Shipyard workers are responsible for many different job functions vital for maritime industry. Among these tasks are building vessels, performing significant or cosmetic ship repairs, performing machine maintenance and overhaul, and conducting inspections. These tasks require heavy manual labor, and shipyard workers often have to face many workplace hazards.
Among the many dangers a shipyard worker faces everyday are burns, electrocution, exposure to hazardous materials such as asbestos, accidental slip and falls from ill-staged scaffolds, and sometimes, tragically, even death. Unfortunately, in some cases, these accidents could have been prevented if the employer had not been negligent in ensuring workplace safety.
Workers who have been injured while at a shipyard can now file a lawsuit against negligent employers under the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act. This act allows shipyard workers to seek compensation far more substantial than what most workers’ compensation plans provide. To know if the injury you have suffered qualifies you for compensation under this act, consult with an attorney from Joe Miller Law, Ltd, by calling our Norfolk office at (757) 455-8889 today.
