Manitowoc Injury Attorneys for Shipyard, Crane Manufacturing & Commercial Fishing Workers

Shipbuilding, Heavy Cranes & Lake Michigan: Manitowoc's Maritime-Industrial Economy

Manitowoc has been building ships since the Civil War era, and Marinette Marine Corporation (now Fincantieri Marinette Marine) and Burger Boat Company carry that tradition forward. Shipyard workers perform some of the most hazardous tasks in American manufacturing — welding in confined spaces below deck, operating overhead cranes to position multi-ton steel plates, grinding and cutting metal in environments filled with sparks and fumes, and working at heights on scaffolding erected over water. A fall in a shipyard does not just mean hitting the ground — it can mean falling between a hull and a dock, into water, or onto jagged steel structures. Confined space work in ship interiors creates risks of oxygen depletion, toxic gas buildup, and the inability to escape quickly if something goes wrong. Shipyard injuries tend to be severe, and the legal landscape is complicated by the intersection of Wisconsin workers' comp and federal maritime law.

The Manitowoc Company — now headquartered elsewhere but historically rooted in this city — built its reputation manufacturing cranes that bear the city's name. The crane manufacturing legacy continues through related operations, and the skills developed over decades sustain a metalworking and heavy fabrication sector throughout Manitowoc County. Workers assembling boom sections, hydraulic cylinders, and crane cabs handle components that can weigh tons, operate in welding and painting environments, and test equipment capable of lifting hundreds of thousands of pounds. The precision required in crane manufacturing does not eliminate the brute-force hazards of moving massive steel components through a factory.

Commercial fishing on Lake Michigan rounds out Manitowoc's maritime economy. Commercial fishermen haul nets and traps in all weather conditions, operate heavy winches and sorting equipment on rolling decks, and handle fish in temperatures that range from summer heat to winter conditions where spray ice coats every surface. These workers face drowning, hypothermia, winch entanglement, and repetitive strain injuries from decades of physically demanding labor. WIN Injury Network handles workplace injury claims across Manitowoc's entire economic spectrum — from shipyard welders to lake fishermen to the aluminum can manufacturing workers at Silgan Containers.

Common Workplace Injuries in Manitowoc

• Confined space injuries and toxic exposure in shipyard hull construction
• Falls from scaffolding and elevated platforms in shipbuilding operations
• Crane rigging failures and heavy component handling injuries in manufacturing
• Welding burns, flash injuries, and fume inhalation in metalworking shops
• Commercial fishing injuries from winch entanglement, falls on icy decks, and heavy lifting
• Drowning and hypothermia risks for maritime workers on Lake Michigan
• Hearing loss from shipyard and metal fabrication noise exposure

Why Manitowoc Workers Choose WIN Injury Network

• Maritime and shipyard expertise — We understand when federal maritime law applies alongside Wisconsin workers' comp
• Heavy manufacturing knowledge — Crane and steel fabrication claims require specific industrial safety understanding
• No upfront cost — Shipyard workers and fishermen pay nothing unless we win compensation
• Commercial fishing advocacy — Lake Michigan fishermen have legal rights that are often overlooked; we enforce them
• Remote consultations available — Manitowoc workers can consult by phone or video without traveling to a distant office

Serving Manitowoc and Surrounding Communities

WIN Injury Network represents injured workers throughout Manitowoc County, including Two Rivers, Kiel, Valders, Mishicot, and Reedsville. We also serve workers from Sheboygan and Calumet counties who are employed at Manitowoc-area shipyards and manufacturing facilities.