Nitro, West Virginia

If you are injured within the scope of your employment on or near the river in Nitro, West Virginia or anywhere in the surrounding Kanawha River valley, you may find the assistance of an experienced maritime lawyer to be invaluable. Schletker Law represents clients who are injured while working on the river to help provide just compensation. For more than 20 years Steven Schletker has worked with Longshoremen who have been injured on the job. He has helped them obtain reasonable compensation. A Jones Act crew member is entitled to receive maintenance (a daily stipend based upon the cost of replacing the room and board provided on the boat) and a cure (reasonable and necessary medical treatment) without proving the company was at fault. To obtain additional benefits the worker needs to prove the company was at fault. Steven Schletker is an experienced, passionate attorney who can help you prove your case.

Workers who facilitate the movement of goods and products along the Kanawha River are exposed to any number of hazardous maritime conditions. If you are injured while working on a tow boat, barge or adjacent dock you may be covered by the Jones Act, General Maritime Law or Longshore Act, rather than by West Virginia Workers’ Compensation. In many circumstances, injured workers are treated more generously under the Jones Act or Longshore Act than state workers’ compensation. The nature of the duties you perform will determine the appropriate compensation system.

Working on the Kanawha River is difficult and dangerous. Making locks on the Kanawha requires a special skill set. Kanawha River tows frequently require multiple cuts. Deck hands and other crew members are required to break couplings and climb lock walls which increases their chances of suffering an injury.

Nitro, West Virginia is a thriving river community located along the banks of the Kanawha River. This great river city is positioned in both Kanawha County and Putnam County. Nitro is known as a “living memorial to World War I”. Its name is derived from the chemical compound nitrocellulose, a flammable substance used to produce ammunition during World War I. In 1917, the United States Congress passed the Deficiency Appropriations Act. This authorized the construction of three large ammunition production plants throughout the country. Due primarily to its location along the Kanawha River and the abundance of natural resources in the area, the War Department chose the area (now known as Nitro) to construct its first facility. By 1918, this production facility was able to produce up to 350 tons of gunpowder per day. The necessity of quick movement of the final product on the Kanawha River facilitated the development of a highly skilled river based labor market. Workers from all over the country flocked to the banks of the Kanawha River in West Virginia to do their part for the war effort. By 1918, 23,951 people were living in a small community adjacent to the river, outside of the production facility. When the war was over many stayed in the area and founded the town of Nitro. The City was officially incorporated in 1932.

Nitro currently has a population of 7,178. Due in large measure to the availability of jobs on or near the Kanawha River, Nitro’s unemployment percentage is below the state average. According to the latest government statistics, much of the population of Nitro is employed in industries directly and indirectly related to river commerce such as:

• Construction (16%)
• Retail trade (13%)
• Manufacturing (10%)
• Transportation and warehousing (9%)
• Accommodation services (8%)

Steven Schletker will perform an initial consultation of your work injury case for free. No retainer fee is required. No fee will be owed unless your case is successfully prosecuted. Injured river workers are welcome to call Steven Schletker with questions at 800-254-7487.