Q: I suffered an injury at ceiba ferry. Can I be compensated for the time I lost for work and being in excruciating pain?
I was moving my classic car from Vieques to Puerto Rico. As I was pulling on the ramp my car stalled I had to get out and pop the hood to start it from the relay starter. As I opened the door I walked around the door and there was no guard rails no reflectors nobody to tell me watch out for the end of the ramp. As I fell I hit my coccyx and passed out before falling in the ocean. I woke up under water swallowing a mouthful of saltwater. I was 4 feet deep when I opened my eyes! I swam up to get air nobody was helping me right away. I was trying to climb the barnacle covered wall scraping and cutting my fingers. I was in excruciating pain for months still hurts now. I couldn’t work cause I couldn’t sit down. My back now is not the same. I have a herniated disk and in pain everyday. Please help me get some compensation for this accident.
A: I'm sorry this happened to you. It looks like you managed to extricate yourself from a terrifying situation where you almost drowned. I'm glad you survived. Given the location of the Ceiba Ferry Terminal, you could reach out to attorneys who practice in Puerto Rico. Attorneys who handle such cases often give free initial consults. This appears to involve "navigable waters." That is a significant factor, not just a geographic point of interest. "Navigable waters" can open the door to legal concepts and doctrines involving maritime law. There's no point going into a discussion on those now. For now, your best option is to consider reaching out to law firms in Puerto Rico to try to arrange a free initial consult. An experienced attorney should be able to outline the facts and jurisdictional issues (which region's courts to choose), and help you address the issue of lost time from work, medical bills, and other important issues. In addition to your own independent attorney searches, there is a "Find a Lawyer" tab above, which lists attorneys by region and practice area. You will be able to find many experienced attorneys there who practice in Puerto Rico you could reach out to. Good luck
Jonathan R. Ratchik agrees with this answer
A: Sorry to hear what happened to you. As my colleague correctly advised, best to speak with an experienced personal injury / admiralty attorney. You can find many excellent attorneys using the Find a Lawyer tab on the JUSTIA homepage. If still possible, get photographs of the dangerous condition which you claim caused and/or contributed to your fall. You will need them to rebut the anticipated defense that the edge of the ramp was arguably an open and obvious condition about which the vessel had duty to warn.
Tim Akpinar agrees with this answer
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