Maritime Injury Lawyers | Offshore Accident Attorneys in Texas & Louisiana

The Gulf Coast is home to one of the world’s busiest maritime industries, with thousands of offshore workers facing dangerous conditions every day. From offshore oil platforms to commercial vessels, maritime work involves unique hazards and requires specialized legal knowledge. At McFarlane Law, our experienced maritime attorneys have secured millions in compensation for offshore workers who have suffered serious injuries while working on the Gulf Coast waters.

How Our Texas Maritime Lawyers Fight For Injured Offshore Workers

We leverage our maritime law expertise and trial experience to:

Determine Your Maritime Status

We analyze whether you qualify as a Jones Act seaman, a longshoreman under the LHWCA, or another classification that affects your legal rights.

Identify All Responsible Parties

We determine whether vessel owners, operators, contractors, equipment manufacturers, or other third parties bear responsibility for your offshore injuries.

Document Unseaworthiness

When applicable, we investigate whether vessels were unseaworthy, which creates strict liability for vessel owners.

Calculate Full Damages

We ensure all aspects of your damages are properly valued, including future medical needs, lost earning capacity, and non-economic damages.

Navigate Complex Jurisdictional Issues

We handle the complicated jurisdictional questions that often arise in maritime cases.

Gulf Coast Maritime Injury & Jones Act Claims We Handle

Our maritime lawyers handle all types of offshore injury cases across Texas and Louisiana:

Offshore oil rig accidents and platform explosions
Jones Act seaman injury claims
Vessel collisions and allisions
Commercial fishing accidents
Tugboat and barge incidents
Diving accidents and drownings
Shipyard and dock injuries
Longshore and harbor worker accidents (LHWCA claims)
Cruise ship and recreational boating injuries
Pipeline construction and maintenance accidents
Helicopter transport accidents to offshore platforms

Understanding Maritime Law: How Texas and Louisiana Offshore Injury Claims Differ

Maritime injuries are governed by a complex set of federal laws, including:

The Jones Act (Merchant Marine Act of 1920): Provides seamen with the right to sue their employers for negligence, requiring only proof that employer negligence played some part in causing the offshore injury.
Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA): Covers longshoremen, harbor workers, and certain other maritime workers not covered by the Jones Act.
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA): Extends workers’ compensation benefits to workers on fixed offshore platforms.
General Maritime Law: Provides for “maintenance and cure” benefits and unseaworthiness claims.
Our Gulf Coast maritime attorneys have in-depth knowledge of these laws and how they apply to your specific situation, ensuring you receive maximum compensation under the appropriate legal framework.

How Our Texas Maritime Lawyers Fight For Injured Offshore Workers

We leverage our maritime law expertise and trial experience to:

Determine Your Maritime Status: We analyze whether you qualify as a Jones Act seaman, a longshoreman under the LHWCA, or another classification that affects your legal rights.
Identify All Responsible Parties: We determine whether vessel owners, operators, contractors, equipment manufacturers, or other third parties bear responsibility for your offshore injuries.
Document Unseaworthiness: When applicable, we investigate whether vessels were unseaworthy, which creates strict liability for vessel owners.
Calculate Full Damages: We ensure all aspects of your damages are properly valued, including future medical needs, lost earning capacity, and non-economic damages.
Navigate Complex Jurisdictional Issues: We handle the complicated jurisdictional questions that often arise in maritime cases.

Common Causes of Gulf Coast Maritime and Offshore Accidents We Investigate

Our case experience covers accidents resulting from:

Inadequate training and supervision of crew members
Failure to provide proper safety equipment
Unseaworthy vessels and equipment
Dangerous deck conditions and slip hazards
Equipment failures on offshore platforms
Fires and explosions on vessels and rigs
Inadequate crew size and worker fatigue
Violations of Coast Guard regulations
Negligent vessel operations in dangerous weather

Jones Act Claims: Protecting Texas and Louisiana Offshore Workers

For workers who qualify as “seamen” (generally spending at least 30% of their time in service of a vessel in navigation), the Jones Act provides important protections:

Right to sue employer for negligence (unlike standard workers’ compensation)
Lower burden of proof (“featherweight causation” standard)
Right to maintenance and cure benefits regardless of fault
Ability to sue for unseaworthiness under general maritime law
Right to a jury trial
Potential for significant damages, including pain and suffering

Our maritime injury attorneys carefully analyze your situation to determine if you qualify as a Jones Act seaman and guide you through the claims process.

Compensation Available for Injured Workers in Texas

Jones Act Seamen

Medical expenses (past and future)
Lost wages and loss of earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Mental anguish
Disfigurement
Maintenance and cure benefits

Longshore and Harbor Workers

Medical treatment
Temporary total disability benefits
Permanent partial disability benefits
Permanent total disability benefits
Vocational rehabilitation
Additional compensation through third-party claims

Offshore Platform Workers

Benefits determined by state workers’ compensation laws or the LHWCA through the OCSLA
Potential third-party claims against contractors or equipment manufacturers

The McFarlane Law Advantage for Texas and Louisiana Maritime Injury Cases

What sets our maritime injury practice apart:

Specialized Maritime Knowledge

We understand how safety violations contribute to workplace accidents and how to leverage these violations in your case.

Gulf Coast Industry Experience

Our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for injured Texas workers.

Expert Maritime Network

Our courtroom experience often leads to better settlements without the need for trial.

Trial Success Against Major Companies

We advance all costs associated with investigating and litigating your workplace accident case.

Multi-State Maritime Practice

We work with top medical specialists who can properly diagnose and document your workplace injuries.

Gulf Coast Maritime Industries We Serve

Our maritime attorneys represent workers across all sectors of the Gulf Coast maritime industry:

Offshore oil and gas exploration and production
Commercial fishing and shrimping
Marine transportation and shipping
Shipbuilding and repair
Port operations and stevedoring
Offshore wind energy
Cruise and passenger vessel operations
Offshore support services
Inland waterway operations

Maritime Injury Locations We Serve Along the Gulf Coast

Our maritime attorneys represent injured offshore workers in key Gulf Coast locations:

Texas: Houston Ship Channel, Galveston, Port Arthur, Corpus Christi, Brownsville
Louisiana: New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Houma, Lafayette, Venice
Offshore: Gulf of Mexico oil and gas platforms, Mobile
Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs)

Maritime Injury Case Results: Multi-Million Dollar Recoveries

$15.3M

Verdict

Jones Act case involving severe injuries from offshore platform explosion

$8.7M

Settlement

Maritime worker suffering paralyzing injuries from defective equipment

$6.5M

Recovery

Family of deceased worker in vessel collision in Gulf of Mexico

Personal Injury Law FAQ: Questions Our Attorneys Frequently Answer

Frequently Asked Questions About Gulf Coast Maritime Injury Claims

Unlike standard workers’ compensation, the Jones Act allows seamen to sue their employers for negligence and recover full damages, including pain and suffering. However, you must demonstrate some degree of employer fault, whereas workers’ compensation provides benefits regardless of fault.

What are maintenance and cure benefits?

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How do I know if I qualify as a Jones Act seaman in Texas or Louisiana waters?

What is the statute of limitations for maritime injury claims in the Gulf Coast?

Contact Our Texas and Louisiana Maritime Injury Attorneys Today

If you’ve been injured while working offshore or in any maritime setting along the Gulf Coast, don’t navigate the complex legal system alone. Contact McFarlane Law for a free, confidential consultation to understand your rights under maritime law.

Call (512) 222-4900 or complete our contact form to speak with an experienced maritime injury attorney. With offices throughout the Gulf Coast region of Texas and Louisiana, we’re ready to fight for the compensation you deserve.

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