Don't Let A Hurricane Sink Your Career
Most offshore accidents go unnoticed by the public. Unless a disaster like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion happens, America tends to forget there are thousands of people in the Gulf of Mexico hard at work on rigs, supply vessels, and ships.
Right now, we're in peak hurricane season- Hurricane Dolly is headed for landfall in Mexico. Most companies whose workers are in the path of the hurricane are implementing emergency evacuation plans and getting everyone out of the way. But sometimes, people get stuck, storms change direction, things go wrong.
In 2011, for example, a liftboat was stuck in the path of Hurricane Nate and was unable to clear the path. The mariners were forced to evacuate the vessel after battling 95 mph winds and 30-foot waves. They were later forced to abandon their lifeboat and swim for help. Several of them died and all of them suffered catastrophic injuries from exposure and dehydration. The survivors and their families wanted to know why the company abandoned them to face a hurricane, defenseless.
These mariners were Jones Act workers, and it turns out, their employers had an obligation under the Jones Act to give them a safe work environment. That obligation meant their employers should have taken every step to get them off that liftboat and out of the path of the hurricane. The bottom line is that the Jones Act safety requirement extends to hurricanes and dangerously severe weather.
Unfortunately, that liftboat story is not unique. And while some vessels are able to weather most storms, every worker who cannot be evacuated faces extremely dangerous working conditions and a significantly higher risk for injury.
How Jones Act Workers Can Protect Themselves During Hurricane Season
For Jones Act workers, a safe working environment can't always be guaranteed. The Jones Act gives you federal protections that extend beyond normal workers compensation laws, and includes compensation for injuries sustained in hurricanes. And you can take steps to protect yourself in case you are injured.
The most important step to take is to get this waterproof card. It will be your port in a storm.
To discuss a Jones Act injury case, give me a call at 877.724.7800 or fill out a contact form on my website, www.vbattorneys.com.