St. Louis Barge Accident Injury Lawyers

Barge Accident Spinal Cord Injuries

There are many ways in which barge workers can suffer back injuries. While most back injuries require rest and physical therapy, some may have long-term effects that alter the victim's quality of life. In the most severe barge accident injuries, victims may suffer spinal cord damage that alters their mobility and physical abilities in a permanent manner. Depending on the cause of the barge accident, victims may be able to hold their employers accountable for injuries, damages, and losses sustained.

Spinal Cord Damage

Working on a Missouri barge is demanding and potentially dangerous. Here are a few examples of how a barge worker may suffer a spinal cord injury:

  • Operator error: Barges and tugboat operators are responsible for navigating the waterways safely. Collisions can be caused by operators who are distracted, fatigued, inadequately trained, or negligent.
  • Crane accident: In order to load and unload heavy cargo, it is common for barge workers to operate large and heavy cranes. Crane collapses, falling objects, and debris can cause serious spinal injuries on barges.
  • Falls: It is common for barge workers to suffer back injuries in slip-and-fall accidents because of the wet conditions. If the worker lands awkwardly or twists his or her back during the fall, there is the potential for a serious back injury.
  • Cargo accidents: When a heavy object falls on a worker, there is the potential for a debilitating back injury. Barge workers are particularly at risk for a spinal cord injury if heavy cargo drops on their head and crushes their neck.
  • Towing winch accidents: Towing winches are often used to help pull barges through the water, but can be very dangerous to anyone nearby. Barge workers who are pinned by tow cables may have their spinal cord twisted or crushed.

Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injuries

The symptoms suffered by victims of barge accidents depend on the location of spinal cord damage. In the most severe spinal cord injuries, the victim experiences loss of feeling or sensation below the site of the damage. Victims of severe spinal cord injuries in their lower back may lose their ability to use their legs while maintaining use of their torso and arms. This type of injury is called paraplegia. Victims of spinal cord injuries in the neck area may become quadriplegic. There have been substantial advancements made in the treatment of spinal cord injuries, but it is still common for these types of injuries to require costly treatment and extensive rehabilitation.

Rights of Barge Workers

The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, also known as The Jones Act, allows injured barge workers to hold their employers accountable for their injuries. To do so, the injured worker will have to prove that the employer's negligence contributed to the accident in some way. A skilled personal injury attorney will work with investigators to prove the cause of the accident and how it could have been prevented.

The St. Louis Jones Act lawyers at Page Law know how to hold negligent companies accountable for the accidents they failed to prevent. We fight for our clients' rights to receive fair and full compensation for their losses, which are oftentimes irreparable. If you have been injured in a Missouri barge accident, call our offices today for a free and comprehensive consultation.