When a maritime worker is injured while performing duties that further the operation of the vessel, and if it can be shown that the injured seaman suffered the injury because of an unsafe condition on board a vessel, then the injured seaman may file an unseaworthiness claim for negligence against the owner of the vessel.

A shipowner owes to a seaman an absolute non-delegable duty to furnish a seaworthy vessel and a seaworthy crew.

A vessel is unseaworthy and the shipowner is responsible to the seaman in damages if:

(1) the vessel, equipment, or crew are in any way inadequate for the purposes for which they are intended, and

(2) as a result of this inadequacy, the seaman is injured.

Q
What are Some Examples of Unseaworthiness?
AThe courts have ruled that the definition of unseaworthiness is very broad, and can be reasonably extended to many conditions on board the ship that workers may not even know about.

With such a broad definition, there may be many things that an injured worker may not be aware is an unseaworthy condition that makes the vessel owner liable.

Off Shore Drilling

Below are a few examples where an injured seaman may file a claim for unseaworthiness:

  • failure to maintain proper equipment and tools,
  • not providing enough crew members to safely perform a job,
  • failure to keep the decks and bulkheads clean and free of oil, grease and debris,
  • non-skid is not properly placed on work surfaces, ladders, stairs and decks,
  • no providing the appropriate safety equipment,
  • improper training, and
  • lack of competent, experienced and safe crew members

Maritime Lawyers Can Help

If you were injured while working offshore, you may be eligible to receive a substantial cash award.

Don’t wait. Call the offshore injury lawyers at Simon & O’Rourke today. We will use our more than 27 years of combined experience representing offshore workers to fight for you.

Workers We Have Represented:

  • Floor Hand
  • Roustabout
  • Derrickman/ Derrick man
  • Crane Operator
  • Assistant Driller
  • Engineer / Oiler / Mechanic
  • Motorman
  • Boat Captain / Pilot / Master
  • Wiper
  • Mud Engineer
  • Drill Fluid Operator
  • Wire Line Operator
  • Welder
  • Diver
  • Offshore Catering / Cook
  • Offshore Steward / Housekeeping
  • OS / Ordinary Seaman
  • AB / Able Bodies Seaman
  • Deckhand / Deck Hand
  • Bargeman / Barge Man
  • Tug Crew / Deck hand
  • Leverman / Lever Man
  • Tender Operator
  • Booster Operator

We have sued and brought claims against many maritime companies.
Below is just a sample of the some of the companies that we have handled claims against.

  • BP
  • Diamond Offshore
  • Nabors
  • Transocean Offshore
  • Rowan Companies
  • TODCO
  • Hercules Offshore
  • Nobel Drilling
  • Parker Drilling
  • Spartan Offshore Drilling
  • Edison Chouest Offshore
  • ENSCO
  • Great Lakes Dredge and Dock
  • Weeks Marine
  • Orion Marine Group
  • Mike Hooks
  • Baywater Drilling
  • Kirby Inland Marine Group
  • G & H Towing

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