Tug Boat & Barge Accident Lawyer

Tugs and barge injuries happen daily. Whether on deck or in the engine room, making tow, making locks, dropping barges, checking tow or handling the lines, injuries happen. Tugboat injuries often occur while bending or stooping, entrapments with drum winches, climbing or descending ladders or stairs, lifting or carrying equipment. In many cases the vessel’s condition, lack of working equipment or lack of a trained crew may have played a part in causing or contributing to your injury. Sometimes cold weather conditions with ice or snow covered decks and stairs. Other times oily or slippery floors and stairs are the cause, and even missing or worn out safety equipment may be the culprit. No matter what, you must immediately take the necessary steps to get well and protects your rights under the law.

Many barge and towboat workers are also exposed to high and low levels of benzene exposure on barges from pure benzene and benzene containing aromatic hydrocarbons from barges tanks full of toluene, xylene, jet fuel, aviation gas, naphtha and other bulk chemicals. These benzene containing chemicals are known to cause AML Leukemia, Multiple Myeloma, Aplastic Anemia (AA), myelodysplastic syndrome or myelodysplasia (MDS), Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, blood cancers, bladder cancers and other leukemias and cancers.

After Your Injury on a Barge or Tugboat:

• Report your injury immediately to your Supervisors
• Fill out an Incident Report
• Keep a Copy of the Accident Report You Filled Out
• Get Witnesses Names and Contact Information
• Get to a Doctor and get Needed Medical Treatment
• Call a Tugboat & Barge Injury Lawyer – If you Have any Questions

After A Maritime Injury – What Happens Next?

If the injury on the barge of towboat is serious, and immediate medical attention is needed, make sure you give the medical personal a short history of what happened as well. Under the Jones Act you are entitled to receive maintenance and cure. Cure being the medical treatments and medicines and care needed to get you to your maximum medical improvement and the maintenance being those wages that the employer would have spent housing and feeding you on the vessel. The daily rate may be $15-$40 or depending on what you union contract requires. It is very important that you know your rights as an injured tow boat or barge crewman. In many cases additional monies sometimes substantial amounts may be awarded to you if we are able to show or prove that your employer or the vessel owner was negligent or that the vessel was unseaworthy. This is when it is very important to get legal help soon. If you give a statement or sign an affidavit to facts that support your employer’s position and not your own, then it will be harder to make a case for you. If in doubt, call us for a Free Confidential Consultation.

Towboat & Barge Injury Lawyer

When you are injured you a law firm will work as hard for you as you do. All Maritime and Jones Act cases are handled on a contingency fee and we of course never charge you or collect any fees unless we are successful for you. Call 1-800-883-9858 – Nationwide 24/7