Is my employer obligated to bring me ashore for medical treatment?
Employers should do a lot of things; unfortunately, they don't always do them. However, there are OSHA regulations, coast guard regulations and simple rules of safety that need to be followed. Unfortunately, companies oftentimes favor their own profit over the safety of their workers. They will try to do a job too fast or with the wrong equipment and when they break the rules, someone usually gets hurt.
If you have been injured it is important that you seek medical treatment right away, even if you have to demand to be taken in. Don't be trapped into thinking that you need to see a company doctor or stay onboard a vessel or platform. If you are hurt, report the accident and request to be treated onshore by a doctor of your choice. Law requires that you be immediately taken to a doctor to get the treatment you need.
