White Plains Longshoreman & Harbor Worker Injury Lawyer
Longshoremen and harbor workers in New York engage in physically demanding work that can be very dangerous. When employers fail to take safety precautions, longshoremen can suffer serious on-the-job injuries. And even when employers do take preventive steps and seek to ensure the safety of all workers, accidents can still happen and longshoremen can sustain debilitating injuries at work. When longshoremen suffer injuries that results in a temporary or permanent disability, it can be impossible to return to work at full capacity, and sometimes these workers cannot return to work at all due to the severity of the injuries. How can longshoremen seek compensation and benefits after getting hurt on the job?
While workers’ compensation laws can provide compensation to injured employees, there are specific laws designed to provide compensation to longshoremen and harbor workers. An experienced White Plains longshoremen & harbor workers injury lawyer can provide you with additional information.
Who is Classified as a Longshoreman in New York?
The term longshoreman is a classification used to describe people who work in commercial harbors and ports. There are longshoremen at work across the Eastern Seaboard, as well as in shore and harbor areas across the rest of the country. According to an article in the Chronicle, longshoremen most frequently work to unload and load ship cargo in ports. They often work with employees at nearby warehouses or companies that deal with the transportation of cargo. Other job duties of longshoremen and harbor workers might include:
- Operating loading equipment, including cranes or forklifts;
- Using machinery to move cargo containers;
- Organizing containers that arrive in the harbor;
- Loading arriving containers onto ships; and
- Transferring containers from ships to trucks for transport.
All of these job duties can be dangerous and can result in serious injuries.
How the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act Helps Injured Workers
What kinds of compensation are available to injured longshoremen and harbor workers? The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) is a federal law that provides compensation to longshoremen and harbor workers who suffer injuries on the job. The LHWCA provides the following types of benefits:
- Compensation for lost wages;
- Medical care costs; and
- Vocational rehabilitation services.
For the purposes of the act, an “injury” to a longshoreman is defined to include occupational diseases, traumatic injuries, hearing loss, and any other illness that arises out of the person’s employment. The following types of workers are covered by the LHWCA:
- Longshore workers;
- Ship repairers;
- Shipbuilders;
- Ship breakers; and
- Harbor construction workers.
In order to be eligible for benefits under the LHWCA, an injury or illness “must occur on the navigable waters of the United States or in the adjoining areas, including piers, docks, terminals, wharves, and those areas used in loading and unloading vessels.”
Contact a Longshore Injury Lawyer in New York
If you were injured while working as a longshoreman in New York, you should learn more about obtaining compensation under the LHWCA by speaking with an experienced New York longshore injury attorney. Contact the Law Office of Michael Lawrence Varon for more information.
