When an accident occurs, an experienced personal injury attorney can help recover compensation for all the damages. Ehline Law and our personal injury lawyers have substantial experience in helping injured victims receive justice by holding the negligent parties accountable for their actions.

Suffer a Dock Worker Injury?

Receive a Free Consultation Today! Read on and discover why it remains important to retain a serious injury lawyer sooner rather than later to protect your rights to obtain money damages.

Common Causes of Maritime Accidents

The Los Angeles port handles more than 178 million metric tonnes of cargo annually and has around 88,000 port drivers ready to move the cargo from the gangplank across the port and the entire state. Besides cargo handling, the port sees around 650,000 passengers annually using the facilities and boarding cruise ships with no idea of their rights. With such high human traffic and handling of complex equipment, the risk of accidents is quite high for injured workers at the Los Angeles harbor and port maritime law claims. Because of this, you may need a Port of Los Angeles personal injury lawyer sooner than later.

Some major causes of Los Angeles maritime injuries in the harbor and ports include negligence, defective equipment, fires, slips or falls, drowning, forklift accidents, and more. Working at a port or harbor can get hectic, and things only take a split second to go wrong. The Jones Act protects workers, including Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach shipyard workers. To learn more from our maritime lawyer legal experts about receiving maximum compensation today.

Long Beach Worker Killed at Container Terminal

Our best personal injury lawyer knows that harbor accidents are no joke. On January 16, 2022, news broke of an accident at the Port of Long Beach, which adjoins the port of Los Angeles and acts as a significant gateway for US-Asian trade. Law enforcement authorities reached the accident site at 3:45 pm for an investigation.

The account of the incident suggested that a worker died from head trauma after getting hit by a moving vehicle. Still, there was no further information on the kind of vehicle, who was responsible, or how the accident occurred. Police are still investigating the maritime injury and at least one personal injury lawyer.

Another similar accident occurred at Los Angeles harbor on January 18, 2022, when a 4,500 lbs piece of metal fell from a forklift onto Edgar Ruiz (an employee), crushing him instantly near the cargo container ships. Brain injury accidents like this are pretty common with careless crane operators or defective equipment. Fortunately, injured dock workers receive coverage under the Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act.

Maritime Laws: Harbor Workers Compensation Act

They are working on a vessel as a crew member in the territorial waters, high seas, and a cruise ship accident. Or it could be an employee handling equipment in the harbor, posing a dangerous threat to workers like offshore oil workers. To protect workers, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) covers all employees not covered by the Jones Act, the general maritime law, or traditional worker’s compensation laws. Employers must purchase insurance for all their workers working in the port or harbor according to Maritime law.

Even minor safety violations in the harbor, port, or vessels undergoing ship repairs can lead to catastrophic injuries to your family members, affecting their livelihood and causing financial trouble. It even covers workers experiencing wrongful death in their working environment at container terminals.

The LHWCA annually helps provide more than $747 million in compensation across 27,000 cases. The act also places $2.8 billion in security as a guarantee to provide a continuing provision of benefits to the injured maritime workers.

Coverage Under the LHWCA

To qualify for the LHWCA, you must work in navigable waters or close to them, such as the dock, terminal, oil rigs, piers, etc.

Some of the work covered under the LHWCA includes:

• Loading and unloading a vessel
• Repairing and maintenance of a vessel
• Building and deconstructing a vessel
• Working on a fixed platform
• Longshore and harbor work
• And more.

Requirements for Maritime Workers to File a Maritime Personal Injury Claim

If you’re injured and looking to receive benefits under the LHWCA, you must ensure the following:

• Within 30 days following the injury, notify your employer about the accident.
• File a formal claim with the US Department of Labor within one year following the injury.

Schedule a Free Case Review With A Superior Harbor and Port Injury Attorney in Los Angeles

You may be eligible for compensation if you receive injuries while working in navigable waters or close to them. Contact our law firm at (213) 596-9642 for a free consultation with our experienced maritime attorney with advanced knowledge of admiralty law.

Ehline Law firm’s Jones Act lawyer has helped represent clients, even wrongful death victims. We helped many injured Los Angeles maritime victims recover compensation in America’s busiest ports. Cases we’ve handled include injured seamen in cruise ship accidents, harbor boating accidents, and port accidents along the California waterfront.

We also assist with other commercial fishing accidents involving cruise lines or longshore workers across Southern California. Whether a government agency, an employer, trucking companies, or other entities, we provide the legal help you need. After forming an attorney-client relationship, our law firm will walk you through the legal process. Put our extensive experience to work for your family or a close loved one in San Pedro, all the way to Huntington Beach. Call us at our phone number, (213) 596-9642, or use our convenient contact form today!