Missouri Barge Accident Injures Man On-the-Job
With floodwaters recently rising across the Midwest, barge accidents are occurring more frequently and are causing serious damage. Barge crashes often cause personal bodily injuries and property damage. When a barge accident occurs, it is most important to seek medical attention. After you seek medical attention, contact Page Cagle, an experienced reputable barge accident law firm to fight for your rights. An experienced personal injury lawyer will work with you side by side to get you the compensation you deserve.
Barge accidents create many potential hazardous conditions. Barges are dangerous by nature in the sense that tugboats carry them. Barges have no engines and thus have no directional control if they are accidentally freed from their tugboat. Barges can be extremely destructive, destroying anything in its path if released.
However, those most often harmed in barge accidents are barge employees. When a barge worker is injured in the course of employment, the Jones Act is the law that mandates resulting lawsuits. The Jones Act runs along the same lines as worker’s compensation claims; however the Jones Act requires that employer negligence be proven, and this law may also allow injured workers to receive more compensation.
The following is a Missouri Jones Act case, detailing a suit about dangerous barge working conditions. The plaintiff was employed by the defendant. The plaintiff was working on the Defendant’s tugboat, disconnecting barges. While the employee was removing the barge’s wires, the towboat’s captain moved the towboat. The wires twisted around the barge employee’s ankle causing him to fall backwards onto a pelican hook safety device. He was diagnosed with a fibula fracture, as well as other leg and foot problems. He had to undergo several surgeries and eventually was forced to amputate his leg at the knee. The injured barge worker in this case was awarded $2 million by the jury for his damages.
This case shows how a simple task during the course of barge work can cause extreme damage. Barge employers must create a safe workplace environment so as to prevent any avoidable perilous circumstances, such as that above.
The Defendant in this case was proven to have breached the duty of providing a safe workplace to the Plaintiff, which directly resulted in serious injury. This is exactly what the Jones Act aims to correct and compensate for. Jones Act claims require great attention to detail and thorough investigation. Proving the employer acted in an unseaworthy manner is sometimes challenging. Therefore, it is crucial that barge accident victims immediately seek an experienced barge accident law firm to handle their case.
Page Cagle is a St. Louis, MO based personal injury law firm dedicated to assisting those injured in barge accidents. Page Cagle represents barge accident victims on a daily basis. These Missouri barge accident lawyers strive to help the public by offering a free initial consultation. You can directly contact a Page Cagle barge accident lawyer through an online contact form.
You can also contact a Page Cagle partner by calling 314.322.8515 or 1.800.500.4658. You can send an email to john@pagecagle.com if you would rather use email to contact us.
