Boyd County, Kentucky

There are many excellent Kentucky Workers’ Compensation attorneys in the Commonwealth. However, injuries occurring on the navigable waters of the Ohio or Big Sandy Rivers may fall outside Kentucky Workers’ Compensation coverage. There are not a large number of Kentucky lawyers who concentrate on river based injury cases. Steven Schletker has focused his practice on handling injury cases for workers injured on or near the river. Substantive laws and procedural rules that apply to a land based worker are different than those that apply to maritime workers. Steven Schletker will look to the specific facts of your river injury case to see what law applies.

If you work at Merde Boggs or R-D Associates on the boats or the river landing, your work injury case may fall under federal law. Steven Schletker will take the time to develop a one on one relationship with you. While he has a support staff to assist with the development of the case, Steven Schletker will individually work with the injured river worker. The needs of one injured worker may be drastically different than another. One worker may want to undergo aggressive medical treatment in the hopes of returning to work. Another may not want to undergo surgery. The facts of the individual injured worker and the law will be applied to get the best result.

There is no fee charged to retain Steven Schletker’s services. If you hire Steven Schletker he will receive a fee only after the claim is successfully prosecuted. Steven Schletker will advance the costs of the case such as for medical reports and deposition fees. He will concentrate on your case so you can concentrate on getting better and, if possible, getting back to work.

Boyd County was formed in 1860. It is named after Linn Boyd who was a prominent politician. The County seat is Catlettsburg. Early in its existence, Boyd County was a big producer of iron in the area with eight furnaces producing hundreds of tons of iron daily. Access to the Big Sandy and Ohio Rivers was instrumental in the development of industry in Boyd County. Working on the river became a way of life for many Boyd County residents. While some of the furnaces closed in the 19th century several continued into the 1960’s. Boyd County’s strategic location also proved important during the Civil War for communication and as a supply base. Colonel James A. Garfield, later our 20th president, was stationed here to protect Ohio River commerce and traffic. Garfield forced the Confederate Army out of the area in 1861-62. From historical times to the present the Ohio River and Big Sandy Rivers have been the source of commerce and industry.

Boyd County is home to many companies with maritime and Longshore workers. Workers at A.K. Steel who assist with equipment that loads and unloads barges may be covered by the Longshore Act, rather than by Kentucky Workers’ Compensation. Electricians who work on conveyor belts at river docks, or laborers who shovel product coming from the river may be Longshoremen, even if they do not work directly on barges or tow boats. Superior Marine or McGinnis dock workers who are called upon to ride vessels may be eligible for Jones Act or General Maritime coverage. Steven Schletker will explore the facts of your employment and your injury to determine which system is best for your case.

A Longshoreman injured on the docks in Boyd County asserts a claim by filing a Longshore form LS-203 with the United States Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs in Jacksonville, Florida. If a Boyd County resident is injured at work on the other side of the Ohio River such as at the McGinnis, Inc., South Point, Ohio dock, the claim would be filed with the United States Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs in Houston, Texas. To protect your rights it will be of assistance to have an attorney who has handled cases over the years with the United States Department of Labor. Steven Schletker has handled Longshore and Jones Act cases for more than 20 years.

Steven Schletker also handles cases for overseas civilian contractors who are injured while working for the United States government. Civilian contractors such as a truck driver injured in Afghanistan, or mechanic injured in Kuwait will be covered by a system very similar to a dock worker on the Ohio River. Injured overseas civilian contractors are covered by the Defense Base Act. Claims under the Defense Base Act are handled by Longshore Claims Examiners. With a few exceptions, a Defense Base Act claim is very similar to a Longshore claim. Steven Schletker has been handling Longshore claims for more than 20 years.

Longshore claims, Defense Base Act claims and Jones Act claims are technical and complicated. Protect yourself by calling Steven Schletker at 800-254-7487 to perform a free case evaluation. Steven Schletker will work with you to maximize your recovery and assist your return to gainful employment. Help even the odds when negotiating with your river employer or their insurance carrier by contacting Steven Schletker.