- March 12, 2024
- Attorney Matt Stoddard
- Personal Injury
A union longshoreman, 50-year-old Stephen Cobb, was killed in a crane accident at the Port of Savannah on March 26. He was pronounced dead at the scene at the Garden City terminal in the early morning. Little information has been released about the nature of the accident itself. It involved a rubber-tired gantry crane that was used for moving shipping containers, but it’s not clear whether Cobb was operating the crane or working nearby, whether there was an equipment malfunction, or what safety precautions were in place.
A police investigation is ongoing and will include an autopsy.
The Port of Savannah Has Had Several Serious Crane Accidents Over the Years, Especially at Its Garden City Terminal
A Disastrous Safety Record
Cranes are powerful and dangerous pieces of equipment that should be operated with great care, by trained individuals, and in accordance with safety instructions from OSHA and the manufacturer. When crane accidents occur, the consequences are often destructive and life changing, as many former port workers can attest.
In November 2015, a jockey truck operator was severely injured in another crane accident at the Garden City terminal. While attempting to lift a shipping container out of the victim’s truck, a crane operator accidentally lifted the entire truck approximately 30 feet off the ground. It fell, the driver was thrown through the windshield and then had his leg traumatically amputated when the truck rolled on top of it.
Just under two years later, another worker successfully sued the Georgia Ports Authority after a 16-pound twist lock fell from a crane and struck his head, causing permanent injury, also at the Garden City terminal. He was awarded $4.6 million.
Employers, Including The Georgia Ports Authority, Are Responsible For Providing Safe Workplaces
No matter the inherent risks of an occupation, employers always have a responsibility to follow OSHA regulations and take any other reasonable steps that may be necessary to keep workplaces as safe as possible. Landowners are also responsible for making their properties safe for anyone with a legal right to be there, whether or not they can be considered employees.
This is equally true whether the employer/owner is a small business, an international corporation, or a government entity like the Georgia Ports Authority. Port workers have a right to expect effective safety measures, and to expect compensation when preventable accidents do occur.
Civil Suits Are Often the Best Option for Injured Port Workers and Bereaved Families
Finding Justice from the Judiciary
Like most large entities, public or private, the Georgia Ports Authority doesn’t have a stellar record when it comes to taking care of injured workers and their families. The man who lost his leg was terminated from employment shortly afterward, and his subsequent lawsuit alleges that it was because the port would not make reasonable accommodations for him to continue working with his new disability.
When the man who was struck by the twist lock sued, the Georgia Ports Authority tried to have his claim dismissed by arguing that, as a state organization, it was immune to litigation relating to federal wrongdoing.
Across professions, even when injured workers and the families of those killed on the job do receive payments without filing a suit, these payments rarely even cover immediate related expenses. The best way to get fair compensation that accounts for the full impact the accident will have on survivors’ lives is almost always with the help of a qualified wrongful death or personal injury lawyer.
Workers’ Comp Payouts vs. Personal Injury Claim/Lawsuit Payouts
When you meet with a personal injury attorney, they will review your case and determine the types of compensation you may be entitled to. As a worker, you are normally only entitled to workers’ comp benefits, which are limited. However, if you work at or near the Port of Savannah, you may be entitled to compensation under the Jones Act.
The Jones Act allows injured workers to pursue their negligent employers for various remedies, including no-fault maintenance and cure and full personal injury compensation. Maintenance and cure refers to the care and provisions certain qualified workers may receive under the Jones Act, which includes medical coverage and day-to-day living expenses. Unlike with workers’ comp benefits, workers pursuing compensation beyond maintenance and cure under the Jones Act must demonstrate that their employer was negligent and that this negligence led to the worker’s injury.
Attorney Matt Stoddard
Matt Stoddard is a professional, hardworking, ethical advocate. He routinely faces some of the nation’s largest companies and some of the world’s largest insurers – opponents who have virtually unlimited resources. In these circumstances, Mr. Stoddard is comfortable. Mr. Stoddard provides his strongest efforts to his clients, and he devotes the firm’s significant financial resources to presenting the strongest case possible on their behalf. Matt understands that his clients must put their trust in him. That trust creates an obligation for Matt to work tirelessly on their behalf, and Matt Stoddard does not take that obligation lightly. [ Attorney Bio ]