Crewmember Injured in Fall Accident on Container Ship off Texas Coast

A fall accident on a vessel in the Sabine Pass near Houston left a container ship crewmember with a broken leg. The Coast Guard had to be called to medevac the injured crew member. He apparently fell off the containership, the 700-foot Eurogracht. He fell about 18 feet, and suffered a compound fracture above the knee.

The first order of business for this crewmember will be to get the medical help he requires immediately. This includes getting admitted into a good hospital, getting specialist care, x-rays and diagnostic scans as well as physical therapy after the injury heals.

He’s also eligible for maintenance and cure while he remains injured. The maintenance payouts must be sufficient to meet his house rent, grocery bills, utility bills and other daily expenses. The amount can vary depending on his location and other factors. He’s also eligible for payment of his medical costs including hospital costs, surgeries, diagnostic scans and x-rays, nursing services, doctor fees, medication costs, physical therapy and rehabilitation costs and specialist care.

He’s also eligible for reimbursement of his lost wages while he’s off work. Even a few weeks off work can result in a substantial amount of lost wages.

These three are the most basic rights of the seaman, and have nothing to do with who was at fault in the accident. It’s also important to understand if there were other factors at work that increased the risk of a fall. That’s why it’s important that seamen who are injured on a vessel note down all details about the situation at the time of the accident. For instance

• Was the floor slippery?
• Was it covered with grease?
• Were there objects or tools lying around on the floor?
• Had he been trained to work at those heights?
• Was that part of his job?

The maritime lawyers at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers represent injured maritime workers, including tankermen, container ship crews, freighter crews, crewmembers of commercial fishing vessels, oil rig and offshore workers, and cruise liner crews in the state of Texas and around the country.