Carolyn is an attorney and partner with the law firm of Latti & Anderson LLP. Latti and Anderson LLP...
Attorney Profile
Tanker Accidents
Tanker accidents can be particularly deadly to maritime employees, especially when those accidents involve hazardous or highly flammable cargo. Burns and poisoning are among the most serious of injuries and can often prevent seamen from returning to their productive working lives.
While tankers and container ships are mandated by the ISM (The International Safety Management Code, 1993) to undergo regular audits for safety, not all ships are in compliance, and this can lead to accidents that result in serious injury and even death.
Common causes of tanker accidents include the following:
- Failure to maintain equipment
- Broken equipment
- Lack of safety procedures
- Employers’ dangerous operations
- Mistakes caused by negligence or inattention
Equipment failures and poor maintenance can take a number of forms. Weak plates can cause a hull breach, resulting in breakup or sinking of the vessel, or serious personal injury or drowning. Weak railings, ladders and slippery floors caused by product leakage may result in slip and fall injuries that can leave the victim with head trauma, broken bones or back injuries. Dockworkers can be injured when an unloading pump or pipeline malfunctions and spills hazardous cargo. Malfunctioning venting systems can make the air on board a tanker unsafe to breathe or cause an explosion.
Seamen’s Rights to Compensation for Tank Accident Injury
If you or a loved one is injured in a tanker or container ship accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Under The Jones Act, maritime employees injured on the job are entitled to compensation for lost wages, medical expenses and more if negligence can be proven. For dockside workers injured while loading and unloading cargo, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act entitles you to compensation while you recover. In many cases, you may be entitled to maintenance and cure payments.
Your employer will do everything it can to limit your settlement, so it’s important that you hire an experienced maritime attorney to represent you. Latti & Anderson has expertise in The Jones Act, The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, and maintenance and cure cases—and we can get you the compensation you deserve.
The Latti & Anderson Advantage
Latti & Anderson are experts in obtaining compensation for tanker accident injury. We serve clients across the country, including people working on tankers and container ships in such areas as the Eastern Seaboard, Hawaiian Islands, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, the Alaska fishery, and Pacific Northwest, or overseas in the Far East, the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea.
If you have suffered a tanker accident injury while working on or unloading a tanker, container ship or other vessel, contact a knowledgeable maritime lawyer at Latti & Anderson. We’ll advise you about your rights. We have helped many workers like you collect compensation. Contact us to learn how we can help you with your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other costs resulting from a tanker ship accident.