Maritime Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
"A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." -Grace Murray Hopper
Because they work in such a dangerous environment, commercial fishermen and other maritime workers are at risk of drowning and horrific physical injuries, from brain injury to amputation. They are also significant risk of developing psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Helping the Injured for 25 Years
At Beard Stacey & Jacobsen, LLP, we help seamen who have developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other mental illness obtain money damagers for their injuries, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. Crewmen who suffer severe emotional distress in vessel sinking accidents oftentimes develop PTSD. For example, we represented several crewmen who developed PTSD after surviving the sinking of the Aleutian Enterprise, F/V Majestic, Marget G, and Nowitner.
If you have developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or any other psychological disorder while at sea, please contact a maritime law attorney at Beard Stacey & Jacobsen in Seattle or Anchorage today. It costs you nothing to learn if you have a case.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can develop weeks, months, or years after a terrifying event. The person who develops PTSD may have been the victim of the harm or a witness to it. For example, in a man overboard situation, the person in the water, those involved in the rescue attempt, and those who merely witness the event are all at risk for developing PTSD.
PTSD victims mentally relive the traumatic event both during the day and in nightmares. These flashbacks are uncontrollable and can be triggered by cues such as a smell or sound.
People with PTSD may:
- Startle easily
- Become emotionally numb
- Be distant emotionally from people they were once close
- Lose interest in things they used to enjoy
- Have trouble feeling affectionate
- Be irritable
- Become more aggressive or violent
- Avoid situations that remind them of the original incident
If you or someone you care about has developed PTSD, has had a nervous break down or another psychological condition related to their maritime work, please contact a lawyer at Beard Stacey & Jacobsen today. We know how to help.
