Charleston, West Virginia

When you are injured on the job it can be difficult to know what steps to take to ensure just compensation. Schletker Law represents clients on personal injury, work injury, and other maritime accident claims. Having access to advice from an experienced attorney who practices Jones Act, General Maritime and Longshore cases is of critical importance. Steven Schletker has been practicing river injury cases, Longshore claims and Jones Act cases for more than twenty years.

Whether you have suffered a herniated disc injury to the back, an ACL injury to the knee or other disabling injury, Steven Schletker will work with you to protect your rights. Often times, a case can be worked so that medical bills are paid, lost wages are recovered and the injured river worker returns to his/her job. If the injuries are severe enough to disqualify a worker from returning to the river, suitable alternate employment may be a possibility. For dock workers who load and unload vessels, repair docks or perform work in maritime areas, the Longshore Act may provide a comprehensive workers’ compensation remedy.

Charleston, West Virginia is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers. It is the capital and largest city in the state of West Virginia. Charleston was established in 1794 by pioneers traveling west after the American Revolutionary War. This great city is rich in resources, like salt brines, natural gas and coal. It is positioned on a tributary of the Ohio River which connects the city to the rest of the country. The city of Charleston experienced an industrial boom in the early nineteenth century by development of industry along on the Kanawha River. Work force development along the Kanawha River resulted in great economic growth to the area. By the early 1800’s, Kanawha County produced more salt than any other place in the world. The need to move resources and manufactured goods out of the Charleston area was an early stimulus for the development of the local river industry. By the early twentieth century Charleston area companies began producing chemicals such as chlorine and sodium hydroxide from local salt brines. Again, industry looked to the river as a means of transporting goods to market. To this day, citizens of Charleston and nearby cities of South Charleston, Nitro, St. Albans, Institute, and Dunbar use the Kanawha River to maximize benefits derived from natural resources. The local work force has found river related jobs with companies producing chemicals, glass, timber and steel.

Common occupations in the Charleston, West Virginia area include:

• Sales and related workers including supervisors (6%)
• Services, wholesale and manufacturing (4%)
• Engineers (4%)
• Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (4%)

Many Charleston residents also make their living working as deckhands, engineers, tow boat captains and crew members for companies located in the area, including: Amherst Madison, Inc. and Marathon Petroleum. As tow boat crew members can attest, working on the river is extremely hard and potentially dangerous.

While industry relies on a skilled work force to crew vessels moving products down the Kanawha River to the Ohio River, when the river worker is injured the relationship often sours. If the deckhand, dock worker or pilot is injured and cannot perform the essential functions of his/her position, the dock employer or tow boat company may look to end the relationship.

There is no charge for the initial consultation. Jones Act crewmember cases are worked on a contingency. Longshore attorney fees are paid only after the case is successfully prosecuted. No fees are owed until the case is successfully prosecuted. If you are injured within the scope of your employment on the Kanawha River, Ohio River or tributary, call Steven Schletker at 800-254-7487 to discuss your rights.