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A dredge is a maritime vessel equipped with a device used for scraping and sucking a water bed or sea bed- called dredging. A dredge helps to move mass loads of soil, and material from the bottom of a body of water. Dredging is used for a number of reasons; general maintenance of a water bed by removing trash or expanding and deepening the sea bed to either create new passage ways or to expand existing channels for larger ships to be able to safely pass through, leveling the water bed before building a bridge or water structure. A dredge is also used to mine for sediment elements, collecting construction materials, harvesting sand off shore to replace sand on beaches. There are different kinds of dredges to accomplish these different tasks- cutting materials, breaking up materials, sucking up sediments. There are suction dredge vessels, which function like an underwater vacuum. There are mechanical bucket dredges with a number of moving buckets which lift/grab sediment along with coral or debris. Other kinds of dredging vessels include a fishing dredge, to collect oysters or clams, and a police drag, which is a small dredge boat that some police departments will use to uncover evidence, objects or bodies.
Working on a dredge, just like working on any maritime vessel has its share of dangers, which can result in injuries to crewmembers. When an injury occurs and a crew mate needs to seek medical attention or time off, he is entitled to what is known as “maintenance and cure” from their employers. Maintenance and Cure is a similar to “workers compensation”, but only applies to those maritime workers who are injured while at sea. It is mandatory for the dredge owner to pay to the injured or sick crewmember maintenance and cure. This money is to compensate the dredge worker for their lost wages, reasonable medical expenses and the room and board they receive while working on the vessel. However, sometimes an accident or injury occurs due to the negligence of others or the un-seaworthiness of a vessel. If negligence is involved, the maritime worker should seek a dredge injury attorney who can determine if the person is eligible for compensation under the Jones Act. Do not sign any waiver or settlement until you have consulted with a dredge injury lawyer. The Jones Act is a law that requires the vessel owner to properly compensate an injured crew member due to negligence.
Finding a dredge injury attorney with experience is important when seeking representation. Speak with any dredge injury accident lawyer from Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP and you ask about his success and experience with maritime Jones Act cases. Understanding the environment in which maritime workers work is important for a dredge attorney. A Houston maritime injury accident lawyer understands the hazards and the risks you may experience on a dredge with its heavy machinery. There are so many different opportunities that could result in an injury due to negligence. By chance a fellow crew member fails to do safety checks on a piece of equipment, which causes an injury: contact a dredge injury lawyer. Slipping on an oil slick deck because a crew member didn’t properly clean it up, or getting injured because the dredge was not properly inspected means that you qualify for fair compensation under the Jones Act: contact a dredge injury lawyer.
If you have suffered an injury due to the negligence, contact us and know you will have a knowledgeable, experienced lawyer fighting for your rights to receive compensation under the Jones Act.