Tampa Maritime Lawyer

If you work in one of the Tampa area ports or on a ship that stops here, you take risks daily. The local maritime industry is busy and full of hazards. Getting hurt on the job is a real possibility, and if you do, rely on a Tampa maritime lawyer to help you get the compensation you are owed.

The Ports of Tampa

Tampa is in an enviable position on the busy Gulf Coast of Florida with a large, natural, and deep harbor. It is the perfect location for the maritime industry and for ships of all kinds to come into dock.

Port Tampa Bay

Port Tampa Bay has become such a busy port by leading the way in the state in bringing in and shipping out break-bulk and bulk cargo like steel, phosphate, and petroleum.

The port also has a strong tradition of shipbuilding. Tampa sees around 36 million tons of cargo yearly and services nearly one million cruise passengers yearly.

Port Manatee

Port Manatee is a natural, deep-water seaport at the mouth of Tampa Bay. About eight million tons of cargo come through the port each year. It is the second largest port facility in the U.S. for Del Monte produce.

Produce is the number one cargo here, but Manatee also brings in petroleum, cement, steel, and forestry products and exports juice, construction equipment, used vehicles, and more.

Port of St. Petersburg

On the south side of the Bay, the Port of St. Petersburg is a small but growing port. It has been recently renovated and hopes to attract a different clientele from the other ports.

As it is nicknamed, Port St. Pete may be bringing in more research vessels, recreational yachts, and even historical ships for educational purposes.

Maritime Accidents

With such a strong maritime industry, it’s no wonder that the Tampa area has seen its share of marine accidents. Working in a busy port is dangerous, and working out at sea on a commercial fishing or shipping vessel is no safer.

Accidents caused by weather to equipment malfunctions, errors made by machinery operators, poorly maintained electrical systems, and lack of training are everywhere in the maritime industry and have multiple causes.

Fatal Port of Tampa Accident

In 2012, an accident at the Port of Tampa illustrated how dangerous these port jobs can be and how devastating one accident can be. The worker, 56, was a stevedore from St. Petersburg and was killed in this terrible accident as a cargo crane lifting steel pipes fell.

The victim and three other workers were in the cargo hold of a ship bundling up the pipes to be lifted from the ship by the crane. One of the straps used in bundling the pipes broke, and the heavy steel came crashing down on the four men.

While one worker died on the scene, one was injured and treated at a hospital, and the other two escaped injury.

Fatal Accident at Port Manatee

Another tragic and fatal accident occurred at Port Manatee, also in 2012. The Tampa resident, a stevedore, was unloading bananas from a ship when the basket from a cargo crane came down on him.

The basket weighed more than 5,000 pounds. He died on the scene from being crushed by the heavy basket. How the accident occurred was not known, but it most likely could have been prevented.

Toxic Exposure at Port of Tampa

Although heavy equipment like cranes is a significant concern for port workers, these are not the only types of harm they are exposed to. Toxic and poisonous cargo can also be an issue.

In the Port of Tampa in 2013, one worker died, and several others were injured or ill after exposure to toxic hydrogen sulfide gas. The workers had been replacing pipes for the port’s wastewater treatment plant when the gas leaked from the area.

Legal Rights for Maritime Workers

These examples are just a few possible ways maritime workers can be hurt or killed on the job. Work in one of the area ports as a stevedore, longshoreman, ship builder, ship repairer, truck driver, crane operator, maintenance worker, electrician, or in any other role related to the industry. You have rights regarding accidents, injuries, and illnesses you suffer on the job.

Most port workers qualify under the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. This law provides injured workers with money to cover lost wages, medical bills, and other costs associated with the injury and an inability to get back to work. The dependents of those who die on the job are also entitled to compensation through the law.

Jobs on ships can be just as dangerous, if not more so, than the jobs that workers do in the port area. If you work on a commercial fishing vessel, a cruise ship, or a container ship, you may qualify as a seaman and be able to file a claim for compensation under the federal Jones Act.

This law applies explicitly to seamen and instances in which negligence has caused an accident and injury. Most common accidents that occur on ships and injure workers are preventable.

If your employer didn’t take the necessary steps to make your workplace safe, you can file a claim to get money to help you get back on your feet and back on the job. If you die on the job, your loved ones are entitled to those same benefits.

Tampa Maritime Lawyers

If you have been injured in the Tampa area while working as a longshoreman, seaman, or other related job, you have legal rights to compensation. That doesn’t mean that money is always easy to get.

Employers often deny compensation to injured workers. If you don’t know your rights, you may sign them without realizing it. A maritime lawyer in Tampa can help you make sure you don’t make these mistakes and can help you fight your employer if you are being denied the damages that will put your life back together.

Let a maritime lawyer with expertise in the law you don’t have, be your guide and representative. This professional can face off against your lawyer and the insurance company to get you the compensation you are owed.

If you try to go it alone, you can easily get lost in the complicated system of laws, but with an expert on your side, you have the best chance of success.