Tugboat Accidents and Injuries

Tugboat crew members have the dangerous job of maneuvering through tight spaces, often while attached to much larger vessels. Many workers aboard tugboats have been in accidents that caused injuries and have even been killed on the job. If you are a tugboat worker, know the rights you have in the case of an on-the-job accident.

About Tugboats

Tugboats, and the workers who operate them, have an essential job in the maritime industry. Tugboats are used to tow or push larger vessels.

These are ships that can’t power themselves for one reason or another. For example, a tugboat might tow a large ship through a narrow canal or a busy harbor, pushing a disabled ship back to port or tow oil platforms and barges.

Tugboats may even break the ice, fight fires, or salvage stranded ships. They are small but sturdy and powerful boats, up to the task of caring for larger ships.

What Are the Types of Tugboats? 

There are several different kinds of tugboats, but three main types are distinguished by where they operate and what they do.

All of these are covered under federal maritime law, so if you work aboard any of these kinds of tugboats and are injured in a work accident, you may be entitled to compensation.

• River tugboats. These are also known as push boats, and they push or tow vessels on rivers, typically those that have broken down and need a lift back to the shore for repairs. These tugboats are specifically designed to work on rivers and, while powerful, are not appropriate for work on the ocean or harbors.
• Harbor tugboats. These tugboats are bigger and more powerful than river tugboats. They are used to steer larger ships through crowded harbors. Harbors employ these tugboats and crew them as needed.
• Ocean tugboats. Tugboats operating in the open ocean are the largest and most powerful of these boats. There are different styles of ocean tugboats depending on how they connect to the ships they are towing. The winches used aboard these tugboats are large and powerful.

The Dangers of Working on Tugboats

All maritime jobs include inherent risks and dangers, but the work that tugboats do puts them in a special category. Compared to other boats, tugboats are small yet require a lot of equipment. This means space is at a premium, and crowded boats lead to accidents.

Tugboats have hawsers and winches for connecting to ships under great pressure. A snapped hawser can cause a lot of damage. These are just some things that make tugboat work so dangerous.

Some of the other leading causes of accidents aboard tugboats include:

• Mechanical failures. Defective equipment, old machinery, and equipment that hasn’t been adequately maintained are all things that can cause accidents and resulting injuries. Tugboats require a lot of equipment to do their work, which can be harmful when that equipment fails.
• Collisions. Even with careful piloting, these accidents can happen. Tugboats often navigate tight spaces. Pilots must be highly skilled, well-practiced, and experienced to navigate these spaces without collisions.
• Capsizing. Capsizing is a risk on any type of boat, but it is the leading cause of injuries and deaths on tugboats. Their small size, especially in the open ocean, can lead to tragic capsizing incidents.
• Falls. Because tugboats are small and crowded, trips, slips, and falls are not uncommon for workers aboard them. A fall can lead to an injury or even an overboard accident. Wet surfaces can cause slips, while crowded conditions cause trips.

Tugboat Accidents

Many accidents occur on tugboats from time to time, and that makes the news. In the best-case scenario, workers are only injured, but too often, there are fatalities.

Tugboat Deckhad Fatalities

A young woman on her way to becoming a tugboat pilot died while working as a deckhand aboard a tugboat in California. While towing a barge, the hawser connecting her to it hit her with enough force to slam her into the railing and kill her.

In 2010 a snapped hawser on a tugboat working in the United Kingdom struck and killed a deckhand. This kind of accident is not uncommon on tugboats. Being in the snap-back zone or using a hawser that is too weak for the job can increase the risk.

Capsized Tugboat

In an incident in Long Island in 2014, four people had to be pulled from the water when the tugboat they were aboard capsized. The four men survived, but barely.

They said a big wave turned the boat over. The accident occurred in the same area as another capsized tugboat just two days earlier. That boat also overturned when a large wave struck it.

Tugboat Collision

Most tugboat incidents are accidents, but negligence is usually involved in some way. In some cases, it is more obvious than in others. A tugboat pilot collided with a duck boat and killed tourists aboard that boat on the Delaware River in 2010.

The pilot was operating the tugboat while on his cell phone with his family when the accident occurred. It was a clear case of criminal negligence, and the captain went to prison.

Legal Assistance for Tugboat Accidents

If you work aboard a tugboat, you have a naturally risky job. You know the risks going into the job, but your employer should have taken the necessary steps to make your working conditions as safe as possible.

This means providing adequate training, maintaining equipment, and providing safety equipment. If you are injured in a tugboat accident, you have rights, which may include compensation.

Loved ones who lose someone to a fatal tugboat incident also have rights. If your employer denies you compensation, you can contact an experienced maritime lawyer to help you get the money you deserve.