What does a Houston Maritime Attorney do?
How can a Maritime Lawyer in Houston assist you?
What are the essential elements you should know!
What Does A Houston Maritime Attorney Do
A maritime attorney is a legal professional specialized in maritime law (also referred to as admiralty law).
Individuals working at sea, seaman, are exposed to a high level of personal injury risk due to the dangerous and hostile work environments they may be required to work in.
Work-related injuries at sea can happen frequently and the laws recognize and protect seamen.
A Maritime attorney is specialized in maritime law representing companies facing personal injury claims or individuals working in the maritime industry and injured offshore seeking compensation.
There are various maritime laws allowing an injured person to file a claim against its employer or company.
In the event a person living in Houston is injured or legal action can be filed in Houston, it’s important to consult with an experienced lawyer knowledgeable in this field of law to provide you legal representation and support.
Houston Maritime Attorneys Legal Specialty
A Houston Maritime Attorney is a legal professional based in Houston having experience and knowledge in the general maritime laws along with the specific laws that may apply in the event of an offshore accident or injury at sea.
The general maritime laws are the basis for all injuries suffered by seamen.
There are other specific statutes and legal acts that can also apply depending on the circumstances, such as:
- Jones Act
- Death On The High Seas Act (DOHSA)
- Limitation of Liability Act
- Longshoremen & Harbor Workers Compensation Act
- Workers Compensation Act
In substance, the best maritime lawyer can provide legal assistance in the following areas:
- Advise on the rescuer’s right to claim a Marine Salvage award to recover lost property at sea
- Seamen to recover wages
- Creditors to recover sums owed
- Issue a Maritime lien against a vessel
- Shipowner duty to provide reasonable care to passengers
- Maintenance and cure benefits in case a crew member is injured
Why Hire A Houston Maritime Injury Lawyer
Seamen or their families in the Houston area or to take legal action in Houston should consult with Houston Maritime Lawyers to better understand the legal consequences of death on the high seas, offshore accidents, maritime limitation of liability, or other maritime laws that may apply to the accident.
It’s worth consulting whether you intend to file a lawsuit or not.
By speaking to an experienced Texas maritime lawyer, you can get a better sense of your rights and obligations when dealing with a maritime accident or illness.
Employers and companies may require that employees sign discharge documents or other waivers following an accident.
You may want to have such documents reviewed and vetted by a competent Houstome maritime injury attorney before agreement to terms that you may regret.
You can also benefit from a Houston, Texas, lawyer’s experience in dealing with maritime claims with insurance companies.
Insurance companies can deploy various tricks and tactics to minimize payout or perhaps reject a claim.
You may want to consult with an attorney to get a better sense of the nature and structure of your insurance claim.
Finally, and most importantly, you should find the maritime attorney in Houston to file a lawsuit for you and litigate a matter.
In some cases, the only way you may be able to get a fair compensation or recover damages is to file a lawsuit before the civil courts.
Having a knowledgeable attorney represent you is key to ensuring you put all your chances on your side.
Types of Maritime Accidents
There are many different types of accident that may require the support of maritime attorneys.
A seaman or seawoman suffering the following injuries may have to consult with an admiralty lawyer:
- Barge accidents
- Bumps and collisions
- Cargo chop accidents
- Commercial fishing accidents
- Deck accidents
- Dedge accidents
- Illnesses
- Jack-up rig accidents
- Oil platform accidents
- Shipyard accidents
- Slip and all accidents
- Tugboat accidents
Unfortunately, maritime accidents can be quite devastating to the victim and his or her family.
In some cases, the accidents are even fatal.
Should there be an explosion on board a shop or oil rig, or in the event of a vessel collision, crew and staff can get severely injured.
Here are some catastrophic maritime injuries a person may suffer:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Paralysis
- Burn injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Amputation
For catastrophic injuries, the victim may need lifetime medical care and will incur ongoing costs.
For this reason, Maritime Houston lawyers can provide legal representation services to obtain compensation for the care the victim may need during his or her lifetime.
Maintenance and Cure
Originally, admiralty law matters, in the United States, fall under the jurisdiction of the federal courts.
In today’s legal environment, both state courts and federal courts may hear admiralty cases under the saving to suitors clause in Title 28 of the United States Code (28 U.S.C. § 1333).
Under maritime laws, the owner of a vessel is required to compensate and reimburse the losses suffered by its employees if they are injured or fall sick as a result of the performance of their duty.
This is referred to as the “maintenance and cure” benefits.
“Maintenance” refers to a sum paid to a seaman to pay his or her day-to-day expenses.
“Cure” refers to a sum paid to a seaman to cover his or her medical costs.
In substance, the maintenance and cure refers to various benefits a seaman can recover or claim following an injury or illness.
The victim of an offshore accident or injury at sea can suffer different types of expenses, some short-term and others long-term.
Here are some of the typical costs a maritime and offshore lawyer can help recover:
- Emotional and financial counselling
- Hospitalization costs
- In-home care
- Lost of earning capacity
- Lost wages
- Medical bills
- Pain and suffering
- Rehabilitation
- Vocational rehabilitation
The victim of an accident or their families are well-served in learning more about the applicable maritime laws to ensure their rights are protected.
Maritime Lawyer Houston Takeaways
So what is the legal definition of Houston Maritime Attorney?
Let’s look at a summary of our findings.
Houston Maritime Lawyer
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