    The Alaska Bar Association is a mandatory bar association responsible to the Alaska Supreme Court for the admission and discipline process of attorneys for the State of Alaska.