Waterfront Injuries

Boston Harbor and Waterfront Accident Injuries

Although automation and container shipping have done much to make the waterfront a safer workplace than it used to be, substantial hazards to longshore and harbor workers remain. If you have been injured in a waterfront warehouse accident, ship or barge repair operations, or harbor dredging, contact the Massachusetts waterfront accident lawyers at Kenney & Conley in Braintree. Our experience with the investigation and proof of workplace injuries can help you realize a full financial recovery for your losses while we support your physical recovery.

Waterfront accidents can occur aboard a docked vessel, hundreds of yards inland in a warehouse or rail terminal, high overhead in crane shackling operations, or below the waterline in hull repair. We represent injured longshore and harbor workers from Everett to New Bedford who get hurt on the job.

Difficult questions of liability often attend waterfront accidents. While an injured worker can usually obtain limited benefits (similar to workers' compensation) under the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act without the need to prove any party's fault, careful investigation of the incident can often reveal the negligence of a nonemployer defendant who can be held accountable for the full extent of your damages.

Under certain circumstances, an injured longshore or harbor worker can even qualify as a "seaman" under the Jones Act for personal injury or wrongful death damages under federal maritime law. This status can give the plaintiff significant advantages in a lawsuit involving negligence in the packing, shipping, or handling of cargo in transit that creates dangerous conditions for freight handlers at the destination port.

At Kenney & Conley, our past success in representing injured workers in all industries allows us to commit the investigative and forensic resources necessary to fully develop the facts and legal principles of liability in cases involving serious injury or death. To learn more about our ability to handle waterfront accident cases, contact one of our workplace injury attorneys in Braintree.