Tampa Maritime Lawyers

If you’re a maritime or offshore worker, you already know that your profession is a dangerous one. The tragic fact is that the threat of serious harm—sometimes even catastrophic, life-changing injury—is never very far away. That’s why maritime personnel who get hurt on the job need legal representation that can help them secure financial compensation for their injuries.

Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P. is an established maritime law firm staffed by a number of qualified personal injury lawyers who are ready to take your case.

Offshore Employment: An Unsafe Work Environment

Why are offshore accidents so common? To a large extent, injuries among maritime personnel can be traced to inclement weather conditions. Hurricane winds aren’t a rare occurrence, out at sea, and sometimes this results in workers being thrown overboard.

There are other hazards as well. Machinery with moving parts can catch fingers and hands. Falling objects may land on unprotected heads. Slippery decks pose yet another threat.

The consequences of these types of accidents can be severe. Here are just a few examples of maritime injuries:

• Back & spine injuries
• Burns
• Hypothermia
• Frostbite
• Compartment Syndrome
• Amputation
• Pleural (lung) disorders
• Brain damage

As your maritime accident lawyers representing workers injured who reside in Tampa, FL, we’ll go the extra mile to ensure that you get the payout to which you’re entitled.

Maintenance and Cure

Injured seamen qualify for various kinds of compensation. The most basic kind—part of the general maritime laws for generations—is known as maintenance and cure, which consists of two separate elements.

• Maintenance – Weekly payments provided to the seaman for the duration of their recovery period.
• Cure – Payments intended to compensate the seaman for expenses related to injuries (e.g., medical bills).