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New Jersey Injury Lawyers for Stevedores
Stevedore Injury Attorneys in Clark, NJ Providing Legal Support for Dock Workers in Essex County, Hudson County, Middlesex County, Union County, and Throughout NJ
For stevedores, longshoremen, and dockworkers, injuries on the job can be as complicated as they are common. The loading and unloading of ships is a hazardous line of work, and when injuries occur, these workers may have a tough time getting the benefits they’re legally entitled to. Team Law’s New Jersey injury lawyers for stevedores are here to help you navigate the claims process, prepare your case for success, and secure maximum benefits, all at no upfront cost.
To get started with a free consultation, contact us today.
Stevedore Injury Claims in New Jersey
Stevedoring operations are part of the maritime industry, which, in New Jersey, encompasses 15,670 jobs, the American Maritime Partnership reported. Stevedores are harbor workers responsible for loading and unloading ships, a duty that carries considerable safety risks due to factors like the following:
- Physically demanding work
- The use of heavy machinery, including cranes, forklifts, hoists, construction equipment, tractors, and trailers
- Environmental risks, such as piers that pose the risk of falls from heights and perilous weather conditions
- The risk of injury or toxic exposure if freight, including hazardous materials, is not secured safely
Stevedores have the legal right to seek compensation for work injuries under federal law.
Injured Stevedores’ Rights Under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act
The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) establishes federal protections for injured maritime workers of many kinds, including stevedores. Under this law, a stevedore injured in the course of their employment is entitled to benefits like the following:
- Medical expenses for all diagnostic tests, treatments, and rehabilitation relating to your work injury or occupational illness
- Compensation for lost wages while you are totally disabled (unable to work at all), temporarily or permanently
- Compensation for your decrease in earnings if you are partially disabled (unable to work in your normal duties or capacity), temporarily or permanently
- Compensation for loss of a body part
- Death benefits paid to survivors of stevedores who sustain fatal work injuries
To recover the benefits and compensation you’re entitled to, you need to go through the formal and often frustrating claims process. The guidance of experienced New Jersey injury lawyers for stevedores can make a world of difference in your ability to secure the benefits you deserve while ensuring the paperwork and documentation requirements don’t get in the way of your recovery.
How Team Law Can Help Injured Stevedores
You could attempt to navigate the claims process on your own, allowing it to distract you from your recovery and risking walking away with less than you deserve—or you could put your case in the hands of professional stevedore injury attorneys in Clark, NJ, to ensure you’re receiving the full benefits you’re entitled to.
The Claims Process Under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act
There’s a formal claims process you must go through to secure the benefits you’re entitled to under the LHWCA. This process includes (but is not limited to):
- Getting medical treatment authorized by submitting Form LS-1, Request for Examination and/or Treatment
- Providing formal notification of the injury to your employer and the federal Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs by submitting Form LS-201, Notice of Employee’s Injury or Death
- Filing a claim for compensation by submitting Form LS-203, Employee’s Claim for Compensation
In addition to the paperwork needed to meet the procedural requirements of the claims process, you must document your injury, its work-related cause, your medical treatment, and the extent of your disability. Throughout the process, there are deadlines you must meet.
For an injured stevedore trying to work toward recovery or adapt to long-term limitations, the demands of the LHWCA claims process can be overwhelming. Having a team of dedicated New Jersey injury lawyers for stevedores overseeing all aspects of your case can help you secure the full benefits you deserve without the claims process taking over your life.
Our Approach to Securing Maximum Compensation in Stevedore Injury Claims
Attention to detail and extensive documentation are integral to a successful maritime injury claim. As we manage your claim, Team Law’s New Jersey injury lawyers for stevedores will draw on our experience handling all types of work injury matters and seeking compensation on behalf of the injured. We put our full efforts into documenting every aspect of your claim and advocating for the full amount of benefits you’re entitled to under the nuances of the LHWCA.
Why Choose Team Law as Your Stevedore Injury Attorneys in Clark, NJ
You need New Jersey injury lawyers for stevedores that you can count on. Here’s why you want Team Law fighting for you:
- 60+ years of experience: When it comes to handling complex cases like LHWCA benefits, experience with the claims process matters. Team Law has been advocating for injured workers for more than six decades.
- A history of successful results: We’re known for getting clients the maximum benefits and compensation available to them. To date, we’ve recovered more than $650 million fighting for the injured, including victims of work injuries.
- Assistance at no upfront cost: To ensure getting professional legal representation for your claim doesn’t add to the hardships you’re facing, Team Law handles stevedore work injury claims at no upfront cost.
We’re prepared to get your LHWCA work injury claim started. What are you waiting for?
Contact New Jersey Injury Lawyers for Stevedores at Team Law Today for a Free Consultation
When the LHWCA claims process has become a burden, it’s time to seek professional legal assistance.
For help from stevedore injury attorneys in Clark, NJ, contact Team Law online or call us today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Stevedore Injury Claims in New Jersey
For most injured workers in NJ, recourse comes through the state’s workers’ comp system. That’s not the case for injured maritime workers. The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act is a federal law.
Although there are many similarities between claims under the LHWCA and the state workers’ comp system, there are also some important differences. For example, in a claim under the LHWCA, you have the right to choose your initial treating doctor, while employees seeking care through a workers’ comp claim generally do not. Additionally, for permanent partial disability, you can also receive payments according to a compensation schedule in addition to the compensation for temporary total disability or temporary partial disability you’re receiving.
For employees covered under the law, benefits may be sought for any injury sustained in the course of work. This includes:
-Injuries suffered in workplace accidents
-Injuries resulting from repetitive motions
-Injuries due to overexertion
-Illnesses caused by occupational exposures
For certain injuries, such as losses of specific body parts, the LHWCA provides specific benefits according to a compensation schedule. Experienced stevedore injury lawyers can help you understand what benefits your injuries entitle you to under the law.
There are many reasons injured stevedores routinely turn to Team Law for help with their work injury claims. In some instances, complexities like disputed causes of injury, disputed responsibility between employers, and pre-existing conditions can make these cases too complex to handle on your own. Some workers retain our stevedore injury attorneys in Clark, NJ, because the employer or insurance company has denied the claim or refused to offer a compensation amount that fully covers what they are entitled to under the law.
Hiring professional legal representation for your case allows you to ensure your benefits reflect all that you’re entitled to while reducing the stress the claims process can cause.
Generally, harbor workers, longshoremen, and others covered under the LHWCA can’t sue their own employers for work injuries. The LHWCA benefits are the only recourse available to them. However, if you’re not covered by the LHWCA or a state workers’ compensation program, you may be able to sue a negligent employer. For example, if your role constitutes a seaman or “a master or member of a crew of any vessel,” you might be covered under the Jones Act rather than the LHWCA and thus permitted to sue your employer.
If a party other than your employer, such as a vendor, contractor, or product manufacturer, contributed to your work injury through their negligence, you may have grounds to sue that party as well as collect LHWCA benefits. Our New Jersey injury lawyers for stevedores can help you understand all options available to you and pursue maximum compensation.
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