What Are the Most Common Types of Maritime Injuries?
Given all that they have to contend with, from fires to drowning, maritime workers have a surprisingly low injury rate. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), maritime transportation has a lower injury rate than the rail or trucking industries.
However, a good record does not mean it’s a perfect one. So, what are the most common types of maritime injuries? Offshore workers in Houston, TX, suffer the same injuries that most workers experience, such as strains, sprains, and fractures.
Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers understands the maritime industry and can help you recover compensation for your workplace injury. Contact our record-setting Houston personal injury attorneys at (888) 603-3636 to learn more during a free consultation.
Table of Contents
- How the Undefeated Attorneys At Zehl & Associates Can Help You With a Maritime Injury Claim in Houston, TX
- How Often Do Maritime Workers Get Injured?
- Common Maritime Injuries
- Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Undefeated Houston Maritime Injury Attorneys – Call 888-603-3636 or Contact Us Online
How the Undefeated Attorneys At Zehl & Associates Can Help You With a Maritime Injury Claim in Houston, TX
Since 2006, Zehl & Associates has fought on behalf of injured clients in Houston, Texas, against those responsible for harming them. Our Houston maritime injury lawyers are undefeated on their path to recovering over $1 billion for injured people like you.
Our law firm will provide the following services if a preventable accident injures you:
- Review your case and outline your options for pursuing compensation
- Collect the evidence we need to prove your case
- File all claims and negotiate to resolve them
- Litigate against liable parties when settlement talks fail
Maritime accidents can leave workers unable to earn a living or even pay their medical bills. Contact our Houston personal injury lawyers for a free initial consultation to discuss your injuries and your rights under federal maritime law.
How Often Do Maritime Workers Get Injured?
The transportation and warehousing industry is one of the most dangerous sectors in the U.S. The BLS reports that transportation and warehousing workers suffer about 4.8 injuries per 100 full-time workers (FTWs).
When the BLS breaks the numbers down by transportation mode, you get the following statistics:
- Air transportation workers suffer 6.3 injuries per 100 FTWs
- Truck transportation workers experience 3.2 injuries per 100 FTWs
- Rail transportation workers experience 2.1 injuries per 100 FTWs
- Water transportation workers suffer 1.8 injuries per 100 FTWs
Contrary to popular belief, maritime workers have the lowest injury rate of any transportation mode. Equally importantly, the rate of maritime work injuries is lower than the transportation and warehousing industry average.
Common Maritime Injuries
Maritime workers perform a variety of jobs, from operating cranes and forklifts to piloting vessels. However, unlike many other employees, this group must contend with rough seas, slick decks, and other hazards inherent in working on the water.
The BLS does not report the types of injuries for individual modes of transportation. However, workers across the entire transportation and warehousing industry are harmed in similar ways. The most common accidents and injuries include the following:
Strains and Sprains
Overexertion is a leading cause of maritime injuries. This type of incident can result from a single event. For example, if you try to lift an object that’s too heavy, you can strain your back. Overexertion can also result from repetitive motions. Pulling straps repeatedly to secure a load could strain the muscles and tendons in your arm and wrist.
Overexertion usually causes strains and sprains. Strains happen when you hyperextend muscles or tendons. Sprains involve hyperextended ligaments. Minor strains and sprains could take up to six weeks to heal. Severe sprains or strains might require surgery to repair the torn tissues.
Fractures
Another major cause of maritime injuries is contact with moving objects and equipment. While working, powered equipment like forklifts could hit you.
Also, while at sea, the motion of the vessel can cause accidents such as:
- Objects falling on you
- Objects sliding into you
- You losing your footing and sliding into an object
Contact with objects and equipment often leads to bone fractures. A simple fracture can take up to eight weeks to heal. If you shattered a bone in the accident, it will likely require surgery and could take much longer to heal.
Brain Injuries
Brain trauma can result from falls, another common cause of maritime injuries. Falls from ladders and scaffolding can occur on vessels as well. You could also fall through an open hatch to a lower deck or even fall from the vessel.
A blow to the head can cause the brain to shift violently inside the skull. If the brain impacts the skull, you may suffer a cerebral contusion. This injury can cause permanent brain damage, coma, or death.
Even if the brain does not strike the inside of the skull, the violent movement can cause a mild brain injury called a concussion. These injuries usually heal in two to three months. However, you will likely experience physical and cognitive symptoms in the meantime.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Undefeated Houston Maritime Injury Attorneys – Call 888-603-3636 or Contact Us Online
Workplace injuries in the maritime industry can cause temporary or permanent disabilities that prevent you from caring for yourself and your family. Contact Zehl & Associates for a free case evaluation. We’re here to discuss your maritime industry injuries and how you can pursue fair compensation for your losses.