The Importance of Maritime Injury Attorneys for Harbor Workers
Harbor workers are necessary for operations related to maritime industry. However, they often operate inside of a strange gray area as far as the Jones Act is concerned. For this reason, a harbor worker should consult with maritime injury attorneys, like those from Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, before accepting any work they are unfamiliar with.
Fortunately, there’s the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). As the name suggests, this act almost always covers the concerns of a harbor worker who’s injured on the job.
Like any employee, a harbor worker is guaranteed a safe working environment. Thanks to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), harbor workers may also refuse any work they deem to be unsafe. It is illegal for an employer to coerce a harbor worker into doing any work they have already refused on grounds of safety. It is also illegal to suspend, fire, or discriminate against a harbor worker for making this decision. This also leaves them free to file complaints if they feel necessary.
The LHWCA provides for employees who are hurt while in the United States’ waters. However, due to their specific role, harbor workers can also depend on this protection when they are working in ship and boatyards on navigable bodies of water. Docks, wharves, terminals, marine railways and other areas used for shipbuilding can also be included if they are located on shores adjacent to these waters.
One unique feature about LHWCA is that injured harbor workers don’t need to prove that their employer was responsible. It’s still important, though, to have the right maritime injury attorneys for representation.
While they differ in many ways from other maritime workers, the fact remains that harbor workers have rights regarding their jobs. By hiring maritime injury attorneys from Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, they can rest assured that those rights will be protected.
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