Houston Maritime Injury Lawyers
Serving Houston and all of the Great State of Texas
Texas is home to more than 500 miles of ocean shoreline as well as three major rivers. As a result, many residents find work in maritime-related positions ranging from shipbuilders and harbor workers to longshoremen and dock builders. While these Texas jobs can offer unique work experiences, they also can present hazardous working conditions.
In addition to hazardous conditions, maritime employment has the tendency to involve interstate commerce. When combined, these elements may prevent Texas maritime workers from receiving general workers’ compensation when they are injured on the job. Instead they might be covered under special maritime workers’ compensation acts called the Merchant Marine Act (the Jones Act) and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA or USL&H), which provide compensation for injured seamen and land-based maritime workers and are administered on a federal level. The benefits from these acts include medical coverage, compensation for lost wages, rehabilitation services, and survivor benefits (if death occurs). Take a closer look at these acts and how they may apply to you.
The rules and regulations of these acts can be confusing, and getting the compensation you need for your work-related maritime injuries can be difficult. You probably have many questions about your Texas maritime injury and whether or not you’re eligible for benefits. A lawyer at Terry Bryant who specializes in Texas maritime injury law can explain your options and help you through this frustrating time. Contact a Texas maritime injury lawyer at the office of Terry Bryant by completing a free consultation form online or calling 1-800-444-5000 today.
Jones Act
This act is a federal law that provides benefits for employees injured on seagoing vessels in navigable waters and offshore oil rigs that are not permanently affixed to the ocean floor. To recover under the Jones Act, the injury must have occurred during the course of employment and the worker must prove seaman status.
To be eligible for the Jones Act, a worker must be more or less permanently assigned to a vessel or fleet of vessels in navigation; perform regular work while at sea; and/or aid in navigation of the vessel, contribute to the vessel’s function, or be in furtherance of the vessel’s mission. The vessel must also be in navigation under maritime jurisdiction.
Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act
This federal act was designed to provide compensation for employees injured while working in United States navigable waters and adjoining structures including piers, wharfs, dry docks, terminals, building ways, marine railways, or other adjoining areas usually used by an employer in loading, unloading, repairing, dismantling, or building a commercial vessel or recreational vessel more than 65 feet. This act covers approximately 500,000 workers.
Originally, the act only covered those employed to load and unload ships and shipbuilders. Now, through amendments and revisions, determining those employees covered by the act has become a more complex process, especially if the activity takes place some distance from the water.
A Free Consultation Is a Click Away
Have you been injured in a maritime accident? Contact a Texas maritime injury lawyer at our office in Houston, Texas. We serve communities throughout Texas including: Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont, Brownsville, Bryan/College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Ft. Worth, Harlingen, Laredo, Longview, Lubbock, McAllen, Odessa/Midland, Port Arthur, San Angelo, San Antonio, Texarkana, Tyler, Waco, and Wichita Falls. Complete a FREE consultation form online or call him today.
