Ft. Lauderdale Maritime Lawyers

The heart of the Miami, FL metropolitan area, Fort Lauderdale is also home to numerous hardy individuals employed in the thriving local maritime industry, which plays a huge role in the South Florida economy. Maritime employment can be undeniably rewarding; it can be extremely hazardous as well. Injuries on the job are tragically quite common.

While many of these incidents are minor in nature, resulting only in fleeting discomfort, sometimes seamen become severely hurt while performing their duties. In the worst case scenario, they are left permanently disabled—or dead. Even less serious injuries can lead to a long-term diminishment of one’s physical abilities.

The good news is that injured maritime employees and their families often qualify for substantial compensation. However, to maximize your payout, you need an experienced maritime personal injury lawyer in your corner—someone who understands the sometimes confusing nuances of the law. The legal team at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., is available to help you obtain the settlement that you are entitled to under the law.

Offshore Accidents

Loading and unloading very heavy cargo on frequently slippery surfaces while in often unpredictable weather conditions—this is what many maritime workers face on a daily basis. Small wonder, then, that serious accidents happen. Offshore and maritime employees are vulnerable to a wide range of injuries and medical conditions, including these:

• Burns
• Spinal cord injuries
• Back injuries
• Pleural (lung) disorders
• Brain damage
• Amputation
• Hypothermia
• Compartment Syndrome

Injured seamen are entitled to financial compensation, however. The oldest and most basic type is known as maintenance and cure.

What Is Maintenance and Cure?

Regardless of a seaman’s degree of responsibility for their health issues, they can receive modest payment for elementary living expenses (a.k.a. maintenance) and compensation for their medical expenses (a.k.a. cure). Your maritime injury attorney will be able to help you file your claim and walk you through the process.

For many, though, this hardly makes up for the pain and suffering they endured, to say nothing of the possible loss of mobility and other long-term medical problems. Fortunately, you may qualify for additional types of compensation.

Other Forms of Compensation

If you have been injured in the course of your employment as a maritime worker, you may be entitled to substantial compensation if it can be shown that you have been victimized by the negligence of your employer, your vessel owner, or your co-workers. This is true even if you are partly responsible for your injuries.