Houston Maritime Injury Lawyer

Houston Jones Act and Maritime Injury Lawyer

If you were hurt working on a vessel, a barge or an offshore rig, federal maritime law may let you sue your employer in front of a jury. I'm Jeff Todd, and I handle Jones Act and maritime injury cases from Houston.

Call (832) 243-4953 Get a Free Case Review

No fee unless I win

Your rights

Seamen Have Rights Other Injured Workers in Texas Don't

Most Texas workers hurt on the job are limited to workers' comp benefits from their employer. Seamen are different. Under the Jones Act, a seaman injured at work, or the family of one who dies, can sue the employer and have a jury decide the case.

You're likely a seaman if your work helps a vessel do its job and a substantial part of it, about 30% of your time as a rule of thumb, is spent on a vessel or fleet in navigation (Chandris v. Latsis). That usually includes crews on tugs, barges, supply boats and jack-up rigs. A seaman can claim for the employer's negligence, for an unseaworthy vessel, and for maintenance and cure, which pays living expenses and medical care regardless of fault.

If you were hurt on a recreational boat rather than at work, see my page on boating accidents or all the cases I handle.

Where it happens

Maritime Accidents and Injuries I Handle

A vessel owner has to keep the vessel reasonably fit for its intended use, with enough competent crew, and your employer has to act with reasonable care. If its negligence played any part, even the slightest, in your injury, it can be held responsible. Being partly at fault reduces what you recover but doesn't bar it.

A worker in safety gear at an industrial facility

These cases come from the people who work on the water: crews on tugs, barges, supply boats and rigs, and the dock and shipyard workers who load and repair them, whose claims fall under the Longshore Act. Common causes include:

Slips and falls on wet or oily decks

Line and mooring injuries

Crane and cargo-handling accidents

Falls from ladders, gangways and catwalks

Engine room and machinery accidents

Fires and explosions

Crew transfers between vessels and platforms

Too few crew, too little training or too little rest

Worn-out or poorly maintained gear

Next steps

How I help

Call any time and a live person answers; I follow up with you myself. I spent years defending insurers, so I know how they size up a claim, and I'll tell you straight whether you have a case. If you hire me, I gather the records, present a demand to the insurer, and file suit if the offer isn't fair. You generally have three years to file. My fee is 33% before suit, 40% once a lawsuit is filed and 45% on appeal.

Free case evaluation

Call Me About Your Maritime Injury

I take Jones Act and maritime injury cases from the Houston Ship Channel, Galveston Bay and offshore. My office is in Houston, and I speak English and Spanish. When you hire me, you get me. Trust Jeff, and call (832) 243-4953.

Call (832) 243-4953