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Date Last Updated: March 20, 2026
The maritime industry plays a major role in the Texas economy, with offshore oil platforms, cargo vessels, barges, and port operations supporting thousands of workers along the Gulf Coast. While these jobs are essential, they can also be dangerous. Long shifts at sea, heavy equipment, and unpredictable offshore conditions mean that when something goes wrong, the injuries can be severe and life-changing.
If you were injured while working offshore or on navigable waters, federal maritime law may provide important legal protections. A Texas maritime accident lawyer can help explain how laws like the Jones Act and other maritime regulations may apply to your case. At Shamieh Law, our team moves quickly to investigate offshore accidents and help injured workers understand their options so they can focus on healing and getting their lives back on track.
Experienced Texas Offshore Injury Lawyers for Maritime Accident Cases
Maritime injury claims often fall under federal maritime law, such as the Jones Act, which creates different legal standards, filing requirements, and employer responsibilities that can make offshore cases more complex than traditional injury claims.
At Shamieh Law, we work with maritime workers and families dealing with serious offshore injuries. We get to work quickly by investigating accidents, reviewing vessel and safety records, and identifying potential causes. Our Texas injury attorneys negotiate with maritime employers and insurers and are prepared to take complex cases to trial when necessary. This approach represents our commitment to Winning With Awareness: pursuing strong results while treating every client with care and respect.
Types of Offshore and Maritime Injury Cases We Handle
Maritime accidents can happen in many different environments across Texas waterways, ports, and offshore operations. Our attorneys assist workers injured in cases involving:
- Offshore and oil rig accidents
- Vessel and barge accidents
- Dock and harbor injuries
- Commercial fishing accidents
Many of these incidents fall under federal admiralty and maritime law rather than standard Texas personal injury law. As a result, injured workers may face different rules, deadlines, and legal protections. Shamieh Law helps clients understand how these laws apply to their situation and guides them through the legal process so they can focus on recovery after a serious offshore injury.
What Is the Jones Act and How Does It Protect Injured Seamen?
The Jones Act allows certain maritime workers to pursue claims against their employers if negligence contributed to an offshore injury. Unlike many land-based workers, seamen are not generally covered by traditional workers’ compensation systems.
Instead, federal maritime law may allow them to seek compensation directly from an employer when unsafe conditions, inadequate training, or other employer failures contributed to the accident. A Jones Act claim may allow injured seamen to recover damages for medical treatment, lost income, and other losses related to the accident.
Who Qualifies as a Seaman Under the Jones Act?
Not every maritime worker automatically qualifies for protection under the Jones Act. In general, the law applies to workers who have a meaningful employment connection to a vessel operating on navigable waters. This generally includes workers who:
- Contribute to the operation or mission of a vessel or group of vessels in navigation
- Have a substantial employment connection to the vessel and spend at least 30% of their work time aboard it
How the Jones Act Differs From Workers’ Compensation
Maritime law provides different protections than most state workers’ compensation systems. Some important differences include:
- Injured seamen may have the ability to file a claim directly against their employer
- Claims often require showing that employer negligence contributed to the accident
- Workers may be able to pursue broader damages related to their injuries
Because of these differences, maritime injury cases often require a careful review of how the accident happened and which laws apply.
Maritime Laws That May Apply to Offshore Injury Claims
While the Jones Act protects many seamen, other federal maritime laws may apply depending on where and how an injury occurred. Offshore work often involves multiple vessels, contractors, and job sites, which means different legal protections may apply depending on the worker’s role and where the accident occurred. Determining which law applies is an important step in pursuing a maritime injury claim.
Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA)
The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) provides benefits to certain maritime workers who are not classified as seamen. This may include dock workers, harbor employees, shipbuilders, and other workers injured while performing maritime-related jobs on or near navigable waters and port facilities.
Workers covered under the LHWCA may receive benefits that help cover medical care, wage replacement, and rehabilitation services after a work-related injury.
General Maritime Law
General maritime law provides important protections for injured maritime workers, including the right to receive maintenance and cure, which helps cover basic living expenses and necessary medical care while an injured seaman recovers from a work-related injury.
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA)
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) applies to many offshore oil and gas operations located on the outer continental shelf. Workers injured on offshore platforms or rigs operating in these areas may have rights under this federal law.
OCSLA can also extend certain legal protections to workers injured while performing offshore energy work connected to oil and gas development.
Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA)
The Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA) allows families to pursue compensation when a maritime worker loses their life due to an accident occurring in international waters. This law may allow surviving family members to seek financial recovery when a fatal maritime accident occurs beyond U.S. territorial waters.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Texas Maritime Accident?
Offshore operations typically include vessel owners, employers, contractors, and equipment suppliers working together. When something goes wrong, figuring out who is responsible often requires a careful investigation into what happened and who was involved.
A Texas maritime accident claim may involve multiple potentially responsible parties depending on the circumstances of the incident. Potentially responsible parties may include:
- Vessel Owners: Responsible if unsafe vessel conditions, poor maintenance, or unseaworthy equipment contributed to the accident.
- Maritime Employers: May be liable if negligence, unsafe work practices, or lack of proper training led to a worker’s injury.
- Offshore Oil Companies: May share responsibility if unsafe operations or hazardous conditions contributed to the incident.
- Equipment Manufacturers: Defective machinery, tools, or safety equipment used offshore may lead to product liability claims.
- Third-Party Contractors: Maintenance crews, subcontractors, or service providers working offshore may also be responsible if their actions contributed to the accident.
What Compensation May Be Available After a Maritime Injury?
Maritime law allows injured offshore workers to seek compensation for how a serious accident affects their health, their ability to work, and their daily lives. The specific types of recovery available depend on the law that applies to the case and the circumstances surrounding the injury.
Some types of compensation that may be available in a maritime injury claim include:
- Maintenance and Cure Benefits: Payments that help cover basic living expenses and medical treatment while an injured seaman recovers.
- Lost Wages and Diminished Earning Capacity: Compensation related to time away from work and the potential loss of future income.
- Medical Expenses: Coverage for treatment, rehabilitation, and other necessary care connected to the injury.
- Pain and Suffering: Damages related to the physical pain and emotional distress caused by the accident.
- Wrongful Death Damages: Compensation that may be available to surviving family members after a fatal offshore accident through a wrongful death lawsuit.
Statute of Limitations for Texas Maritime Injury Claims
Maritime injury claims are subject to strict filing deadlines. In many cases, injured maritime workers bringing claims under the Jones Act have three years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit. Missing this deadline can make it much harder to pursue a legal claim.
The exact deadline can vary depending on the applicable law and the circumstances of the injury. Claims involving offshore platforms, vessel accidents, or wrongful death at sea may fall under different federal statutes, each with its own requirements.
Common Causes of Offshore and Maritime Accidents in Texas
Maritime and offshore jobs often involve hazardous equipment, changing weather conditions, and physically demanding work. When safety procedures are ignored or equipment fails, serious accidents can occur on vessels, offshore rigs, docks, and maritime worksites.
Some of the most common causes of maritime accidents in Texas include:
- Equipment failures and mechanical malfunctions
- Explosions and fires on oil platforms
- Slips, trips, and falls on wet, uneven, or unstable decks
- Falling cargo and crane accidents
- Negligent vessel operation
Serious Injuries Caused by Maritime and Offshore Accidents
Workers on vessels, rigs, and docks face dangerous conditions where a single incident can lead to life-altering injuries, including:
- Severe burns from fires or explosions
- Crush injuries and amputations caused by heavy equipment
- Drowning and near-drowning injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
Maritime incidents often lead to catastrophic injuries that can require extensive medical treatment and long recovery periods. For many maritime workers, a serious injury can also affect their ability to return to the demanding work they once performed offshore.
How Maritime Accident Claims Differ From Standard Personal Injury Cases
Maritime accident claims often follow a different legal process than typical personal injury cases. While many injury claims are handled under Texas state law, maritime accidents frequently fall under federal maritime or admiralty law, which can change how cases are investigated, filed, and resolved.
A maritime accident lawyer can help explain these differences and what legal options may be available after an offshore injury.
Some key differences include:
- Federal vs. State Jurisdiction: Many maritime injury claims are governed by federal law rather than state personal injury laws.
- Unique Filing Deadlines: Certain maritime claims have specific statutes of limitations that differ from standard injury cases.
- Employer Retaliation Protections: Maritime workers may have legal protections if they report unsafe conditions or pursue a claim after an injury.
- Maritime Comparative Fault Rules: Liability in maritime cases may be divided between parties based on their level of responsibility for the accident.
Speak With a Texas Maritime Accident Lawyer About Your Offshore Injury
A Texas maritime accident lawyer can help you understand your rights under federal maritime law and determine which legal protections may apply to your situation. These cases often involve complex federal laws, multiple companies, and detailed investigations into how the accident occurred.
At Shamieh Law, we are ready to get to work for injured maritime workers and their families. We move quickly, communicate clearly, and help clients understand what comes next while pursuing the compensation available under maritime law.
Call 469-813-7332 or reach out through our online contact page to schedule a consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Maritime Injury Claims
What Should I Do After an Offshore Injury?
Seek medical care right away and report the injury to your employer as soon as possible. If you can, document what happened by taking photos, writing down details, and identifying witnesses. Offshore accidents often involve multiple companies, vessels, or contractors, so gathering information early can be important when determining what happened and who may be responsible.
Can I Sue My Employer After an Offshore Accident?
In some situations, yes. Under the Jones Act, certain maritime workers may be able to file a claim against their employer if negligence contributed to the accident. Eligibility depends on your job duties and your connection to a vessel.
When Does Maritime Law Apply?
Maritime law generally applies when an injury happens on navigable waters or when the injury is connected to work involving vessels, offshore platforms, or maritime operations.
Are Maritime Cases Handled in Federal Court?
Some maritime cases are filed in federal court, while others may be heard in state court. Regardless of where the case is filed, federal maritime law typically governs the legal rights involved.
