Back and Neck Offshore Injuries May Be Covered Under the Jones Act
When a maritime worker injures his back in an offshore injury, it not only means pain, but it is also inconvenient as it may prohibit him from returning to work. Back injuries can range from minor to severe, from a strain to a more serious spinal injury that could produce excruciating pain and inability to perform tasks that a worker may have been used to doing daily. Sometimes, even the slightest task or physical exertion may be impossible to perform after suffering a back and neck injury at sea.
When maritime workers suffer serious back and neck injuries, it may leave injured offshore workers in a constant state of pain that could radiate from their spine through the back and even to the shoulders and neck. When an injury is serious enough, it may mean weeks, months or years off of work. When this type of debilitating injury occurs, a maritime worker may have to stop working all together and may be at risk of facing unemployment.
Not only does an injured offshore worker have to deal with the pain of the injury after a maritime accident, but he has to deal with the stress of medical bills pilling up. If you were injured in an offshore accident, your back and neck injuries may be covered by your employer under maritime laws. You need to speak with a Jones Act attorney immediately in order to find out if you qualify for benefits under these laws.
The federal law that protects injured offshore workers is called the Jones Act and maritime law. Under this law, employers are required to pay for your medical bills until you reach the maximum medical improvement, as well as part of your salary (called maintenance payments) until you are physically ready to return to work. This law also allows you to choose your own doctor.
Sometimes accidents can happen through your own fault; however, other times maritime accidents occur as a result of lack of training, lack of staffing, inadequate equipment, or working in unsafe conditions. Do not let your employer tell you otherwise until you speak with an experienced Jones Act attorney.
To find out if you qualify for compensation for your lost wages, medical bills and more, call the Voss Law Firm for a free legal consultation at 888-614-7730. We represent injured maritime workers in the Houston Ship Channel, Galveston Bay, Port of Houston, and Gulf Coast, as well as the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The Voss Law Firm, P.C. represents clients on a local, national and international basis. We proudly serve companies and individuals along the Gulf Coast and around the globe on a contingency fee basis. Our law firm collects nothing unless we recover on our client's behalf.
