Fishermen, crabbers, longliners, fish processors, factory trawlers, gill netters, seiners, draggers, deckhands and other commercial maritime workers, often called seamen, take on a high risk for injury on the job. When disaster strikes, find the most reliable Mt. Vernon & Seattle Maritime Accident lawyer in the area… they won’t stop till you get what you deserve. Serious maritime accidents may involve loss of limbs, maritime assault injury, drowning due to ship sinkings, and wrongful death.
If you are struggling with an injury or lost a loved one in a wrongful death from a maritime accident, it can be difficult to get medical treatment or to grieve while fighting to recover damages. You should not be left suffering because of injuries caused by your employer; our maritime accident attorneys are dedicated to seeking justice on your behalf through tough negotiations and a maritime injury lawsuit if necessary.
The experienced maritime injury attorneys and offshore wrongful death attorneys at Tario & Associates, P.S. are here to make maritime laws work for you in Washington State, Alaska, California and Oregon. We provide FREE case evaluations, home and hospital visits and no attorney fees unless you recover damages. Do not delay; contact the best vessel sinkings lawyer Mount Vernon has today! There is a statute of limitations on filing your injury claim.
Common maritime accidents involve:
Jones Act
The Jones Act is federal legislation that protects seamen, crew members and other workers injured at sea. If you or a loved was injured while working at or by the sea, you may be entitled to recover damages under the Jones Act. Damages may include compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, lost earning capacity, loss of enjoyment of life and medical expenses.
In the tragic event of a wrongful death, there are protections provided under the Jones Act. The person considered the personal representative of a seaman / crew member who died on shore or within three nautical miles from shore, may bring a wrongful death claim under the Jones Act. This representative is typically representing the surviving widow or husband and children. In the absence of these relationships then the employee’s parents, siblings or others dependent on the seaman may be represented.
Unseaworthiness
An employer has a duty to provide a seaworthy and reasonably fit vessel for their employees. If a vessel is deemed unseaworthy then the employer could be held liable for damages from an injury that occurred on board. If you are looking for the best unseaworthiness lawyer Mount Vernon has to offer, you have come to the right place.
Maintenance and cure
In most cases, injured seamen are entitled to maintenance and cure benefits. This means that seamen have the right to choose a doctor and receive compensation for all reasonable and necessary medical expenses associated with their injury. Seamen are also entitled to collect wages through the end of their employment contract and then a basic living allowance until they have reached maximum medical improvement. An employer who refuses to provide maintenance and cure benefits may risk a punitive damages lawsuit.
Michael Tario opened the prominent Bellingham law firm Tario & Associates, P.S. in 1979, followed by the Mount Vernon office in 1988. Over the years the Mount Vernon maritime accident attorneys at the firm have helped thousands of injured seamen from Alaska and along the West Coast to receive fair compensation and just treatment for their injuries. We advocate for victims who were seriously injured or died as a result of maritime accidents that occurred on commercial fishing vessels, crab boats, off-shore barges, docks, cruise ships and other maritime locations.
We believe your well being and the well being of your family is more important than money or legal action. However, if you or a loved one has suffered an injury at sea, you may be entitled to damages to help compensate for your losses. Maritime injury laws are specific and can be quite complicated; we will help you identify whether you have a case and fight for the compensation you deserve.
A maritime injury attorney will help you determine whether or not you have a viable maritime injury claim. Tario & Associates, P.S. has vast experience fighting for injured maritime workers by working with highly qualified marine safety investigators, naval experts, board-certified medical personnel and health care providers, injury experts, physical capacities experts and job experts. We are often able to settle injury cases for five to twenty times the amount a person would receive by fighting on their own.
There are no upfront costs or fees paid by our clients to pursue a maritime accident claim. We provide representation on a contingency fee basis for all personal injury cases. While you will not incur any attorney fees if you do not win your case, Washington law requires clients to reimburse the law firm for out-of-pocket expenses.
Our firm advances out-of-pocket costs for our injury clients and does not require payment of any of these costs up front. When cases are concluded with a monetary recovery, our firm is repaid for the out-of-pocket costs we have advanced with a percentage of the settlement.
The Jones Act is federal legislation that protects seamen who are engaged or employed in any capacity on board a vessel. Maritime injury lawsuits are always filed under the Jones Act; a Jones Act lawsuit is a type of personal injury lawsuit.
For some workers such as offshore drillers and crew members on river crane barges, it is not obvious whether they would qualify as seamen or crew members under the Jones Act. If you are unsure about your status, contact a maritime accident attorney. Qualifying as a Jones Act seaman can greatly increase the an individual’s rights to recover damages for a maritime work related injury.
To qualify as a seaman under the Jones act, a worker must meet one or more of the following criteria:
Jones Act seamen injured on the job are entitled to sue their employers for damages and maintenance and cure benefits when their employer’s negligence was responsible for their injury.
Damages usually covered in maritime injury cases are:
Maintenance and cure benefits are available to almost all seamen injured on the job. Maintenance benefits are meant to cover wages through the end of the seaman’s employment contract and a living allowance until the seaman has returned to a basic level of health. Cure benefits cover all reasonable and necessary medical expenses associated with the injury.
Step 1. Choose a doctor and seek appropriate medical care (do not use a doctor chosen by your employer).
Step 2. Write an incident report from your point of view; never sign the one typed up for you by the company safety officer.
Step 3. Take pictures of the damage done by the accident and collect contact information for witnesses.
Step 4. Contact a maritime injury lawyer as soon as possible; they will review the details of your case and help you fight for damages and maintenance and cure benefits. Never return to work before you are physically ready or downplay your injuries!