Resources

Shipyard workers, and other shoreside maritime workers, suffer from serious injuries each year.  Sometimes these injuries can be as serious or even more severe than those suffered by crew members working on a vessel. Longshoremen and harbor workers, such as those working on docks, shipping terminals, or shipyards, are covered by special maritime laws such as the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. This federal law can be complicated to understand if you are unfamiliar with legal language. However, the experienced maritime attorneys at Willis Law Firm can advise you of your legal rights under all applicable state and federal laws and help you or your loved one obtain appropriate compensation for the injuries sustained while working in a shipyard or performing other maritime-related work. Our firm fights to protect injured maritime workers.  Common Injuries Sustained by Shipyard and Other Shoreside Maritime Workers Shipyards are dangerous places to work, and they expose workers to the risk of serious accidents. One exposure faced by such workers is to toxic chemicals. Some of the common chemicals and toxins that shipyard workers may be exposed to include: Lead Benzene Asbestos Lead Exposure Although the federal government banned the use of lead decades ago, it still exists in some products and ships today. When lead-based paint on ships starts to peel away, it releases hazardous toxins into the air that become dangerous to shipyard workers. Maritime workers who breathe in these toxins or absorb lead through the skin can experience various health issues. According […]

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Did you know that maritime workers have a higher fatality, injury, and illness rate than other categories of workers in the United States? Maritime-related injuries and accidents occur on and off vessels for various reasons, such as owners and operators failing to maintain a safe and seaworthy vessel, slips and falls from oily deck surfaces, falling off defective ladders, and exposures to toxic chemicals, among other things. Some maritime workers are even injured while working aboard a vessel in untraditional manners. For example, several years ago, a crew member was wounded by a bread trolley in the galley of Celebrity Cruises’ Eclipse (a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises). The ship’s sudden movement caused the trolley to roll, fall over, and then strike the worker in the back.  The worker was awarded several million dollars for spinal injuries. There are many more stories out there where vessel workers were seriously injured.  The Willis Law Firm is here to help you or a loved one obtain compensation for the damages you sustained while at work.  What Laws Protect Maritime Workers? Maritime law is a niche area of law that protects maritime workers injured on the job. The protections and compensation available depends on several factors, such as the type of worker injured, where the injury occurred, and the specific details of the accident and injuries sustained.  Some of the more common laws that protect maritime workers include: Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA): This applies to maritime workers injured near navigable […]

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Having a vessel capsize or sink is a dangerous scenario that could happen to maritime workers performing their duties while in navigable waters. For many, such incidents never happen. However, others have dealt with the trauma and tragedy associated with a capsized or sinking vessel.   For example, in early September of 2019, a 656-foot vehicle carrier ship known as the Golden Ray overturned off the coast of Brunswick, Georgia, with crewmembers initially trapped inside of the overturned vessel. The ship had 24 people onboard, including 23 crew members and one pilot. Fortunately, the trapped crew workers were rescued after the Coast Guard’s intense rescue efforts. The rescuers performed taps on the ship’s hull to try and find the crew’s location. Finally, once they received return taps, rescuers could drill a hole into the hull and eventually rescue the crew. Although their lives were spared, some crew members sustained injuries.   In another example, a cruise ship on the Yangtze River overturned during a severe storm. It was carrying over 450 people. Many passengers were injured, died, or went missing. Unfortunately, there are other stories like this one and the Golden Ray where maritime workers were hurt. The experienced maritime attorneys at Willis Law Firm help fight for the rights of injured crew members and their families like the ones injured aboard those vessels.    Common Injuries Sustained By Workers Aboard a Capsized Vessel  Some common injuries that a crew member could sustain from a distressed vessel that capsizes or sinks include, but […]

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Picture it: You’ve booked the vacation of a lifetime, and it was supposed to be a time when you and your loved ones should have been enjoying the warm breeze of a tropical paradise and relaxing on white sandy beaches. However, instead, you end up sustaining severe injuries due to the negligence of the cruiseliner. If this has happened to you, the cruise ship injury attorneys at Willis Law Firm are here for you.  Unfortunately, both passengers and crew members aboard a cruise ship can be seriously hurt or even killed from various types of cruise ship accidents. That being the case, you should note that the attorneys at Willis Law Firm are different — we put clients first. Our firm is committed to holding cruise ship owners accountable.  We fight for injured passengers to get proper compensation for the injuries sustained while onboard a cruise ship.   Typical Injuries That Cruisers Can Face Our cruise ship attorneys have decades of experience representing individuals, including passengers and crew members, injured in maritime-related accidents, such as those that occur while aboard cruise ships. We have a deep understanding of maritime laws, so we can offer highly skilled representation to cruisers and/or cruise workers who have been hurt while onboard the vessel.   Some common accidents and injuries that cruisers face include, but are not limited to: Slips, trips and falls  Violence, rapes, and assaults,  Alcohol-related incidents Drowning from falling overboard  Fires and mechanical issues Weather issues and rough sea accidents Sadly, some passengers […]

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Crew members working on oil tankers are exposed to dangerous perils each day while working. However, there are special laws that govern maritime workers, such as the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). These federal laws provide compensation to various maritime workers injured while working on or near a vessel. At Willis Law Firm, our maritime accident attorneys are well versed in the law and we regularly fight for injured workers, including those working aboard oil tankers, to help them get the compensation they deserve for the maritime-related injuries sustained. If you or a loved one was hurt while working aboard an oil tanker and have questions, contact our office today for a free case evaluation. Our firm puts our clients first.  The Dangers of Oil Tanker Explosions Oil tankers can be especially dangerous for maritime workers because of the flammable and toxic chemicals they carry. Sometimes, explosions and fires can occur unexpectedly, which was the case with a Russian oil tanker that exploded in the Sea of Azovback in October of this year.  Thirteen crew members worked aboard the vessel and three went missing after the explosion. Although the tanker was actually empty at the time of the explosion, Russia’s Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport noted that the tanker explosion may have been triggered by flammable vapors left behind from the vessel’s previous cargo that it was transporting. After the explosion, the ship was incapable of operating properly and had to be […]

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