When a tankerman becomes injured and unable to work after an accident that was caused by the negligence of a vessel’s owner, Captain or crew, maritime laws give them the right to seek compensation for their losses. The tankerman injury attorneys at The Lambert Firm can help.
What Is A Tankerman?
A tankerman oversees the transfer of liquid cargo aboard oceangoing tankships or inland river barges. This cargo can consist of dangerous liquids or liquefied gases, such as gasoline, crude oil or liquid natural gas.
A careless coworker, a broken valve, a defective safety device or even a lack of training may be all it takes to trigger a disaster.
The Lambert Firm has its headquarters in New Orleans, but we serve injured maritime workers all over the U.S. If you are a tankerman who has been injured due to a preventable accident, we urge you to reach out to The Lambert Firm without delay. Statutes of limitation apply for maritime and offshore injury lawsuits, and the sooner we get to work on your case, the better your chances of success.
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A tankerman must be capable of lifting heavy equipment, climbing stairs and ladders, and moving around small or difficult to reach areas of a vessel. Consequently, their job often puts them into potentially hazardous situations with a high risk of serious, or even fatal, injuries.
Back pain is a common work injury. It is also the most common cause of disability worldwide.
When a tankerman suffers a back injury, it can be hard to continue performing his work duties and earn a living.
Tankerman amputation injuries may include losing a limb or digit in an accident. In other cases, amputation may be needed when treating an injury.
Extreme precautions must be taken during sandblasting to protect workers. When equipment isn’t properly maintained or workers don’t have the right training, serious injuries can occur.
More than a 25 percent of maritime workers show signs of depression, according to a study.
Tankerman may spend months away from friends or family, working long hours in harsh conditions. This can take a serious toll on workers’ mental wellbeing.
Learn More About The Struggle of Maritime Workers With Depression
The Gulf Coast is known for extremely hot, humid conditions during summer and often other times during the year as well. A tankerman performing physical labor in this type of weather is at high risk of heat-related health.
Learn More About Heat-Related Illnesses that Affect Maritime Workers
While water blasting injuries may not appear severe or be terribly painful, the addition of contaminated water will cause infections that pose great risk to the worker.
Learn More About Water Blasting Injuries to Maritime Workers
One of the worst hazards deckhands face is exposure to harmful chemicals. Whether by inhalation or direct contact, chemical exposure can cause serious, long-term health problems. In the worst cases, it can even lead to death.
Learn More About Chemical Exposure Injuries for Maritime Workers
When a tankerman accident leaves the worker with burn injuries, it can cause long-term physical and emotional scars, as well as extreme pain and suffering.
Spinal cord injuries can affect a tankerman for the rest of his life, potentially resulting in paralysis and loss of limb function.
Ships are full of small spaces, low hanging beams and heavy moving objects, putting all maritime workers at risk for head injuries. Even a small bump on the head can be a dangerous injury for a tankerman.
A lot of welding work on vessels takes place in confined spaces. This increases the risk of injury related to welding fume exposure.
Learn More About How Welding Fumes Can Cause Injuries to Maritime Workers
Being immersed in cold water causes the body to lose heat 25 times faster than being exposed to cold air. A maritime worker who falls overboard into cold water can fall into unconsciousness or die of hypothermia in as little as 15 minutes.
Tankerman can suffer traumatic brain injuries even in minor accidents. These types of injuries can cause long-term cognitive and neurological functions.
Moving from the ship’s deck to shore is one of the most dangerous times for a tankerman. When a gangway isn’t properly secured, it may come loose and fall, injuring the worker that is on it.
Serious work accidents can cause emotional trauma that is just as debilitating as a physical injury. Maritime laws allow tankerman who were within the “zone of danger” during the accident to recover damages.
Learn More About Recovering Damages for Emotional Distress for Maritime Workers
Anyone who has suffered a traumatic event is at risk for developing PTSD. A tankerman may suffer PTSD after a work accident. If the accident that resulted in their condition was the result of someone else’s negligence, the worker may be able to seek compensation under the Jones Act.
Nationally Recognized Attorneys
Compensation for Injured Tankerman
For over 40 years, The Lambert Firm has been representing injured tankerman and other maritime workers who have been hurt in onboard accidents that resulted from the unseaworthiness of a vessel and other negligence. Our maritime injury attorneys understand the ins and outs of the maritime industry and the many federal and state laws that protect maritime workers.
We fight aggressively to ensure our clients get the total compensation they are owed for the damages resulting from their accident. Damages you may be entitled to include:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of earning capacity
Contact The Lambert Firm to schedule a free consultation meeting with one of our outstanding maritime injury attorneys.
What Laws Apply in Tankerman Injury Cases?
The difference between maritime laws and remedies is important and can be complex. The Lambert Firm has been protecting the rights of injured deckhands and other maritime workers since the 1970s and can help you determine which laws apply to your case.
The Jones Act has been protecting seamen rights since it was enacted in the 1920s. This federal law expands the rights of injured seamen under General Maritime Law, giving them additional rights and causes of action for seeking damages after a work injury.
While most tankermen are considered seaman and protected by the Jones Act, the LHWCA covers workers who don’t qualify as seamen. It protects those injured while working in support of the maritime industry on any navigable waterway.
Tankermen and other crew members who are injured at work have a legal right to seek compensation when the accident was caused by the unseaworthiness of a vessel. This right comes from general maritime law, which also gives them the right to maintenance and cure payments.
Maintenance and cure benefits are payments for medical bills and daily living expenses. These benefits are a right given by general maritime law to maritime workers who have been injured at work.
These benefits are to be paid until the worker reaches maximum medical improvement or returns to work.
Case Result from The Lambert Firm’s Tankerman Injury Attorneys
The Lambert Firm recently secured a favorable settlement for a tankerman who was ordered to prepare for product transfer on a fuel barge despite icy, dangerous conditions and fell from the rungs of a push knee where ice had formed on the rungs of the attached ladder.
As soon as the tankerman contacted The Lambert Firm, we began investigating the accident. We were able to show that the captain was negligent in ordering the tankerman to work in unsafe conditions and that the vessel was unseaworthy for its failure to maintain the necessary equipment and tools to perform work in icy weather.
Over $1 Billion Recovered For Our Injured Clients
Frequently Asked Questions about Tankerman Accident Claims
The Jones Act only grants legal rights to injured maritime workers who meet the legal definition of a seaman. A few determining factors in qualification include:
- Does the tankerman work on a vessel that is in navigation?
- Do the tankerman’s job duties contribute to the function or mission of the vessel?
- Does the tankerman have a substantial connection to a single vessel (spending at least 30 percent of employment on it)?
Because the specifics of each case are so different, it’s difficult to give an accurate estimate for how long a case might go on. Most cases will take at least a few months but can take a year or even longer.
We know you need this money to cover the financial cost of your accident so you can take care of your family, so how much a case is worth is a very reasonable question. The truth is, we can’t give a quick or easy response.
The facts of every case are unique. The legal issues involved will be different depending on those details. These are determining factors in the potential value of your case.
While we can’t tell you now what your case is worth, we can point you to some of our verdicts and settlements. We also strongly encourage you to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced maritime lawyers to discuss the facts of your case.
Some workers who have been injured in maritime accidents decide not to file a lawsuit because of a fear of reprisal by their employers and getting put on the dreaded “blacklist.”
We can’t say for certain whether there is an actual “blacklist” floating around among maritime employers. What we do know is that this should NOT be a deciding factor in pursuing a claim. We know the laws that protect tankermen and other maritime workers from being retaliated against, and we can help you utilize those laws to protect your future in the maritime and offshore industry.
If a tankerman qualifies for maintenance and cure benefits, the employer is required to pay these benefits until the tankerman reaches Maximum Medical Improvement. If the maritime company you work for is “arbitrary and capricious” or “willful or callous” in delaying, denying or terminating these benefits, the law allows the tankerman to take legal action, including punitive damages and attorney’s fees.
Read more about your rights if an employer ends maintenance and cure too soon
If you’re a tankerman who was injured on the job, we know you are worried about finances already. Paying a lot of money out of pocket for an attorney isn’t something you can afford.
At The Lambert Firm, we handle tankerman accident cases on a contingency basis. That means there are no up-front charges for our services, and we don’t get paid until we recover compensation for you.
Contact the experienced maritime attorneys our law firm today to schedule a free consultation. We’ve represented all types of maritime workers injured while in port; on inland waterways, intercoastal waterways, or the open seas.
