Causes of Tanker Accidents

Tanker accidents are most frequently the result of failure to maintain equipment, broken equipment, lack of safety procedures, employers’ dangerous operations, mistakes caused by negligence or inattention, or the unseaworthiness of the vessel. While tankers and container ships are mandated by the International Safety Management Code (ISM) to undergo regular audits for safety, not all tankers are in compliance, and this can lead to accidents that result in serious injury and even death.

Negligence or unseaworthiness can be of several types:

  • Equipment failures
  • Defective equipment
  • Poor maintenance of equipment and vessel
  • Lack of safety equipment and procedures
  • Failure to follow procedures and operations
  • Inattention of crew
  • Problems with design of vessel and equipment

Rights to Compensation for a Tanker Accident

If you or a loved one is injured in a tanker accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Under the Jones Act or other general maritime law, maritime employees injured on the job are entitled to compensation for past and future lost wages, past and future medical expenses and more if the injured worker can prove negligence or unseaworthiness. The Longshore Act entitles dockworkers and longshoremen compensation during recovery for injuries they sustain while loading and unloading cargo. In many cases, injured maritime workers may be entitled to maintenance and cure payments, requiring their employers to pay them a stipend plus medical expenses until they reach maximum medical improvement or an endpoint. Our maritime and Jones Act lawyers are familiar with these laws and are very experienced at making sure injured maritime workers and the families of deceased maritime workers obtain the compensation to which they are entitled.

Contact Our Boston Maritime Attorneys

The maritime and Jones Act attorneys at Latti & Anderson LLP serve clients across the country, including people working on tankers in such areas as the Eastern Seaboard, Hawaiian Islands, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, the Alaska fishery and Pacific Northwest, 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, contact the Boston maritime lawyers at Latti & Anderson LLP and schedule an appointment to tell us about your case.