Worried About How You Will Pay Your Medical Bills After a Maritime Accident?

When you are the primary breadwinner or when you are in charge of your own expenses, a maritime accident can cause you great concern. If you are like the majority of maritime workers, this concern has little to do with your injuries and a whole lot more to do with your medical bills and living expenses.

After your accident, you probably started wondering, “who is going to pay my medical bills?” The medical expenses can rack up quickly, especially if your injuries require extensive treatment. The thought of having to go to the doctor and fork out money might make you cringe. Worse than that, it might make you completely overwhelmed.

If you were injured while working on a vessel, you need to become familiar with “maintenance and cure.” This is compensation available to injured seamen (you can learn more about the qualifications of a seaman by reading our FAQ, How do I know if I am a Jones Act "seaman?"). The vessel owner is required to pay maintenance and cure when an injury or illness happened while the seaman was performing his or her job duties.

Maintenance
Maintenance is compensation for your living expenses. It provides a daily amount that is supposed to cover your necessities. However, the daily amount is only about $20 to $30 a day. Maintenance is paid until you reach your maximum medical cure, meaning your condition cannot improve any further.

Cure
Cure is basically your medical care. When you are injured in an offshore accident, you have the right to be paid medical treatment. Just like maintenance, cure is available until you reach your maximum medical cure.

If you have been hurt offshore, an experienced maritime lawyer can help you obtain maintenance and cure. For a free case evaluation, contact our office by calling 877.724.7800.

Be sure to order a FREE copy of maritime lawyer Brian Beckcom’s book, The Insider's Guide to Winning Your Maritime Injury Case. It has information you need to read, as an injured worker.