Hurt by a swinging load or a crush point?
Marine construction decks are crowded with swinging loads, heavy equipment, mooring lines, and pinch points. A struck-by or caught-between injury — often an amputation or a serious crush — happens in an instant, and the cause is usually the operation, not the worker.
What covers a struck-by or crush injury on the water?
A struck-by or crush injury in marine construction is covered by maritime law — the Jones Act and unseaworthiness for a seaman, or the Longshore Act plus a third-party vessel claim for a waterfront worker. These injuries usually trace to a swinging or dropped load, a moving piece of equipment, a mooring line, or being caught between a load and a structure or between a barge and a dock — conditions driven by the lift plan, coordination, and the equipment.
Key takeaways
- Struck-by and crush injuries are covered by maritime law.
- They usually trace to the operation, not the worker.
- Responsibility often falls on the employer, vessel owner, and equipment makers.
- Crush and amputation injuries are catastrophic and need full lifetime-cost proof.
- Comparative fault can reduce but never bars a recovery.
Who is responsible for a struck-by or crush injury?
For an unsafe operation — an uncoordinated lift, no exclusion zone, an untrained crew, or workers placed in the line of fire. Negligence that played any part is enough under the Jones Act.
Unfit equipment, an unsafe deck layout, or defective mooring gear supplied with the vessel can make it unseaworthy.
Defective cranes, rigging, or equipment can support a product claim, and another contractor’s crew can share responsibility.
Frequently asked questions about struck-by & crush injuries
What covers a struck-by or crush injury?
Maritime law — the Jones Act and unseaworthiness for a seaman, or the Longshore Act plus a third-party vessel claim for a waterfront worker.
Who is responsible if a load or equipment struck me?
Potentially the employer for an unsafe operation, the vessel owner for unfit equipment, and the makers of defective gear.
What if I was caught between a barge and a dock?
That caught-between hazard can support a claim against the employer for an unsafe operation and the vessel owner for unfit mooring or fendering.
What should you do after a struck-by or crush injury?
Get medical care and make sure the injury is reported in writing. Preserve evidence early, including incident reports, photos, the equipment involved, and witness names, and do not give a recorded statement or sign anything before talking to a lawyer.
What happens when you text us
Tell us what happened — in your own words, as much or as little as you want.
We review it free. You learn whether maritime law protects you and what your options actually are.
You decide. Nothing is filed, and no one contacts your employer, unless you choose to move forward.
Your conversation with us is confidential. There is no fee unless we win. Hablamos español.
Reach out even if…
- You think the accident was partly your fault — under the Jones Act, your own fault reduces a recovery but does not bar it.
- You already gave a statement or signed something — a release signed under pressure can be challenged.
- You still work for the company — talking to a lawyer is confidential, and retaliation for pursuing a claim can itself be actionable.
- You’re not sure your case is “big enough” — that’s exactly what a free review is for.
Hurt on a marine construction job? Find out what covers you.
Doyle Dennis Avery LLP represents marine construction workers hurt on the water — pile drivers, welders, crane and rigging crews, divers, and waterfront crews. Tell us what you do and how you were hurt, and we’ll tell you what covers you. A case review costs nothing.
This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Whether a given structure is a “vessel,” and whether a worker is a Jones Act seaman, an LHWCA harbor worker, or covered under OCSLA, are fact-intensive questions that depend on the specific circumstances. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP · Houston, Texas. This is attorney advertising.
