Appeal Hearings in Louisiana Maritime Accidents Damages Case Begin
An appeals court in Louisiana began its hearing of an offshore drilling company's objection to maritime damages awarded to a man who suffered post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being involved in a jack up rig collapse accident.
Lonnie Cortney Campbell was one of several workers aboard the Parker Drilling Offshore USA jack up rig that partially collapsed on September 11th, 2003 off the Louisiana-Mississippi coast. The accident, which occurred while jacking up operations were in order, did not result in any fatalities. As the rig buckled, Campbell was thrown from his bunk and had to jump into the water. On top of, already terrifying events, Campbell did not know how to swim. .jpg)
He suffered intense terror, unsure if rescue would arrive in time or if the rig would collapse on him. He suffered injuries to his wrist and back, but the emotional scars ran deeper. He has suffered from severe post traumatic disorder since the accident. In 2007, Campbell was awarded $952,966 including 200,000 in damages for PTSD.
The company appealed the verdict and insists that Campbell's physical injuries were the result of “preexisting conditions”. The company's attorneys have asked personal injury damages to be reduced and recalculated based on a lower federal interest from the date of the accident.
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that usually results after a person has been through a terrifying physical ordeal like an assault or an accident in which there was a physical threat. The disorder came into the spotlight after the Gulf War in the early 1990’s, when soldiers who returned from active combat began to suffer from nightmares, sleeplessness, anxiety, and socially withdrawn behavior. The symptoms of PTSD may not become evident for weeks after the incident, when they do surface they can include:
- Sleeplessness
- Anxiety
- Nervousness
- Disinterest in social relationships
- Flashbacks of the or deal
- Panic attacks
- Drug or alcohol abuse
Maritime Accident Compensation
After a maritime accident, injured workers may be eligible for, not only immediate and short term medical expenses, like doctor bills and hospitalization expenses, but also medical expenses over the long term. An example of this would be treatment and counseling for post traumatic stress disorder, which usually results after a worker has experienced a serious life threatening accident. In Campbell's case, although his physical injuries were immediately visible, and therefore, could be mentioned in a maritime accident claim, the long term anxiety disorder that surfaced later was not as obvious. For this reason it is important to sit down with a maritime attorney before you decide to file a damages claim against an employer. An attorney may be able to include all expenses over the short and long term, so you get the complete compensation you deserve.
If you've been injured in a maritime accident, contact a maritime lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free evaluation of your claim.
