When you hit your head while working on the oil rig, you didn’t think too much of it. Initially, you were a little dizzy, but you got up and kept going on with work.
Around 20 to 30 minutes later, the headache you’d developed kept getting worse. It was becoming unbearable. Your co-workers talked to you about it and decided that one of them would take you to the emergency room.
It was a good thing you did go because you had bleeding on the brain that was causing a lot of pressure. Fortunately, the medical team can help, but this does mean that you’ll be out of work for a while.
The good news for you is that you may qualify for compensation through the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). Since you were on an oil platform and at sea, you may qualify for coverage through this act and be able to receive financial support for your medical care, lost wages and other financial losses.
With any kind of maritime injury, it’s a smart idea to talk to your attorney about filing a claim and getting all the benefits that you’re entitled to. It may take you months before you’re able to return to work, if you’re able to return at all. Until then, you shouldn’t have to worry about working or how you’re going to pay your bills. The LHWCA should be there to protect you as a worker who was aboard an oil platform in federal waters.
Our website has more on what to do if you’d like to make a claim with the LHWCA.
