Practice Area

Longshoremen, harbor workers, and port employees face unique hazards on docks, piers, and vessel gangways. Federal law — particularly the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) — provides these workers with protections that far exceed standard workers’ compensation benefits.

Dock and Gangway Falls: Unsecured gangways, slippery piers, and unguarded dock edges are among the leading causes of fatal and catastrophic injuries in shore-based maritime work.

Crane and Equipment Accidents: Defective or improperly maintained cranes, forklifts, and cargo-handling equipment can cause crush injuries and fatalities on busy port facilities.

Third-Party Vessel Liability: Even if you are not a seaman, you may have a negligence claim against the vessel owner if a defective condition on the ship caused your injury on or near the vessel.

Maintenance and cure is one of the oldest and most powerful protections in maritime law. From the moment you are injured in the service of a vessel, your employer owes you a daily living stipend (maintenance) and the full cost of your medical care (cure) — regardless of fault.

Employer Denial Tactics: Maritime employers and their insurers routinely delay or deny maintenance and cure payments. Wrongful denial entitles you to attorney’s fees and, in cases of willful misconduct, punitive damages.

Duration of Benefits: Your right to maintenance and cure continues until you reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) — not when your employer decides it is convenient to stop paying.

Unfit for Duty After MMI: If you cannot return to maritime work after reaching MMI, you may also have a claim for lost future wages and permanent disability compensation under the Jones Act.

The Jones Act gives injured seamen a direct right to sue their employer for negligence in federal court — a remedy that is far more powerful than state workers’ compensation. Even if your employer’s negligence was slight, you can pursue full damages including pain and suffering, lost wages, and permanent disability.

Low Burden of Proof: Under the Jones Act’s “featherweight” causation standard, you only need to show that your employer’s negligence played any part — however small — in causing your injury.

Full Damages Available: Unlike workers’ compensation, a Jones Act lawsuit allows recovery for pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and future earning capacity.

Jury Trial Rights: Jones Act seamen have the right to a jury trial — a powerful tool that our trial attorneys use to hold maritime employers fully accountable.

Workers injured on offshore platforms, drill ships, floating rigs, and offshore supply vessels face some of the most complex legal terrain in maritime law. Multiple federal statutes may apply, and identifying the right legal framework is critical to maximizing your recovery.

Jones Act vs. OCSLA: Whether you were on a vessel or a fixed platform determines whether the Jones Act or the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act governs your claim — a distinction that significantly affects your damages.

Unseaworthiness Claims: If a defective vessel, unsafe crew, or faulty equipment contributed to your offshore injury, you may have a separate unseaworthiness claim against the vessel owner on top of your Jones Act case.

Emergency Medical Evacuation: Offshore injuries often require emergency helicopter or boat transport for treatment. Our attorneys document every aspect of your care — including evacuation costs — to ensure full compensation.