5 Crucial Steps to Take When Maritime Injury Occurs

Accidents are sometimes inevitable and cause minor or severe repercussions. As a seaman, some of these injuries can cause disability which changes your life completely. It’s essential, however, to know the proper procedure to file a complaint and to ensure you are compensated for any injury or loss. Failing to file the injuries on time can disqualify you from getting compensation. If you are a seaman who has had injuries in the line of duty or are just new in the work of planning to join a sea job, then this article is for you. You will be able to learn how to protect yourself and get compensation in case of an accident.

 It would help if you considered contacting a maritime lawyer to help you with the case, as sometimes they get complicated. The lawyer will also guide you through the process until you can get fair compensation; click here to learn more.

Steps to Take After Injury

To get your rightful compensation, you need to follow the proper steps. Don’t be in a rush to make everything done, as a mistake can lead to disqualification or getting little compensation.

• Look for Medical Attention

After an accident, depending on the injuries, you need to seek medical attention as soon as possible. You can try bandaging the bleeding parts or call for an ambulance to help you out. Your health should always come first. Even if you feel okay, you should go for a check-up to ensure no internal bleeding or injuries. The earlier you seek medical attention, the better you are to recover from them and be able to resume work if they were not significant. It is also vital to ensure your doctor indicates that the injuries occurred at work on their report.

• Contact Your Lawyer

This is crucial to ensure you get the proper compensation and guidance on proceeding with the case. A lawyer will guide you on the necessary evidence you need to collect and help tell you the does and don’ts. This helps since some insurance companies look for mistakes to avoid compensating you. When looking for a lawyer, ensure they have specialized in maritime injuries to ensure they defend your interest. Personal injury cases can be very complicated and tedious, so you need someone conversant with them to guide you.

• Inform Your Employer

After contacting your lawyer and they make sure you are good to file a case, you need to report to your employer. However, if the incident was severe, your coworkers must have already reported it to you and be required to write a statement about it. You must report early as possible to avoid complications in the future. There is always a set time when your claims will be dismissed if it elapses.

• Collect Evidence

For your case to be strong and get total compensation, you must present evidence. This evidence should show that your injuries resulted from your employer’s negligence. If possible, take pictures of the scene and have all the documents and medical receipts. You can write down what you remember about the accident before and after.

• Filing a Claim

After collecting all the evidence, you can hand it over to your lawyer, who will help you get justice. Your lawyer could help collect pieces of evidence that you couldn’t get, such as police reports if they were involved.

Bottom Line!

The steps above are crucial in ensuring you get justice. Don’t look for shortcuts; follow the steps as listed, and you get total compensation.