According to data from an American Bureau of Shipping project, roughly 50% of all maritime accidents are caused by human error while 30% occur as a result of the failure of humans to avoid an accident.
Injured in a ship accident or while at sea? Was someone else negligent? You may have a lawsuit on your hands – someone else needs to pay. You need legal help. You need to send the pain back to its source. Call RMFW Law at 212-344-1000 today!
This means that 30% of maritime accidents are caused by conditions that should and could have been countered. Additionally, as reported by the Bureau of Transportation, commercial ships and their crews accounted for 41 fatalities while 672 fatalities resulted in recreational boating in 2010.
Getting hurt or injured while working on ships is highly common. It is rare to find a seafarer who has not been in an accident or suffered injury. According to a recent report by a maritime organization, over 70% of personal injuries occur due to sheer negligence and failing to follow proper safety precautions.
Types of Injuries on Ships
Injuries on ships can range from minor to the most devastating types – some even lead to death. Although seafarers are aware of the injuries they can sustain, many tend to ignore safety procedures. In order to ensure your personal safety, it is important to remember a few common personal injuries while working aboard a ship.
- Eye Injury – While working on ships, protecting the eyes is of paramount importance. Shipboard jobs such as painting, chipping, welding and working with hazardous materials like chemicals, oil, etc. pose a great threat to the eyes of ship employees. You should make sure that appropriate Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, and goggles is worn while carrying out such tasks.
- Hand and Foot Injury – Working on ships involves handling sharp and hot materials. Seafarers should make sure that they use appropriate gloves to protect their hands. Several accidents have occurred as a result of wearing loose, wet, or oily gloves. Hand injuries have also occurred due to gloves getting trapped in machinery or drum ends, loss of grip, slipping of objects, etc.
- Head Injury – Head injuries often occur on ships because of failure to duck while stepping over coamings, etc. Such injuries can also occur due to slips and falls or working on machinery systems. It is vital for seafarers to make sure that they wear well-fitting helmets at all times when they work or enter confined spaces and work on machinery.
- Slip, Trip, and Fall Injury – Injuries due to slips, trips or falls can occur due to oily surfaces, slippery floors, openings in the floor, spare parts and tools lying on the floor, etc. Falling from heights, slipping over ladders and tripping off the rails are also accidents that can occur on ships, leading to serious injuries and in some cases, even death. Crews should make sure that every work area is clutter-free and clean to prevent trips, slips, etc. Employers should also make sure that crew members are given proper training before they take on dangerous jobs.
RMFW Law is a Wonderful Law Firm
If you or a loved one is injured while working on a ship due to an employer’s negligence, you must immediately seek the help of a skilled personal injury attorney at Rosenberg, Minc, Falloff, & Wolff of RMFW Law at 212-344-1000. Give us a call to set up a consultation. The first meeting is free.
We know how to win cases. Our track record is fabulous. We have won millions of dollars for past clients, you can be on this prolific list. Give us a call – it will cost you nothing.
