What if My Loved One Died in an Onshore Maritime Accident?

In the video below, nationwide maritime trial lawyer David Anderson discusses the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act, which is a type of workers’ compensation administered by the U.S. government. Under the Longshore Act, onshore workers are provided with benefits, including replacement income and compensation for medical expenses if they are the victim of a workplace accident or injury on or next to navigable waters.

Prior OSHA Violations for Employer of Worker Who Drowned in Barge Accident

According to a February 16 report in the Waco Tribune-Herald, the employers of a worker who drowned in a January barge accident had previously been fined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for serious safety violations prior to the fatal incident.

“I’ve been an ironworker for 39 years,” said the business manager for the Iron Workers Local 263 union in Arlington, Texas. “It used to be when you got up on the iron, you walked it and didn’t tie off. You didn’t have three-quarters of the safety measures you have now….Forty or 50 years ago, insurance people would come out and say, ‘You may lose two people on a job.’ We seldom hear that anymore….Now, getting anybody hurt is unacceptable.”

OSHA is currently investigating a fatal barge accident that claimed the life of a 55-year-old worker on January 28. The accident happened when the aerial boom lift on which the worker was standing on slid off a barge into the Brazos River. The worker’s body had to be retrieved by divers in 16 feet of water and was still harnessed to the lift at the time of recovery.

The drowning was just the latest for the construction company, following a June 2008 incident involving damaged rigging from a crane falling where workers were standing that earned it a $7,000 penalty from OSHA. In addition, in 2009, OSHA inspectors fined the company $2,000 for having an unguarded grinder exposing workers to cut and amputation hazards during its construction of the Cowboys Stadium scoreboard.

If you would like more information about onshore maritime accidents and injuries or to discuss your case with a qualified attorney, call us today to schedule a free consultation. At Latti & Anderson LLP, our attorneys will give you and your case their full attention and will fight relentlessly to hold those at fault for your pain and suffering accountable, including securing the just compensation you and your family needs to cover past and future lost wages and medical bills.

Latti & Anderson LLP Nationwide Maritime Attorneys

Source: https://wacotrib.com/news/higher_education/drowned-bridge-worker-s-employer-had-prior-osha-violations/article_4257c534-1cb1-577c-a167-1b7e18aa5214.html