Maritime accidents cause many hardships for workers, such as physical pain, losing the ability to walk or perform other tasks, financial hardships and emotional challenges. Moreover, these difficulties often adversely impact an injured worker’s family members as well. Sometimes, those injured in a maritime accident are unable to examine their legal options or they struggle with taking action afterward. If your spouse was hurt while working on the water, it is important to step in and offer your support.
Often, spouses of those injured in maritime accidents also experience high levels of stress and struggle with financial problems. Make sure you have a clear understanding of legal options that are on the table, such as compensation available through the Jones Act.
Your spouse’s maritime job and eligibility
For starters, it is important to review the eligibility requirements before moving forward with your pursuit of compensation. If your spouse works (or used to work) on a vessel that navigated U.S. waters, they are likely eligible to receive compensation due to their injury if they spent a certain amount of time on the water. Unfortunately, some people do not realize that these benefits are available or they give up, missing out on crucial resources.
Assisting your spouse in other ways
Aside from pursuing benefits, there are other ways people can support their spouse after a maritime accident. For example, people can provide their spouse with extra attention and emotional support. When a spouse is incapacitated, many people decide to take time off work to help them recover. Our blog covers many other topics related to maritime accidents.