Congress Took Action for Longshore and Harbor Workers Back in the 1920s

Maritime injury attorneys

Back in 1920, Congress took into consideration the fact that maritime workers and merchant seamen needed some kind of worker’s compensation insurance protection like other American workers had, so they passed the Merchant Seaman Protection and Relief Act. Before that these workers did not have anything to fall back on if they got injured at work. Another act that was passed was the Longshore and harbor workers compensation Act. This Longshore Act covers people who work on the navigable waterways in America, such as the longshoremen and other marine workers who worked on the docks, loading and unloading ships. If someone works offshore on an oil platform or in a cargo ship they are covered by the Longshore Act too.

If an American worker is working overseas in a combat zone they can get workers compensation benefits if they are injured because of the Defense Base Act too. Take Iraq and Afghanistan for instance. About 155,000 contract workers were in these countries during the war. They also serve to support operations all around the world. If these workers are injured they should talk to a Defense Base Act attorney. If a worker is killed overseas the family can file for death benefits. A DBA lawyers file these kinds of claims and the family can get up to $3000 in funeral expenses. Families are also entitled to a certain percentage of the worker’s weekly pay at the time of their death. Find out more by talking to Defense base act attorneys.

Whenever a harbor worker is injured in the job they need to file a claim for worker’s compensation. Many times the benefits are payable through insurance carriers that are authorized by the United States Department of Labor. Program benefits include payments for medical bills and expenses for hospital stays and treatments. Benefits in amounts of up to two thirds their regular pay rate if the employee is totally disabled. Partial disabilities are also covered under the Longshore Act.

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