If you’re a seaman, back injury can impair your ability to work and cause a lot of pain. Fortunately, there are a few ways that you can protect yourself from injury, as well as measures that your employer should be taking to protect workers. If you have injured your back as a result of negligent work conditions or poor training, contact the maritime lawyer of Lamothe Lea Aertker LLC to see if you’re eligible for compensation.

Oh My Back!

Manual Handling Operations (MHOs) include pushing, pulling and lifting. Any of these actions put you at risk for musculoskeletal disorders, and according to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), four out of five of those injuries are back injuries. When you are moving around large or heavy objects, it is easy to hurt yourself.

OHSA compiled a list of 15 factors that contribute to back disorders:

• Reaching while lifting
• Poor posture
• Stressful living and working activities
• Bad body mechanics when lifting, pulling, pushing or carrying
• Poor physical condition
• Poor design of job or work station
• Repetitive lifting of awkward items
• Twisting while lifting
• Bending while lifting
• Maintaining a bent posture
• Heavy lifting
• Fatigue
• Poor footing
• Lifting with forceful movement
• Vibration

The work of a seaman includes most, if not all, of these factors.

• Long hours can contribute to fatigue, causing bad posture and sloppy technique.
• Much work is done in cramped areas where things must be moved at awkward angles.
• Poor footing is a risk as decks can be slippery and ships may move unpredictably.
• Vibration is common as workers frequently operate around heavy machinery.

In addition, seamen face a myriad of other dangers that can result in back injury including falling from height, being struck by cargo or other objects, becoming tangled in line and many others.

The Best Offense is a Good Defense: Preventing Back Injury

Employers should have safety measures in place to protect their employees from chronic and acute back injury. These measures include:

• Minimizing the weight, range of motion and frequency of manual handling tasks
• Handles on material handling equipment that can be easily grasped in an upright position
• Lift-assist devices and lift tables
• Thorough worker training and education
• Rotation of tasks and short breaks
• Flooring that provides traction

Back injuries can be physically and financially devastating to seamen. Keep in mind the contributing factors to back injury so that you can protect yourself. Avoid careless moves and be especially mindful when you are fatigued, working in a small space or dealing with particularly heavy loads.

Injury Recognition

Recognizing injury when it happens can be difficult since it can be due to repetitive stress as well as a traumatic event. Further, the extent of injury is not always immediately clear.  Some of the symptoms include:

• Pain when attempting to assume normal posture
• Decreased mobility
• Pain when standing or rising from a seated position
• Shooting pain down the arms or legs
• Muscle spasms

If you suspect that you have sustained an injury, do not put off reporting it and seeking treatment.

Louisiana Seamen Receive Compensation

When you are injured on the job, you are financial assistance through workman’s compensation. As a seaman, you have additional protections under the Jones Act. Louisiana seamen who have pursued compensation under the Jones Act have received large settlements to help them cope with the loss in wages and earning power as well as their medical expenses.

One seaman, John R. Thibodeaux, received $2.8 million for a lower back injury sustained on the job. Another Louisiana seaman was awarded $1.4 million for a back injury that prevented him from returning to work, and yet another got $1.6 million. These settlements far exceed what can be expected through general workers’ compensation laws. A skilled maritime attorney will fight for the full amount for which you are eligible and due under the Jones Act. The law offices of Lamothe Lea Aertker, LLC, have experience with defending Jones Act seamen, such as William R. Wade. With our representation, Mr. Wade won a significant settlement for injuries sustained to his lower back that resulted in spinal surgery.

If you or someone you know experienced a back injury while working as a seaman, it is crucial that you contact our aggressive attorneys at Lamothe Lea Aertker, LLC, today online or by phone at 877-249-6801 to find out if you are eligible for compensation. We offer a free consultation during which we will discuss your legal rights and options.

There is No Such Thing as a Semi Fender Bender

Louisiana truck accidents are relatively rare, accounting for only one percent of fatalities and three percent of injury accidents. There is, however, significant potential for serious injury or fatality when a trucking accident does occur. A fender-bender with a semi has far greater consequences than one with a four-door sedan.

Truck drivers go through extensive training to handle the big rigs, but they also take on a tough job. Long hours behind the wheel as well as weather and road conditions can cause fatigue and make it more difficult to control the rig. Here are some safety tips to make sharing the road with trucks safer:

Tips to Stay Safe Around Semis

• Be alert – extra alert. Semi-trucks behave differently from cars.
• Do not cruise along in the blind spot of a truck. Look for the truck’s side mirros; if you cannot see them, then the trucker cannot see you.
• Do not pass on the right. This especially applies when the truck is turning right. Trucks often must swing left to complete a turn, as their rear tires follow a shorter path than their front tires.
• Signal, accelerate and then maintain a constant speed. Follow these steps when passing a truck and be sure you can see the whole cab before you pull in ahead of it.
• Never cut off a semi-truck. They take much longer to brake than you do (about the length of a football field, depending on how fast they are traveling).
• Do not tailgate. Give the truck plenty of space so that you and the truck driver have plenty of time to react. Increase following distance to four to six seconds in wet conditions and at highway speeds.
• If a truck is trying to pass you, allow it to do so. Do not increase your speed in an attempt to stay ahead.
• Only pass a truck when you are actually going faster than it. Do not cut in front of a semi and then slow down, especially when heading downhill.
• Be aware of road conditions. Wet pavement will increase the time a truck needs to stop. Wind, especially sudden gusts, can cause unexpected swaying. Driving into the sun decreases visibility.

Victims of Semi-Truck Collisions Should Speak Up

Because of the sheer size of semi-trucks, truckers have an obligation to take extra care when behind the wheel. They have guidelines on hours they must sleep, speed restrictions, lane change and turn protocols and weather considerations. They must not only be properly trained, but must also follow these guidelines to keep themselves and others safe on the roads.

Victims of accidents involving tractor-trailer should immediately contact an attorney, as the accident may have been caused by negligence on part of the truck driver. In that case, the victim is due compensation for injury and loss.

Contact Us

If you or someone you know has been injured or if you have lost a loved one due to an accident involving a semi, contact our experienced attorneys at Lamothe Lea Aertker, LLC, today online or by phone at 877-249-6801 to find out if you are eligible for compensation. We offer a free consultation during which we will discuss your legal rights and options.