Maritime and Admiralty Attorneys in Texas

Maritime law covers both the businesses that operate on the water and the people who work there. Vessel owners and operators deal with cargo and charter disputes, vessel arrests, collisions, and limitation of liability. Injured maritime workers have remedies under the Jones Act, general maritime law, and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) that differ sharply from ordinary workers’ compensation, and which one applies depends on the worker’s status.

Texas has major ports, including the Port of Houston, and offshore energy operations in the Gulf along the Texas coast. The deadlines in maritime cases are short and vary by claim, so identifying the right regime early matters. Offshore energy operations are covered in the guide to energy and oil and gas attorneys in Texas.

What Maritime Attorneys Handle

Jones Act Claims

A seaman injured through the employer’s negligence can sue the employer under the Jones Act, with the right to a jury trial (46 U.S.C. § 30104). Seaman status generally requires a substantial connection to a vessel in navigation and contribution to the vessel’s function or mission. Crew members of tugboats, supply boats, fishing vessels, and some mobile drilling units often qualify. Workers on fixed offshore platforms are generally not seamen, and their injuries are usually covered by the LHWCA through the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. § 1333(b)).

Maintenance and Cure

Employers owe injured seamen maintenance (daily living expenses) and cure (medical care) regardless of fault, generally until the seaman reaches maximum medical improvement. Attorneys pursue maintenance and cure alongside negligence claims and challenge improper termination of payments.

Unseaworthiness Claims

For seamen, a vessel owner’s duty to provide a seaworthy vessel supports liability without proof of negligence when defective equipment, an inadequate crew, or unsafe conditions cause injury. Longshore and harbor workers cannot bring unseaworthiness claims: their action against a vessel cannot be based on the warranty of seaworthiness and requires proof of vessel negligence (33 U.S.C. § 905(b)).

Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation

The LHWCA provides medical and disability benefits to covered maritime workers who are not seamen, such as longshore workers, harbor workers, shipbuilders, and ship repairers, for injuries on navigable waters or adjoining areas such as piers and terminals. A compensation claim generally must be filed within one year after the injury, or within one year after the last voluntary payment of compensation (33 U.S.C. § 913(a)). For an occupational disease that does not immediately cause death or disability, a claim is timely if filed within two years after the employee becomes aware, or reasonably should have become aware, of the relationship between the employment, the disease, and the death or disability, or within one year after the last payment of compensation, whichever is later (§ 913(b)(2)). Third-party claims may be available against someone other than the employer.

Vessel Owners and Commercial Admiralty

Vessel owners and operators use admiralty counsel for cargo and charter party disputes, maritime liens and vessel arrests, collision cases, marine insurance, and limitation of liability actions. A limitation action must be brought within six months after a claimant gives the owner written notice of a claim (46 U.S.C. § 30529).

How to Choose a Maritime Attorney

Maritime focus. Admiralty is a specialized federal practice. Choose an attorney who regularly handles seaman status, Jones Act, LHWCA, or commercial admiralty matters, depending on your need.

Gulf Coast experience. Ask about cases in the federal and state courts that hear Gulf Coast maritime disputes.

Industry knowledge. Familiarity with offshore rigs, supply boats, barges, and port operations helps in building or defending a case.

Trial capability. Ask about trials taken to verdict, not only settlements.

Texas Maritime Attorneys

Abraham Watkins

Location: Houston, Texas

Website: https://abrahamwatkins.com

Phone: (713) 222-7211

This Houston firm has substantial experience handling maritime injury cases. The practice handles cases involving oil rig incidents, offshore accidents, and vessel-related injuries. The firm represents workers from Houston, Corpus Christi, Beaumont, Galveston, and Port Arthur injured in Gulf of Mexico operations.

Practice Focus: Jones Act claims, offshore platform accidents, maintenance and cure, unseaworthiness claims, oil rig injuries, vessel collisions, LHWCA claims, wrongful death maritime cases

Terry & Thweatt, P.C.

Location: Houston and Galveston, Texas

Website: https://www.terrythweatt.com

Phone: (713) 600-4710

This firm focuses on maritime and admiralty law, representing seamen injured on vessels ranging from barges and fishing boats to oil rigs, drill ships, tankers, and tugboats. The attorneys understand the distinction between vessel injuries governed by the Jones Act and fixed platform accidents covered by other maritime laws. The practice handles cases on contingency, advancing costs and collecting fees only if recovery is obtained.

Practice Focus: Jones Act seaman claims, offshore oil rig accidents, drill ship injuries, maintenance and cure, unseaworthiness, LHWCA claims, maritime wrongful death

Gilman & Allison, LLP

Location: Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas

Website: https://www.gilmanallison.com

Phone: [Houston: (713) 224-6622 | Corpus Christi: (361) 357-8365](tel:Houston: (713) 224-6622 | Corpus Christi: (361) 357-8365)

The attorneys at this firm hold U.S. Merchant Marine Officer licenses, bringing firsthand understanding of maritime operations to injury cases. The practice represents workers injured on drilling rigs, supply boats, and production platforms throughout the Texas Gulf Coast including operations off Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, and Port Arthur. Cases have involved helicopter transfers, heavy-lift operations, blowouts, and crane failures. The firm has tried and settled cases in the Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas and before the Fifth Circuit.

Practice Focus: Offshore drilling injuries, Jones Act claims, OCSLA claims, supply boat accidents, platform injuries, crane failures, helicopter transfer accidents, maintenance and cure, vessel unseaworthiness

Costs and Fees

Jones Act and maritime personal injury attorneys commonly work on contingency and advance litigation costs, recovering them from any settlement or verdict. LHWCA compensation claims work differently: attorney’s fees for the claimant must be approved by the Department of Labor or the court, and in many successful claims the employer or carrier pays them (33 U.S.C. § 928). Commercial admiralty matters for vessel owners and cargo interests are usually billed hourly. Ask for a written fee agreement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I qualify as a Jones Act seaman?

It depends on your connection to a vessel in navigation. Courts look at whether your duties contribute to the vessel’s function or mission and whether your connection to the vessel is substantial in duration and nature; a common guideline is at least 30 percent of work time in the service of a vessel. Crew of tugboats, supply boats, and fishing vessels often qualify. Workers on fixed platforms generally do not, but may be covered by the LHWCA. Status questions are fact-specific, so have a maritime attorney review your work history.

What is the statute of limitations for maritime injury claims?

A personal injury suit arising out of a maritime tort, including a Jones Act claim, generally must be brought within three years (46 U.S.C. § 30106). An LHWCA compensation claim generally must be filed within one year after the injury, with a separate two-year rule for certain occupational diseases (33 U.S.C. § 913). Suits involving U.S. government vessels must be brought within two years (46 U.S.C. § 30905). Consult counsel promptly, because evidence and witnesses are harder to find later.

Can I choose to sue in state court instead of federal court?

Yes. A Jones Act claim can be filed in state or federal court, and because the Jones Act incorporates the federal law governing injured railway workers, a Jones Act case filed in state court generally cannot be removed to federal court by the employer (46 U.S.C. § 30104; 28 U.S.C. § 1445(a)). Forum choice depends on the facts and the claims joined with the Jones Act claim.

Sources

• Jones Act and maritime torts: 46 U.S.C. § 30104; 46 U.S.C. § 30106; 28 U.S.C. § 1445
• Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act: 33 U.S.C. § 905; § 913; § 928
• Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act: 43 U.S.C. § 1333
• Vessel owner and government vessel actions: 46 U.S.C. § 30529; 46 U.S.C. § 30905

Disclaimer: This directory is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, endorsement, or recommendation of any attorney or law firm. Information about attorneys and law firms was compiled from publicly available sources and may not be current or accurate. We make no representations or warranties about the qualifications, experience, or quality of any attorney listed. Always verify attorney credentials with the State Bar of Texas, confirm current contact information, and conduct your own due diligence before hiring legal counsel. No attorney-client relationship is created by use of this directory.