Dangers of man overboard accident fatalities in the maritime industry
Galveston maritime accident lawyers: Man overboard (MOB) accidents have been identified as the leading cause of marine fatalities. MOB accidents are a clear and present danger to all who work aboard vessels and offshore rigs. Roughly one third of all fatalities in the oil & gas offshore industry worldwide result from MOB accidents.
Some of the causes behind these fatal MOB accidents include supply boat accidents, crane failures, helicopter ditching, and other marine accidents. Equipment failure, lack of proper worker training, inadequate safety precautions, and lack of routine maintenance could all contribute to a fatal MOB accident.
An MOB accident occurs where a person falls from a boat, ship, or helicopter into the water and requires rescue. Trip and falls, slipping on deck, unstable cranes or working platforms, catching on nets, lines, or ropes, sudden changes of direction due to high seas, high winds, working at heights, fatigue, and unexpected machine movements could be responsible for causing an MOB accident.
Our Galveston maritime accident lawyers point out that a worker that’s fallen overboard could be exposed to the fatal risks of hypothermia, deep water and drowning, dangerous propellers and other moving machine parts, sharks, jellyfish, and traumatic injuries caused by the fall and impact with water. Depending on a person’s trajectory, hitting a water surface could have the same impact as hitting a hard and solid floor.
Shock, dehydration, trauma injuries, water intake, blood loss, and paralysis could all result from an MOB accident. In cold-water environments, hypothermia resulting in death can result within minutes of the MOB fall. Many of the victims of the Titanic disaster in the early 20th century are thought to have died of hypothermia from the cold water of the North Atlantic in spring.
MOB accidents can incur massive costs in addition to any loss of life. Search and rescue operations, accident investigations, damage to company reputations, legal costs, and rising insurance premiums after an accident all make such events particularly costly. Our Galveston maritime accident lawyers mention that the family of a worker lost to an MOB accident faces the loss of a primary breadwinner, funeral expenses, and ongoing emotional pain as a result of the accident.
A single, average MOB accident could cost around $1 million to the employer. Search and rescue agencies and the family of the victim suffer additional cots, which are not always paid by insurance or workers’ compensation.
Employers need to have systems in place to alert them immediately to an MOB accident. Then they need to have procedures and equipment to help them locate the man overboard as quickly as possible. Where a victim can suffer hypothermia and death within a matter of minutes, time is of the essence.
The Jones Act and the Death on the High Seas Act can offer some benefit to workers and their families after a needless MOB accident. Where procedures and equipment were inadequate to help a man overboard, an employer’s vessel might be deemed unseaworthy and victims might be entitled to additional civil damages because of the work environment hazards.
Learn the elements you need to prove to win your financial compensation claims after an MOB accident at sea. Contact the experienced Galveston maritime accident lawyers at Denena & Points for a free and confidential legal consultation. We could explain the legal options you might have available for making a financial recovery, as well as help you pinpoint all the negligent parties linked to your accident.
Call or email us today for your free case evaluation. The timely information provided by our Galveston maritime accident lawyers could be your key to making informed decisions to benefit you and your family following a disastrous MOB accident at sea.