The Longshoremen’s and Harbors’ Workers Compensation Act (LHWCA) provides adequate compensation for seaman who are injured in their line of work. This coverage provides payments for medical treatment, travel costs related to medical treatment, and services or supplies which are needed to help the recovery or treatment process. There is, of course, a lot of legality that comes into play and seeking the help of a professional maritime lawyer will always be a good first step to take.
The definition of disability in a longshoreman clause simply means the inability to perform work and receive pre-injury wages. This covers any form of disability which will entitle you to receive a weekly compensation every two weeks and will be based from a percentage of your biweekly income before you were injured. In 2006, it was estimated that the minimum compensation was $278.61 while the maximum was $1114.44.
The compensation for complete or short term disability is calculated at 2/3s the workers weekly average income. This average is determined by combining the previous 52 weeks of income. This, of course, could mean that your average might be considerably less if you suffered any periods of unemployment.
Temporary partial disability is compensated at 2/3s the weekly income loss and is based on the loss of earning potential. Permanent partial disability compensation is intended to cover the injured employee for the loss of a body part or function. This form of compensation is based on the payout schedule that is specified in the Longshoreman Act. Basically this schedule appoints a specified timeline as to how long the injured employee may receive compensation.
The LHWCA has worked to get people the coverage they need when working at sea. There are still a lot of uncovered issues surrounding these matters and you will need to speak with a maritime law professional to get the most compensation for your injury.
