Injury at Sea? - 6 Critical Things to Know If You Are Injured At Sea

I get calls almost everyday from workers who were injured at sea. All too often, the injured worker has done something, or said something, that has caused or will cause problems with their case.

Here are 6 critical things to know if you are injured at sea:

1. Your medical care comes first. If you need medical attention whether it be first aid, emergency care, hospitalization, get it immediately. If the vessel has a medic, see the medic.

2. If at all possible, you need to report the accident to appropriate supervisor. Request an accident report. Fill it out. Know that it will be used in litigation if the case goes to court. Get witness names. And fill out all other important information, including where it happened, when it happened, who was there, etc.

3. If possible, take pictures or ask someone to take pictures of the accident scene and your injuries.

4. You should sign the accident report ONLY IF you are satisfied that it is complete and accurate. In other words, don't sign a blank or incomplete or inaccurate accident report.

5. DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING THAT SAYS "RELEASE" OR "WAIVER" OR ANY LANGUAGE LIKE THAT. Some offshore employers will tell you that you've got to sign off on documents before you get medical attention, or get paid, etc. This may be a trick. If you are given documents to sign, you should STRONGLY consider having those documents reviewed by an independent lawyer before signing them.

6. Keep a complete file on what happened. Keep all paperwork. Consider keeping a diary or notebook with details about your medical condition, the events that led to your incident, and anything else you think is significant.

If you are injured at sea, as long as you handle things carefully, you should be able to avoid any issues later on if you need to get lawyers involved or go to court to enforce you and your families' rights.

About the author
Brian Beckcom is a founding partner of Vujasinovic & Beckcom, L.L.P. in Houston, Texas. Mr. Beckcom handles Jones Act and maritime injury and death cases, as well as all types of significant personal injury and wrongful death matters. Mr. Beckcom is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

To learn more about injuries at sea, the Jones Act, and general maritime law, please visit the firm's main website at www.vbattorneys.com, the firm's dedicated Jones Act and maritime law website at www.themaritimelawyer.com, or contact Mr. Beckcom toll free at 877.724.7800.

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