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Injured seaman seeks compensation against ship owner

On Behalf of | Nov 9, 2016 | Jones Act

An injury to a worker on a ship in New York is not the same as suffering an injury while working a job on land. For one thing, the person must use maritime laws to seek appropriate compensation. This gives the injured seaman the right to sue the owner of the vessel for negligence while also claiming maintenance and cure benefits. The lawsuit against the owner can ask for damages that do not involve medical care or living expenses while on land to seek medical treatment for the injury.

However, one injured worker is claiming that the owner of the ship he was working on, Tobias Inc., did not provide him with maintenance and cure. The worker, who has filed a lawsuit, is asking for compensation for the mental anguish, the disability he suffers from the injury and the physical pain the accident has caused him. He states that he was injured when he was working on the vessel, moving a generator’s hatch cover, which apparently weighed a great deal.

The worker additionally states that the company did not provide proper supervision or even training concerning the task, thereby creating a workplace that was unsafe. As a result, he argues that the company acted in a negligent manner. It is unknown exactly what type of injury he suffered – whether it involved his back, neck or arms – or how severe the injury was.

A vessel owner has a responsibility to make sure that their employees receive appropriate care and benefits when they are injured. If employees feel that their needs are not been met, they may find it beneficial to discuss their situation with an attorney who handles these types of cases.

Source: Louisiana Record, “Seaman alleges he was injured on vessel while lifting hatch cover,” Michael Abella, Nov. 8, 2016