How Injured Alabama Offshore Workers Can Adjust to Shore Life with Ease

Injured Alabama maritime workers must adapt to rapidly changing circumstances in their lives. For instance, if you slipped on deck and broke several bones in your spine, or if you inhaled toxic effluent while working on a drilling rig, not only do you have an urgent medical crisis, but you also have a possible legal situation. These kinds of situations call for hard questions. Should you sue or not? How else might you be able to get compensation? On top of that, you face crises with your personal finances and home logistics, as well as the problems of rehabilitation and vocational training.

With all that on your plate, you can be forgiven for not anticipating the potential struggles you might encounter when back on land. We defined this problem of "land legs syndrome" - the disorientation that hardcore mariners feel when they return to shore - in a previous library article. Now we are going to talk solutions. What can you do to adjust and make things simpler, easier, and more comfortable for you?

Here are a few ideas:

• Avoid going "cold turkey." If you miss the water, take a trip to the dock and just watch the water. Or, if your doctor allows, go for small, easy sails, or even just float in and around the water. Don't cut yourself off from the sea entirely.
• Take care of yourself. Eat well, get enough rest, and avoid engaging with too many stressful situations at once (especially situations that pertain to your injury/accident). Also, get exercise as your injury/illness will allow.
• Visualize being back out on the water. Just close your eyes and spend 10 to 15 minutes a day meditating, remembering what it was like to be on board the ship. This might calm you and settle your nerves.
• Watch videos on the web (or on your TV) of water. This may or may not work, but it's the kind of experiment you may want to try. It's similar to the previous point; it may help you to visualize and hear what being out on the water is like.
• Expect the disorientation. Talk to your doctor and/or therapist about it. In certain cases, medications and extended therapy might be helpful.

For help with specific logistical and legal questions regarding your Alabama offshore injury, connect with the Jones Act attorneys at Vujasinovic & Beckcom. Find out more about our credentials, experience, and philosophy for helping victims at www.maritimeaccidentattorney.com, or call us for a free consultation at (877) 724-7800.