The Willamette River runs 187 miles long, starting in the cascades and threading through northwestern Oregon. The waterway is home to many ports in the region, and touches the lives of millions living nearby. Along the river there are commercial barges and oceangoing ships carrying chips, logs, sand, gravel, and other products to market, abundant fishing opportunities for catches such as salmon and trout, and recreational activities with its gorgeous ecological surroundings. The river hosts a complex mixture of tour boats, ski boats, passenger jetboats, pontoons, commercial fishing vessels, and charter boats.
The industrious men and women working in the maritime industry along the Willamette River significantly contribute to the local, regional, and national economies. Although the river has been significantly subdued through the years with the introduction of wing dams, revetments, dredging, and flood control projects, it is still subject to current changes and other navigational hazards (such as blind turns and narrow passages). Working on the river can be high-risk, especially if employers and vessels are negligent. Maritime workers of the Willamette River who are injured on the job or other mariners who are hurt during a day of fun on the water can turn to Mariner Law, PLLC to seek sound legal counsel on maritime law issues. The firm can help you understand your options and whether you are entitled to money damages.
Maritime workers harmed due to employer negligence or vessel unseaworthiness are permitted to make a claim under the Jones Act and general maritime law. These claims seek money damages for lost wages, disability, and pain and suffering. Non-commercial mariners may also be entitled to compensation where others act without due care and injury results. Mariner Law, PLLC represents clients from areas on the Willamette on a variety of admiralty personal injury cases. The firm takes on cases involving accidents including, but not limited to:
Falling overboard
Drowning
Propeller strikes
Back and neck injuries
Spine injuries
Falling from a height
Burns
Broken bones
Lacerations
Chemical exposure
Wrongful death
When employers and vessel owners, operators, officers, or crewmen choose to not comply with good seamanship and vessel maintenance, terrible injuries are all too frequently the result. Vessel owners and operators should safeguard mariners by having trained seamen, good safety policies and procedures, and well equipped boats. Failure to do so may allow mariner claimants to sue for negligence and unseaworthiness. It is important that the victims of boating ad shipboard accidents on the Willamette River understand their rights under maritime law. There are potential claims under the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) that can be filed that may allow injured employees and their families compensation for medical care, wage loss, room and board, and other damages sustained.
If you are facing injury or illness because of an incident that occurred on or near the Willamette River, there may be federal laws that can help you receive adequate compensation. Mariner Law, PLLC is equipped to help you navigate tricky maritime law issues and resolve your claim. To find out what a Mariner Law, PLLC Oregon Jones Act lawyer can do to help you or a loved one, call (971) 394-9900 and ask for a free consultation with a maritime lawyer.
An admiralty attorney may also be available to meet with potential clients in-person at the firm's Portland office: 4949 S. Macadam Ave. Portland, OR 97239. Appointments are required.