Types of Accidents
Though the rate of maritime accidents board ship and portside has greatly decreased since man first started exploring the seas and capitalizing on shipping, the nature of the ocean means there will always be a certain degree of risk that can’t be controlled. Even the best Seattle-based crews and ships encounter sea conditions they can’t handle or emergencies they aren’t prepared for. However, there are safety factors that can be implemented to address this.
Vessel operators in the Pacific Northwest, including the North Pacific, Gulf of Alaska, and Bering Sea, have a high duty of reasonable care to the people who work on and around their ships, especially when it comes to increasing safety and reducing risks. This duty of care includes hiring competent supervisors that will exercise that same duty of care and use proper equipment that meets industry safety standards. Failure to provide measures and services that another reasonable vessel owner would provide, thus violating that duty of care, is known as negligence and can result in serious injury and even death for a worker.
Types of Maritime Accidents in Washington, Oregon, Alaska & California
Due to the unsteady surface, violent weather, wet conditions, and heavy equipment involved, the ocean is a dangerous place to work – both in port and at sea. According to the National Safe Boating Council, over 750 people are killed each year as a result of maritime accidents. Thousands of seafarers are injured as a result of the same every year in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, California, and elsewhere along the coast. Unfortunately, many of these accidents are preventable with the utilization of appropriate equipment, safety gear, and safety training.
Some of the most common types of maritime accidents experienced include:
- Hypothermia and Drowning
- Unsafe working conditions
- Slip and fall
- Cargo operation accidents
- Accidents due to inadequate training or safety measures
- Explosions
- Exposure to dangerous gasses
- Collisions
- Factory processing accidents
- Defective and unseaworthy equipment
- Unsafe ladder / gangway accidents
- Crane accidents
- Oil platform accidents
If you experience an injury from an onboard or portside accident like these due to the negligence of your employer or vessel unseaworthiness, you are entitled to pursue compensation and justice by law. Your employer may offer you a settlement to address your losses after an accident sustained at sea or port. However, be cautious. This number may be enticing, but may also not address all of your long-term losses related to an accident. It’s in your best interests to review your options with an experienced maritime lawyer in the state where your employer is located. More often than not, a maritime lawyer can double the value of your claim.
When seeking compensation from a maritime company, keep in mind that they are a large company with big maritime legal resources. Additionally, on a general scale, the statute of limitations controlling maritime injury claims is only three years – possibly shorter, depending on other factors. It is important to be well-equipped with a team of experienced lawyers specialized in maritime law to fight hard and fast for your claim against such a formidable opponent.
Let Anderson Carey Williams & Neidzwski, PLLC Fight for You
The maritime injury lawyers of Anderson Carey Williams & Neidzwski, PLLC have over 80 years of combined experience with maritime law in Washington and Oregon. Their offices are located in Bellingham and Seattle, Washington, as well as Portland, Oregon. They have pursued damages for crew members, officers, passengers, fishermen, longshoremen, dockworkers, and other mariners like you in hundreds of cases coast-to-coast against maritime companies of all sizes.
Anderson Carey Williams & Neidzwski, PLLC is so confident in their abilities to pursue your maritime injury case that you are not charged a single dime unless a recovery is made in your favor. Whether the best strategy for your maritime case is resolution through settlement or taking it through the trial and judgment process, the experienced maritime injury attorneys of Anderson Carey Williams & Neidzwski, PLLC will fight for a more favorable outcome for your maritime claim. For more information and to schedule your free initial consultation in their Seattle or Portland offices, call 1 (800) 262-8529 today.
