Port injury accidents are complex. There are many state and federal maritime laws and statutes related to personal injury and death in boat accidents, at sea and in ports. Recovering damages for personal injury and death that occurs on or is caused by seagoing vessels can be a difficult journey to navigate. When the injured party is a longshore or harbor worker, or a member of a ship’s crew, it becomes even more complicated.
Ports are a hive of activity, with large trucks, trains, and ships all converging at the same point. There is an enormous potential for port injury accidents to happen, and even the most cautious dock worker is vulnerable to injury.
Types of Cargo Ship Accidents
- Falling or sliding cargo
- Falling from heights
- Fires or explosions
- Chemical exposure
- Machinery accidents or equipment malfunctions
- Slips/trips and falls
Types of Injuries from Cargo Ship Accidents
- Traumatic brain injury
- Back and spine injuries, including paralysis
- Crushing injuries such as broken bones and/or internal organ damage
- Loss of limbs
- Wrongful death
Negligence
Many of the catastrophic injuries we see in port injury accidents are preventable; many are simply due to negligence.
Whether you are a longshoreman, a truck driver, a train engineer or an administrative agent, all it takes is a careless moment for an accident to occur. In our ports, even a moment of carelessness – looking away, taking your hand off the wheel, or deciding to save a few minutes by foregoing required safety precautions – can result in catastrophic injury or death.
If you have been injured due to someone else’s negligence while working at or visiting one of our nation’s ports, then you have grounds to make a claim against the responsible party or their employer.
Product Liability
Due to the sheer scale of operations in a port, equipment used must be maintained at the highest standard. With men and women’s lives trusted to the equipment lifting and moving large shipping containers, failure to maintain safe equipment by business owners is also an act of negligence.
Getting Legal Help for Your Port Injury Accident
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed while working at a port, there are important steps that you will want to take without delay. To protect your rights and your family, call the attorneys specializing in port injury accidents at TorkLaw today – 888.845.9696.