What Our Maritime Injury Lawyer Wants You to Know About Winch Accidents, Injuries, and Recoveries
Commercial fishermen and other seamen use winches on navigable vessels to lift and move people and cargo without injury. Unfortunately, winches aren’t always safe. When winches malfunction or are misused, the consequences can be catastrophic.
If you are a seaman who has been injured in a winch accident, you could be entitled to substantial financial compensation. The experienced maritime injury lawyers at Hofmann & Schweitzer can help you determine who to sue, and we can aggressively pursue compensation on your behalf. For more than 40 years, we have fought to protect the rights of injured maritime workers. We are in an elite group of multi-million dollar legal advocates. Yet, we give each client personalized attention. We know you have questions, and our policy is to return your call within 24 hours.
Types of Winches Used on Boats
Maritime workers often use the following types of winches to do their jobs.
Manual Winches
Manual winches are hand-operated. They consist of a chain that controls the lifting and lowering action and the load chain, which supports the load. Manual chain winches and wire rope winches are two types of manual winches. These winches require an intensive amount of physical effort and are more likely to cause physical injury than other winches.
Powered Winches
Powered winches can be electric or hydraulic. These lifts can work faster and with more power than manual winches. Injuries may occur if the powered winch malfunctions due to design, manufacturing, or user error.
A manual or powered winch injury may also occur if an employer fails to provide proper training.
Five Types of Winch Accidents
While you are out at sea, you may be at risk for the following types of winch accidents:
- Falls. A worker being lifted by the winch can slip or fall while operating the winch.
- Falling object accidents. A worker can be struck by part of the load that falls off the winch.
- Winch collapses. The winch itself can collapse. A collapse typically occurs if the winch is defective, overloaded, or improperly loaded.
- Lifting accidents. You may suffer an injury when loading or unloading the winch.
- Caught between accidents. Employees can be trapped between the winch and another object.
Most accidents result from misuse of the winch. The two most common types of accidents are improper rigging and overloading the winch's capacity.
Common Winch Accident Injuries
Workers can suffer the following injuries in winch accidents:
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Lacerations and contusions
- Facial injuries
- Fractures and broken bones
- Soft tissue injuries
- Crush injuries
- Internal injuries
It is essential that you get immediate medical care for your injuries. Your doctor will diagnose and treat your injuries and provide a useful medical record that may be essential to your legal claim.
Protect Your Legal Rights and Compensation After a Winch Accident Injury
The Jones Act allows you to seek compensation for injuries you suffered while working at sea. If your employer provided you with improperly maintained or inspected equipment or failed to train and supervise you properly, then your employer could be liable for your injuries.
You may receive damages that include, but may not be limited to:
- Medical costs, including future health care expenses
- Lost wages, including loss of future earning capacity
- Physical pain and emotional suffering
If a defective winch caused your injury, you may be able to file a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer or anyone who was involved in the stream of commerce. You can win your product liability lawsuit if you prove the winch had a manufacturing, design, or marketing defect.
An experienced maritime injury lawyer can review your case and help you determine whether you can file a lawsuit and who you may be able to sue for total compensation.
