The state’s three largest ports, New Haven, Bridgeport, and New London head the state’s maritime industry and provide entry and departure points for millions of dollars in cargo each year. These are dangerous workplaces with heavy traffic, both in the water and onshore, heavy equipment like cranes and trucks, and the coordination of hundreds and thousands of workers and jobs. If you get injured, let a Connecticut maritime lawyer help guide you in taking the next steps.
Who Needs a Connecticut Maritime Lawyer?
Connecticut maritime lawyers specialize in maritime law, the laws that apply to all aspects of the maritime industry. They are also familiar with Connecticut ports and the state’s maritime industry.
Get Matched with a Leading Maritime Attorney in Your Area
- Find the leading maritime lawyers in your area
- Discover how to get compensation as fast as possible
- Learn your legal rights as an injured maritime worker
If you work in the maritime industry in Connecticut and have been hurt on the job, you should consult with a maritime lawyer. They can help you recover damages as you navigate the complicated legal system.
Connecticut’s Ports
Connecticut has a strategic, if small, coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. It has long been an important port area since the first colonists arrived several hundred years ago.
From the historic Mystic Seaport to the large and modern cargo ports, Connecticut has several harbors, marinas, and ports for docking recreational vessels and commercial fishing boats, loading and unloading cargo, and housing historic ships as museums.
Most are small ports for recreational and fishing ports, while some are historical tourist attractions and museums like the port at Mystic. The three deepwater ports in the state that are responsible for cargo and container shipping are the:
- Port of New Haven
- Port of New London
- Port of Bridgeport
The Connecticut Port Authority collectively runs these. Although the Port Authority was only created in 2014, it brings together these three critical centers of the maritime industry to attract more business to the state.
Port of New Haven
The Port of New Haven is Connecticut’s largest port. It is also the biggest port in terms of cargo volume on Long Island Sound. It handles around eight million tons of cargo annually, ranking 57th in the country.
New Haven is near the top of the list for importing gasoline. It brings in the fifth largest amount of any port in the country. The Buckeye Pipeline is here and sends fuel to Hartford and Springfield, Massachusetts.
New Haven’s cargo comprises 75 percent of the state’s dry bulk, including salt, stone, sand, cement, and scrap metal.
Port of Bridgeport
The Port of Bridgeport is located in Bridgeport Harbor and is prepared to handle various cargo coming in on ships and barges. Cargo moves out from the port primarily by truck. The port has cranes for lifting cargo and many forklifts to carry the waiting trucks throughout the port.
Twenty acres of outdoor storage and over 200,000 square feet of regular and refrigerated indoor storage serve those cargo companies needing short-term storage.
Forest products and containers produce much of the cargo that comes through Bridgeport.
Port of New London
The Port of New London also handles cargo. It is a mix of the maritime industry, tourism, recreational boating, and history with shops, restaurants, and museums.
The Dangers of Maritime Work in Connecticut
The three deepwater harbors of Connecticut are busy and hazardous workplaces. Like any port, the waterways leading in and the ports themselves are busy, crowded, and full of machinery and equipment.
If you work in the industry here in Connecticut, you face a job that can be harrowing and full of everyday risks. Injuries are not uncommon. Maritime jobs are among the most dangerous of all kinds of jobs. Workers can even be killed in on-the-job accidents.
Commercial Fishermen
Of all the jobs for seamen, working on commercial fishing vessels is the most dangerous. Working as a seaman on any of the ships that come into port here is a risky job.
Working out at sea in rough waters, in bad weather, and with heavy equipment on board can mean accidents are all too possible. Falls overboard, equipment injuries, and even capsizing or sinking vessels can cause workers to be injured, become ill, or even lose their lives while doing their jobs.
Entering and Leaving Ports
Ships entering and leaving ports can also cause accidents. The waterways around docks are crowded, and ships must use local pilots to move between them.
Even with these skilled workers, accidents can happen. Ships running aground or colliding with each other or piers are common accidents that cause injuries and sometimes oil spills.
Longshore and Harbor Work
Work in the port is equally hazardous. Longshoremen are responsible for moving cargo, storing it, getting ships in and out of berths, and coordinating all these complicated movements.
Accidents are common with cranes, cargo, trucks, and forklifts, and sometimes on walkways going to and from ships.
Often, these accidents are preventable and caused by a lack of training, poor judgment, or miscommunication.
Many broken bones, back and neck injuries, cuts, lost limbs, and even deaths could have been prevented with the right precautions.
How Connecticut Maritime Lawyers Can Help
If you work in the maritime industry in Connecticut and have been injured, you have rights under the law.
Federal maritime law provides avenues for injured workers to seek compensation. This money may be necessary to cover your daily expenses while recovering, and can’t go to work. It can also provide for medical bills and related costs for getting better.
If you die on the job, your surviving dependents are entitled to similar compensation through the same federal laws.
Trying to get the money that you are owed is not always straightforward. You can make a mistake and jeopardize getting the compensation in many ways. If your employer and their insurer are fighting you on compensation, this adds another element of complexity.
Fortunately, some lawyers specialize in this kind of work. A Connecticut maritime lawyer can be your ally and guide in the battle to get the compensation you are owed and that you need to return to work. Let this expert help you file claims, negotiate, and even start a lawsuit to get your money.