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Houston Maritime Attorney – Over $8 Million Recovered For Injured Offshore Workers
Houston Maritime Attorney
One moment on the job shouldn’t define the rest of your life. To speak with a Houston maritime attorney about your offshore injury, call Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner at 713-222-7211 or contact our Houston law office for a free consultation.
Workers aboard ships, oil platforms, dredges, and other offshore vessels face harsh conditions that demand constant vigilance. When those responsible for vessel safety fail to meet their obligations, it can instantly change your life when an incident occurs.
At Abraham Watkins, we stand with maritime workers and their families, offering more than 75 years of combined legal experience and a clear understanding of maritime law. Whether you live in Houston, Corpus Christi, Beaumont, Galveston, Port Arthur, or somewhere in between, our maritime lawyers in Houston can represent you.
Our firm has secured results in offshore accident cases such as those involving oil rig blowouts, jack-up rig collapses, and catastrophic onboard accidents. We know that behind every case is a person whose livelihood and well-being are at stake. If you were injured in an offshore accident, we’re here to help you pursue the compensation and justice you deserve.
We believe every maritime worker deserves access to high-quality legal representation without an upfront cost.
What Is Maritime Law?
Maritime law, also known as admiralty law, governs legal issues on navigable waters. These laws are complex and often misunderstood. Maritime claims may involve oil platform accidents, dredging injuries, cargo ship incidents, or cruise ship staff injuries. Unlike land-based workers, seamen and naval employees often have to pursue recovery through federal statutes such as the Jones Act, Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA), or the Death on the High Seas Act.
Maritime law may still apply even if your accident occurred close to shore or while docked. Navigable waters include any body of water used for interstate or international commerce—rivers, bays, coastal harbors, and channels. Workers injured in these areas have rights that differ significantly from those covered by state workers’ compensation systems.
Where Are Maritime Cases Handled?
Maritime cases are unique in that they often straddle the boundaries of both federal and state jurisdiction. While federal law governs most maritime claims, injured maritime workers are not always required to file lawsuits in federal court. Depending on the type of claim, the parties involved, and strategic considerations, cases can often be filed in either federal or Texas state court, including those in Houston and Harris County.
For example, claims brought under the Jones Act, a federal statute, may still be filed in a Texas state court. This is significant, as the ability to select a forum with potentially more favorable procedural rules, jury demographics, or local legal culture can substantially impact the outcome of the case. In some situations, a state court jury may be more sympathetic to the hardships that injured offshore workers face. In other cases, a federal venue may offer faster resolution or access to specific legal procedures beneficial to the injured party.
Jurisdictional flexibility is a powerful tool, but only if wielded correctly. Choosing the wrong venue can lead to delays, dismissals, or even the inability to recover compensation fully under the requirements of maritime law. For instance, cases involving the Limitation of Liability Act may be required to proceed in federal court before a judge alone, with no jury. Other claims, such as those involving unseaworthiness or maintenance and cure, may be better suited for a Texas state court, depending on the facts.
At Abraham Watkins, we analyze each case from the very beginning to determine where it should be filed and why. We assess everything from the nature of your injuries to the employer’s location, vessel ownership, and potential defenses. This ensures your claim begins in the venue most likely to support a favorable result.
Our Houston maritime attorneys have successfully litigated maritime claims in both state and federal courts across Texas and beyond. We are well-versed in the procedural nuances of admiralty jurisdiction, and we use that knowledge to protect your rights, preserve critical evidence, and position your case for success, whether through settlement or trial. When your recovery depends on smart legal strategy, experience matters. That’s what Abraham Watkins delivers.
Key Maritime Statutes Protecting Workers
Several federal laws allow maritime workers to seek compensation following an injury or death offshore. Understanding which law applies can make the difference between recovering a fraction of what you need and securing full compensation.
Jones Act
The Jones Act provides a cause of action for seamen injured due to their employer’s negligence. The injured worker can file a claim even if the employer was only partially at fault. Examples of employer negligence include:
- failing to maintain safe equipment;
- ordering work during known hazardous conditions; and
- providing inadequate training or medical care.
Injured seamen also have a right to a trial or jury under the Jones Act.
Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA)
This law covers dockworkers, shipbuilders, and harbor construction employees. Claims under the LHWCA are typically handled through an administrative process, but still require legal knowledge and documentation.
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA)
Workers injured on oil platforms or rigs located on the outer continental shelf may be covered by the OCSLA. These workers must show that their duties are related to resource exploration or production.
Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA)
When a worker dies in international waters due to employer negligence or unseaworthiness, DOHSA allows family members to seek pecuniary damages. Compensation may include loss of income, but not pain and suffering.
Limitation of Liability Act
This law allows vessel owners to attempt to limit their financial liability after an incident. If the owner claims a lack of knowledge about vessel defects or dangers, it can reduce the payout to injured parties. We regularly challenge these claims using vessel logs, crew testimony, and photos.
What Makes Abraham Watkins Different?
Abraham Watkins is one of Texas’s most established firms, known for its courtroom tenacity and compassionate counsel. We have helped maritime clients overcome resistance from vessel owners and insurance companies in pursuit of justice.
Many oil accidents happen offshore and fall under maritime law. For example, our firm secured a confidential settlement in a case involving an explosion on a barge that left a worker with lifelong injuries. We also recovered substantial damages for a family after a fatal offshore rig collapse due to failed safety systems. Other Houston case results include:
- $201 million settlement for an oil plant explosion;
- $7.5 million settlement for an oil plant explosion;
- $4.125 million settlement in an oil/gas well wrongful death case;
- $2 million settlement in an offshore oil rig explosion case; and
- $2 million settlement for an offshore oil explosion.
Our Houston maritime attorneys don’t just understand maritime law; we live it, study its evolving nuances, and work closely with industry experts. We believe every offshore worker deserves access to high-quality legal representation without an upfront cost.
Maintenance and Cure is a Seaman’s Basic Rights
Maritime law recognizes the unique dangers faced by seamen and offshore workers. That’s why, even before proving any negligence, injured maritime workers are entitled to maintenance and cure, an automatic right rooted in centuries of admiralty tradition. Consider the following:
- maintenance refers to a daily living allowance that helps cover basic necessities such as food, rent, and utilities while the injured worker recovers
- cure includes all reasonable and necessary medical expenses related to the injury or illness, from emergency treatment and surgery to rehabilitation, prescriptions, and transportation to medical appointments
These benefits should continue until the worker reaches maximum medical improvement (MMI), a point determined by a physician when no further recovery is expected, even with additional treatment.
However, despite these clear protections, employers and insurance providers often try to cut costs by prematurely terminating payments, disputing whether treatment is related to the offshore injury, or delaying reimbursements. Some pressure workers to sign documents or accept lump-sum settlements that fall far short of what the law provides.
At Abraham Watkins, we’ve seen too many injured seamen misled into thinking maintenance and cure is a favor, not a legal obligation. We’ve also seen cases where medical decisions were influenced more by an employer’s financial priorities than a worker’s actual health needs.
If you are receiving less than you need or if your benefits were wrongfully denied, we can take swift legal action to enforce your rights. In some cases, you may even be entitled to punitive damages if your employer willfully withheld maintenance and cure payments.
When you work in one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, you deserve to heal with dignity and without financial strain. Let us make sure your rights are fully honored.
Common Maritime Accidents
Maritime workers face serious risks every day. Our Houston maritime attorneys also handle claims involving:
Jack-Up Rig Collapses
Jack-up rigs are common in the Gulf region and must be stabilized carefully before work begins, as a faulty setup or poor maintenance can cause catastrophic failures.
Oil Platform Fires and Explosions
Oil rigs carry a constant threat of gas leaks, electrical malfunctions, and mechanical breakdowns. We’ve represented workers burned in platform fires caused by improperly vented fuel systems.
Dredging Equipment Failures
Dredge workers often work in tight, dangerous quarters surrounded by heavy machinery. One past client suffered a severe injury when an overhead crane failed during a routine sediment removal operation.
Cruise Ship Injuries
Cruise ship workers are sometimes required to sign waivers or arbitration clauses that attempt to limit their rights. We can challenge these clauses where appropriate and pursue liability against third-party operators.
Types of Maritime Injuries We See
Depending on the nature of the accident, maritime workers may suffer:
- crush injuries leading to amputation or paralysis;
- burn injuries from fires or chemicals;
- brain injuries due to falling cargo or slips; and
- emotional suffering, mental anguish, pain and suffering in the past and future, and permanent disfigurement.
These injuries are not only physically and financially devastating, but they can also be life-altering. We work with medical experts to document the full scope of harm and establish the burden of proof for recovery.
Filing a Negligence Claim
Sometimes, an offshore injury is not just the result of an unfortunate accident; it’s the result of avoidable negligence. When a vessel owner, employer, or contractor fails to uphold their legal duty to provide a safe working environment, the law allows injured workers to pursue a negligence claim under maritime law.
Negligence claims go beyond the basic protections of maintenance and cure. These lawsuits allow us to hold accountable those whose careless decisions, poor maintenance, or disregard for safety protocols contributed to your injury. They also enable us to pursue a wider range of compensation, including:
- medical expenses for emergency care, surgeries, rehabilitation, and long-term treatment, both already incurred and projected into the future;
- lost wages and diminished earning capacity if your injuries prevent you from returning to your prior job or reduce your ability to earn in the future;
- funeral expenses and loss of consortium in tragic cases involving a worker’s death, compensating surviving family members for financial support and companionship; and
- emotional and physical harm, including emotional suffering, mental anguish, pain and suffering in the past and future, and permanent disfigurement.
Negligence claims are fact-intensive and often vigorously contested by defendants and their insurers. Proving your case requires gathering detailed evidence, interviewing witnesses, reviewing maintenance logs and safety records, consulting maritime experts, and showing exactly how the negligence led to your injuries.
At Abraham Watkins, our legal team has decades of experience successfully building and litigating negligence claims under maritime law. We understand how to meet burdens of proof, counter common defense strategies, and present compelling arguments at trial.
Whether your injury resulted from an unseaworthy vessel, inadequate safety training, or a reckless supervisor’s order, our maritime lawyers in Houston are prepared to hold the responsible parties accountable. Maritime workers risk their lives to support key industries, and when those risks are increased by negligence, they deserve nothing less than full and fair compensation.
Your Trusted Houston Maritime Law Firm
If you or a loved one was injured in an offshore accident, do not settle without understanding your rights. Employers and insurers may offer quick payouts that do not reflect your long-term needs. Maritime law is designed to protect you, but only if you assert your rights.
At Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, we know how to fight for injured seamen, oil platform workers, dredge operators, and cargo ship crews. Let us review your case, explain your options, and begin building a path toward recovery, just as we have successfully done for many other clients.
We offer free consultations and represent clients on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we secure a favorable outcome. We believe everyone deserves access to high-quality legal representation without an upfront cost. To speak with a Houston maritime attorney today, call us at 713-222-7211 or contact us online.
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