Ferry Worker Injuries

Ferry accidents are disturbingly common and come up in the news describing tragic crashes and vessels sinking. Passengers may lose their lives in these incidents, and ferry workers are too often lost or injured as well. If you work on or near ferries, you may be entitled to compensation if you get injured on the job. 

Types of Ferry Worker Injuries

Ferry workers can be victims of many types of accidents. For example, bad weather can cause hypothermia or frostbite if workers are not given adequate protective gear or time to come in from the cold and take a break. Long working hours can lead to fatigue and mistakes that cause accidents and resulting injuries.

Faulty or improperly maintained equipment may cause workers to slip and fall or have other accidents that cause injuries like broken bones, wounds, head injuries, back and neck injuries, or even lost limbs.

Ferries often carry cargo in addition to human passengers, and cargo can cause accidents and injuries. Cargo that isn’t stored appropriately can move and cause injuries, and cargo that includes toxic materials could lead to dangerous exposure and illness in a worker.

Some of the many types of injuries ferry workers may suffer include: 

• Burns
• Crush injuries
• Sprains and strains
• Fractures
• Lacerations
• Bruising
• Amputations or lost limbs
• Repetitive use injuries

Examples of Ferry Accidents

The news is too often full of tragic ferry accidents. No part of the world is immune to these incidents. Ferry boats are a great way to get around and allow people to access locations they wouldn’t be able to get to otherwise, but this kind of travel comes with risks for both passengers and workers.

Many states and countries with waterways turn to ferries for travel because they are less expensive than building roads and bridges. Unfortunately, when accidents happen, they make the news because fatalities are common in these tragic mistakes:

• South Korea, 2014. It’s hard to forget this tragic ferry accident because it resulted in the loss of more than 260 lives, mostly young students. The large ferry boat sank off the southwest coast of South Korea as it ferried the students and other passengers to a resort island. According to an investigation, excess and improperly stowed cargo was found to be the cause of the accident.

• New York, 2013. Fortunately, in this Staten Island ferry collision with its terminal in Manhattan, no one was killed or seriously injured. Workers reported a loss of steering control, which caused the collision and moderate damage to the boat and terminal.

• North Carolina, 2013. A ferry ran aground close to Battery Island, causing more than a dozen injuries to passengers and ferry workers. Luckily, no one was killed in this accident.

• Philippines, 2013. When a ferry disaster occurred in the Philippines, over 50 people lost their lives. The ferry, which was supposed to stay in a designated channel, changed its navigation and collided with another vessel. The Philippines relies on ferries for transportation between its many islands and has had many disasters, including at least 14 fatalities since 1990.

• Alaska, 2012. Not all ferry accidents cause injuries to the people aboard. In Alaska, a longshore worker suffered several injuries while loading cargo onto a ferry.

What Causes Ferry Accidents?

Ferry accidents can cause ferry worker injuries, passenger injuries, and both worker and passenger fatalities in the most tragic situations. What is to blame in these incidents? It is rare that no preventable cause can be found, which means there is nearly always some negligence involved.

The ferry owner is responsible for taking all measures to ensure the safety of passengers and workers. If something is missed and an accident results, the owner can be held accountable.

One of the primary causes of a ferry accident that is no one’s fault is bad weather. Some ferries ply dangerous waters, and if weather causes an accident, there may or may not be negligence involved.

Even when nature is to blame for an accident, the captain or employer may still be negligent. The ferry should not run if the weather is too inclement. Workers on the ferry should be trained to keep passengers safe when the weather is bad. If these precautions aren’t taken, negligence could be to blame in a weather-related accident.

Other common reasons for ferry accidents are clearly negligent:

• Intoxicated ferry operators
• Inadequate maintenance of the ferry and its equipment
• Improper worker training, overloading ferries with cargo or improperly storing cargo aboard the ferry, fatigued workers falling asleep on the job, or mechanical failures may cause the ferry to become unsafe.

Legal Help and Compensation for Ferry Worker Injuries

If you work aboard a ferry or on the dock in a ferry terminal, you may qualify according to one or more federal maritime laws to get compensation for your injuries endured on the job.

If you are eligible as a seaman and believe that negligence caused your injury, you can make a claim through the Jones Act. This law protects all seamen and gives you an avenue to claim compensation if your employer denies you that right.

If you work at the terminal but contribute to the operation of the ferry, you may qualify for the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. This federal workers’ compensation program protects those working in the risky maritime industry who do not qualify as seamen.

If faulty safety equipment, poor training, or anything else caused you to be injured on the job, you can claim compensation through this program.

In the unfortunate situation where a ferry accident leads to fatalities, the loved ones of deceased ferry workers may also be able to claim compensation thanks to these federal laws governing the maritime industry.

To help you navigate these confusing laws, you can rely on the assistance of an experienced maritime lawyer. This professional knows the laws inside and out and has helped other maritime workers get the compensation they need.

You, too, can get the money you are owed if you have the right person on your side to guide you and represent you if your claim goes to arbitration or trial in front of a jury or a judge.