Lesiones marítimas y en alta mar

Maritime Injury Attorney

Working on the water comes with risks that ordinary workplace injury laws were never built to handle. Whether you were hurt on an offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, aboard a cargo ship, on a tugboat or barge, or while working the docks at the Port of Houston, your case falls under a separate body of law known as maritime law, with its own rules, deadlines, and standards of proof.

Insurance adjusters and maritime employers know this, and they often move fast to limit what they owe an injured worker or grieving family before anyone has reviewed the claim.

The Daspit Law Firm's maritime injury attorneys represent seamen, dockworkers, offshore rig crews, commercial divers, and their families in claims under the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, the Death on the High Seas Act, and maintenance and cure claims.

We know which law applies to your job and your injury, what it takes to prove it, and how to make sure you're not shortchanged on medical care, lost wages, or compensation for a wrongful death offshore. If you or a loved one was hurt working on or around the water, call (888) 273-1045 for a free, 24/7 case review before you sign anything from your employer or their insurer.

About Maritime Law

When a person is injured or loses a loved one in a fatal accident, he or she can often file a personal injury or wrongful death claim against the party who is responsible. The Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code details who has the right to sue for accidents caused by negligence.

Similarly, the Texas Workers' Compensation Act, contained in the labor code, makes it possible for an individual who has been injured on the job to file a claim against his or her employer's workers' compensation insurance policy.

What happens, however, when the injury or death occurs offshore? This is a major concern for many Texans, given that the Port of Houston is the nation's busiest port and the sixth-largest port in the entire world.

An estimated 785,000 people work in jobs related to the port, in addition to many more who work on offshore drilling rigs on the Gulf of Mexico, commercial divers and people who earn a living as seamen on cargo ships and other types of vessels.

Cuando una persona resulta herida o muere en un accidente en el extranjero, donde no se aplican las leyes de Texas, ¿tiene la víctima del accidente o la familia superviviente algún derecho a reclamar una indemnización? La respuesta a esta pregunta es: "Sí".

Types of Maritime Injury Claims

An accident claim for an offshore injury is possible thanks to a body of law known alternately as maritime law or admiralty law.

Maritime law includes a wide range of different statutes that apply to certain areas of commerce and other matters, several of which have to do with the legal rights and responsibilities of those who are involved in accidents occurring on ships and drilling platforms.

Laws That Apply Most Often In Offshore Injury Cases:

• Ley Jones - La Ley Jones está contenida como una sección de la Ley de la Marina Mercante de 1920, concretamente en 46 U.S.C. § 30104. Esta ley establece el derecho de los marineros lesionados a demandar a sus empleadores para obtener una compensación económica. Para prevalecer en una reclamación en virtud de la Ley Jones, es necesario demostrar que la lesión fue causada por algún tipo de negligencia por parte del empleador o de un compañero de tripulación, o que el accidente fue causado por la falta de navegabilidad del buque.
• Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA) - Esta ley, que se encuentra en los estatutos de 46 U.S.C.§§ 761 - 768, permite recuperar daños y perjuicios contra el propietario de un buque si su cónyuge, sus padres u otro miembro de la familia del que dependa ha fallecido en aguas internacionales, al menos a tres millas de la costa. Al igual que en las reclamaciones en virtud de la Ley Jones, es necesario demostrar que la muerte fue causada por negligencia o falta de navegabilidad.
• Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA) - Los estatutos de 33 U.S.C. §§ 901 - 950 comprenden la Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. Esta ley es esencialmente la misma que las leyes de compensación a los trabajadores que se aplican en la mayoría de los estados, que proporcionan un sistema sin culpa en el que los trabajadores lesionados pueden reclamar una indemnización por tratamiento médico y salarios perdidos, independientemente de quién tenga la culpa de causar un accidente. La LHWCA cubre muchas categorías de trabajadores que no pueden ser demandados en virtud de la Ley Jones.
• Maintenance and Cure - El derecho a recibir alimentos y curas no se encuentra en ninguno de los estatutos del Código de los Estados Unidos. En cambio, tiene sus raíces en el derecho consuetudinario inglés y se remonta a casi un milenio. Los marineros lesionados tienen derecho a recibir manutención y reparación de sus empleadores, independientemente de quién sea el culpable. La manutención consiste en el pago del valor de los alimentos y el alojamiento que el marino habría recibido a bordo del buque si no se hubiera lesionado, mientras que la curación es la prestación de cualquier tratamiento médico de urgencia, hospitalización y cuidados de rehabilitación que puedan ser necesarios.

FAQS Regarding Maritime Injury Attorney

Does the Jones Act cover me if I was hurt offshore?

The Jones Act covers you if you qualify as a seaman, which generally means you spend a substantial part of your work time, often around 30 percent, in the service of a vessel or fleet in navigation. Crew members on supply boats, tugs, barges, drillships, and many jack-up and floating rigs typically qualify.

If you do, the Jones Act lets you sue your employer for negligence, and you can also bring an unseaworthiness claim against the vessel owner if the vessel or its equipment was not reasonably fit for its purpose. If you are not a seaman, you are not without options: dock, harbor, and shipyard workers are usually covered by the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act instead. Call (888) 273-1045 and we will tell you which law applies to your job.

What is the difference between the Jones Act and the LHWCA?

The Jones Act is a fault-based right to sue; the LHWCA is a no-fault benefits system. Under the Jones Act, a seaman sues their employer and must show negligence or an unseaworthy vessel, but can recover full damages including pain and suffering.

Under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, an injured maritime worker who is not a seaman claims medical costs and lost wage benefits without proving anyone was at fault, but the benefits are set by formula and do not include pain and suffering. Which one applies turns on your connection to a vessel, not on your job title, which is why these cases are worth having reviewed.

What is maintenance and cure?

Maintenance and cure is an ancient right owed to seamen that has nothing to do with fault. Cure is your employer's obligation to pay for your medical treatment until you reach maximum medical improvement. Maintenance is a daily living allowance to cover food and lodging ashore while you recover.

Your employer owes it if you were injured or fell ill in the service of the vessel, even if the injury was nobody's fault and even if it was partly your own. Employers routinely underpay the maintenance rate or cut it off early, and an attorney can challenge that separately from your Jones Act claim.

Can my family file a claim if a worker died offshore?

Yes. Which law governs depends on where the death occurred and the worker's status. The Jones Act allows the survivors of a seaman to bring a wrongful death and survival claim against the employer. The Death on the High Seas Act applies to deaths occurring beyond three nautical miles from shore.

Deaths on fixed platforms on the outer continental shelf and deaths within state waters can fall under other frameworks, including Texas law. Because those routes lead to very different recoveries, offshore death cases should be reviewed by a maritime attorney quickly.

How long do I have to file an offshore injury claim?

Deadlines in maritime cases are different from ordinary Texas cases, and they are unforgiving. A Jones Act claim generally must be filed within three years of the injury. Under the LHWCA, you typically must give your employer written notice within 30 days and file a claim within one year.

The Death on the High Seas Act has its own three-year period. Some employment agreements attempt to impose shorter notice requirements. Do not rely on the two-year Texas rule, and do not wait to find out which one applies to you.

Should I sign my employer's accident report or settlement offer?

Not before an attorney reads it. Maritime employers move quickly after an injury, and the paperwork put in front of a hurt crew member often includes a statement drafted to minimize the company's role, a medical authorization far broader than necessary, or an early settlement that releases every future claim for a fraction of its value.

You are entitled to have counsel review anything you are asked to sign. Call The Daspit Law Firm at (888) 273-1045, free and 24/7, and we will review it before you commit to anything.

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DEJE QUE NUESTROS ABOGADOS MARÍTIMOS LUCHEN POR USTED

Como un bufete de abogados de lesiones personales, The Daspit Law Firm con frecuencia acepta casos de lesiones marítimas y accidentes de trabajo que ocurren en los muelles. Si usted está buscando un abogado marítimo que tiene la habilidad y el conocimiento legal necesario para obtener resultados en su caso, venga a nuestra firma en busca de ayuda.

Póngase en contacto con nuestra oficina ahora para una evaluación gratuita de su caso para que podamos revisar la situación y determinar qué derechos de recuperación puede tener y estimar cuánto puede valer su reclamación de indemnización.

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