Florida Container Ship Accident Attorney
Accidents aboard container ships occur more often than people imagine. Any maritime job has inherent risks, whether you are working aboard a container ship or on the docks at the port. The work is dangerous, and every employee and crew member has a significant risk of injury. When this inherent danger is coupled with negligent conduct from other crew members, dock workers, ship officers, or owners, the risk of injury substantially increases.
Our Florida container ship accident attorney understands the legal challenges that an injured person will encounter. Additionally, our office knows that a severe injury aboard a container ship could have a long-lasting physical and emotional impact. Due to the nature of the work, many injures are devastating and life-altering. If you were injured aboard a container ship or while working on one while at port, you need an experienced maritime attorney at your side. Call Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. at (866) 386-1762 to schedule a free consultation.
Common Accidents on Florida Container Ships
Every container ship presents significant safety challenges. In order to accommodate the volume of cargo, containers are loaded and stacked directly on the deck of the vessel. These large and heavy containers will stay there for the entire journey. When a ship encounters rough seas, maintaining the integrity of the cargo is difficult. The dangers and risks associated with the cargo are only one of the many hazards a crew member faces aboard a container ship.
A container ship could be several stories tall. Unfortunately, crew members falling from a significant height is a common accident. Falling from a substantial height could result in severe injuries, such as multiple fractures, traumatic head injuries, spinal damage, or even death.
The containers on a cargo ship must be secured. If a container is inadequately secured or unsecured, a large container or group of containers could quickly cause devastation on a ship. In some cases, a container could simply slide overboard. However, if they slide or fall onto the deck, crew members could be seriously injured or killed.
Often, a cargo vessel will be transporting hazardous chemicals. When a container spills these dangerous materials, special and immediate steps must be taken to protect the crew’s health and safety. A failure to act or a lack of proper safety protocols on the ship places crew members at an unreasonable risk of harm.
Container ships are large and exceptionally challenging to maneuver. When navigating crowded waterways and ports, a container ship could collide with another vessel, injuring people on both ships.
Working on a container ship is inherently dangerous. The situations listed above are far from an exhaustive list of the hazards a crew member will encounter. Often, these incidents are the direct result of negligence or carelessness on another crew member or the vessel’s ownership. Our experienced Florida container ship accident attorneys have represented clients injured in many different types of accidents and have fought vigorously for our clients’ just compensation.
Common Causes of Accidents on Florida Container Ships
Accidents on container ships happen for many different reasons. Sometimes, an accident is an unavoidable and unfortunate occurrence. However, many times an accident and subsequent injury is the direct result of negligence or recklessness. Our Florida maritime attorney is committed to holding ship owners, captains, or crew members accountable for the harm they caused.
Unexpected and unpredictable severe weather is always a danger on the high seas. However, when this is coupled with poor decisions by the captain or a crew member carelessly securing cargo, catastrophic accidents and injuries could occur. A container ship is a large mechanism of many moving parts and pieces. If the vessel is not maintained, repaired, or inspected regularly, it will present an unreasonable danger to those aboard. Additionally, a ship needs to have safety protocols and policies in place. When these policies are ignored or not enforced, a crew member is liable to suffer an unnecessary injury.
Know Your Rights if You Were Injured on a Florida Container Ship
If you suffered an injury while working aboard a container vessel, you must seek experienced legal advice so you can understand your rights. Container ships sail under many different international flags, so having a skilled maritime lawyer is critical. Our Florida personal injury lawyers have the knowledge and resources to handle litigation that involves maritime law and international conventions that govern accidents and injuries at sea. If you are a crew member injured on a container ship, you are entitled to compensation under the Jones Act. This compensation includes payments for medical expenses and lost wages. When your injury resulted from negligence or carelessness, either by the ships’ ownership, commanding officers, or other crew members, you could be entitled to significantly more.
Call Our Florida Container Ship Accident Attorney for a Free Consultation
No matter your job description or assignment, every person who works on a ship at sea or on the docks that service it faces inherent risks. When a severe injury occurs, it can often have a significant impact on the hurt individual and their family. Depending on the seriousness of an injury, it could prohibit a person from returning to work at full capacity or at all. When the accident is the result of the negligence of another party, they should be held accountable. If you were injured while working on or around a cargo vessel, contact our Florida boat accident attorney immediately. The attorneys and staff at Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. are committed to representing those injured at sea or at port. Call (866) 386-1762 to schedule a free consultation with an experienced maritime personal injury attorney.
