Jones Act Attorney Matthew Shaffer Files Suit On Behalf of Client Who Suffered Severed Leg
HOUSTON, Texas (PRWEB) April 07, 2014 -- Jones Act attorney Matthew Shaffer recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Texas man who was seriously injured while working on a vessel in the Gulf of Mexico.
According to court documents, the captain of a shrimp boat operating off the coast of Louisiana in October was on his way to the engine room of the vessel when his leg was caught in the power take-off shaft. There was no guard over the shaft or sprocket, and the captain’s right leg was amputated in the incident.
“Our client is still undergoing physical therapy as a result of this accident,” Shaffer said. “Safety measures should be in place to prevent such incidents from occurring, but unfortunately this isn’t always the case.”
Shaffer added that amputations are likely to have life-long effects on the victim.
“A person’s ability to work and care for himself, play an active role in his family, and provide for their financial needs is seriously impacted by such a catastrophic injury,” he said. “The worker may never be able to return to his former line of work, in some cases, which can have drastic consequences for his family’s financial future.”
A lawsuit, case number 314CV49, was filed by Shaffer, a managing partner in Houston maritime law firm Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris, on behalf of his client in the Southern District of Texas Federal Court Galveston Division.
U.S. maritime laws require that vessel owners provide safe and secure working environments for crewmembers. Under the Jones Act, one of the grounds for unseaworthiness claims is the lack of safeguards on machinery and equipment, such as a power take-off shaft.
For more than 50 years, the Jones Act lawyers at Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris have been protecting the rights of injured workers. Combined they offer more than 100 years of experience in defending clients and have recovered millions of dollars under all areas of maritime law, from the Jones Act to general maritime law and from the Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA) to the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA).
The personal injury attorneys of Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris also assist clients injured by car and truck accidents, defective products, dangerous drugs and faulty medical devices. If you were injured in an accident as the result of another’s negligence, contact them today at 800-282-2122 to schedule a free consultation.
Rori Feldman, Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris, http://www.smslegal.com, +1 800-282-2122, [email protected]
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