Most people in Hawaii spend time on the water. This is true for both the people who live here and for the tourists that come to enjoy this beautiful place. People do many different things on the water as well. People surf, go scuba diving, fishing, sailing, take rides on tour boats and many people also work on ships and boats on the water as well. Most of the time people enjoy their time on the water and then go back to their homes or hotels safely. However, from time to time people suffer injuries on the water as well.
There are many different scenarios which can lead to maritime accidents and people can suffer injuries as well. Some of these injuries can be very severe and have a major impact on people’s lives. They can also be very costly as well. People may incur significant medical bills, even if they have insurance, and may lose income as well if they are unable to work while they recover from their injuries. This can leave the victims in very difficult situations both physically from the injuries and financially from all the costs.
The victims of these accidents may be entitled to compensation for their injuries though. It does depend on who caused the accident and where it occurred though. Individuals injured on boats for recreational purposes may be able to receive compensation from the owners and operators of the boats. However, if people are injured while working on ships or on the docks, the workers may be able to receive compensation through the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act or the Jones Act depending on where the injury occurred.
Unfortunately there are many people who are injured on the water in and around Hawaii. These victims may be entitled to compensation for their injuries. This compensation can be very valuable to the victims as they try to figure out how they will dig themselves out of the financial hole that was created by the accident. At Turbin Chu Heidt we have represented many victims of maritime accidents and understand the importance of this compensation. For more information on how we handle these cases please visit our injuries at sea page on our website.