Representing Seamen & Offshore Workers in San Antonio, Texas
The services offshore workers provide are incredibly valuable, and their work is rarely easy. Physically grueling labor and hazardous conditions are common. At Arnold & Itkin, we understand that these men and women are often put in harm’s way unnecessarily. Our San Antonio offshore injury attorneys believe that the ocean should be a safe place to earn a living, and we fight to hold negligent employers accountable when they put their workers at risk. Putting profit or convenience before the safety of offshore workers should never be acceptable.
After you’ve been injured at sea, we can help you fight for compensation to cover:
Offshore workers have different rights than those on land, and after an accident has occurred, you’ll want to work with an attorney who understands the laws that govern your injury case. The San Antonio maritime attorneys at Arnold & Itkin understand the law and know how to assert your rights. We know the lengths that employers will go to in order to avoid taking responsibility for the harm they have caused, and we know how to meet any challenge they throw our way.
We will not settle for less than you deserve. No matter what.
Understanding Maritime Law & How It Impacts You
When the United States was part of the British colonies, maritime law was the law.
Because of this, many of the nation’s current maritime laws have been influenced by old laws. In particular, maintenance and cure is a concept that has been part of working offshore for centuries. Maintenance and cure refers to the responsibility that vessel owners have for their crew’s safety. When a crew member is injured, employers are obligated to make sure they receive medical care and compensation until they’ve reached the best recovery possible.
Despite being governed by some of the oldest, most well-established set of laws, offshore work remains dangerous for workers. From the docks of harbors to the cargo ships that make industry possible, workers face considerable danger. That’s why our San Antonio maritime lawyers work to protect the interests of workers have they’ve been injured working offshore. Suffering workers deserve more than what their companies typically offer to them.
When the United States was part of the British colonies, maritime law was the law.
Because of this, many of the nation’s current maritime laws have been influenced by old laws. In particular, maintenance and cure is a concept that has been part of working offshore for centuries. Maintenance and cure refers to the responsibility that vessel owners have for their crew’s safety. When a crew member is injured, employers are obligated to make sure they receive medical care and compensation until they’ve reached the best recovery possible.
Despite being governed by some of the oldest, most well-established set of laws, offshore work remains dangerous for workers. From the docks of harbors to the cargo ships that make industry possible, workers face considerable danger. That’s why our San Antonio maritime lawyers work to protect the interests of workers have they’ve been injured working offshore. Suffering workers deserve more than what their companies typically offer to them.
Arnold & Itkin fights to make sure they get it.
Does the Law Protect Maritime Workers?
Yes, modern laws exist that provide protections to seamen as well as longshore and harbor workers. While maintenance and cure is part of the core of maritime law, the United States has new laws that help correct parts of this maritime law that no longer serve the modern offshore worker.
There are four important maritime laws workers should know about:
These laws help injured seamen and harbor workers recover losses associated with an accident that extend beyond what maintenance and cure would provide. Each provides important paths toward compensation that workers can use to obtain the compensation they deserve from negligent parties that failed to protect their safety.
Common Maritime Injuries & Accidents in San Antonio
Working in and around ships is dangerous. Because of this, employers, vessel owners, and supervisors are responsible for making sure workers are safe. By holding negligent parties accountable, our San Antonio offshore injury law firm has two goals. First, we want to make sure those wronged by unsafe work practices offshore receive the compensation they need. Second, we hope to deter other companies from allowing negligence to creep into their operations as well.
Common accidents our San Antonio maritime law firm helps people recover from include:
Diving accidents
Crane failures
Vessel collisions
Slips and falls
Dangerous equipment
Explosions and fires
Lift accidents
Post-traumatic stress
Protecting San Antonio Workers Injured in Offshore Oil Rig Accidents
While many residents of San Antonio work in oil exploration on land, many commute to the Texas harbors to be taken offshore to work. On oil rigs, workers often have 12-hour shifts and don’t see land for up to two weeks at a time. It’s a demanding job—both physically and mentally—that’s seven times deadlier than the average workplace in the nation. However, just because workers have a dangerous job doesn’t mean accidents that harm them are excusable. Companies know how to mitigate these accidents and they have no moral or legal excuse when a preventable accident occurs.
A Potentially Overlooked Danger of Hazardous Offshore Work: The Commute
As dangerous as it is to work offshore on an oil rig or a seafaring vessel, it is often getting to the hazardous worksite that proves to be the deadliest part of the job. Between trips on small vessels or taking a helicopter to an oil rig, offshore workers face many life-threatening risks just trying to report to or return from work. There is also the commute on land that can threaten serious harm to offshore workers.
For example, if you're commuting on I-37 to Port Aransas on Mustang Island or to Corpus Christi, then the high speed limits and congested traffic are ripe for vehicle accidents to occur. Commuting to Houston involves the notoriously dangerous I-10, which not only holds the distinction of being the deadliest Texas interstate for trucking accidents, but it is also where tens of thousands of personal vehicles are involved in serious and deadly wrecks.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), I-10 reports more than 21,000 vehicle accidents every single year. The Central Segment of I-10 includes San Antonio, and that section of I-10 reported roughly 38,488 crashes from personal vehicles alone between 2015 and 2021, with even more crashes involving commercial vehicles. The East Segment of I-10, the stretch of this corridor that runs through Houston, is where almost half of these vehicle accidents (49% of them) occur. To make your way to Galveston also will involve I-10, as well as Galveston Causeway, the only direct option for reaching the island. Whatever the route you take, long drives, dramatic turns in weather, construction zones, and dense traffic all create significant risks for maritime workers, who face these job-related hazards on land before they're even out on the water.
Helping Families Who Lost a Loved One in an Offshore Accident: A Testimonial
Even though this husband and father had worked for his company for 14 years, they left his widow and daughter without the financial benefits they were owed. They wouldn’t even cover the costs for a funeral.
They turned to lawyers, and then they kept getting dropped or ignored.
Then they found Arnold & Itkin, who promptly responded and started helping.
“I always knew they had our best interests at heart, that they cared about us.”
It doesn’t matter how long someone worked for their company. Even in the face of tragedy, an offshore company is still going to put their bottom line ahead of honoring workers and helping their surviving family members. Even in such dark times, however, a legal advocate can make a difference. At Arnold & Itkin, we can provide personal support for families who are dealing with the unthinkable, and we can help them not only recover financial compensation, but we can also help them demand a measure of justice and find some closure. You can learn more about how we helped these clients in the video below.
Offshore Injury Lawyers Who Are Uniquely Qualified for the Fight
Countless people have turned to us after catastrophic events, and we’ve helped them find the confidence and ability to move forward. Our lawyers have gone against formidable legal teams that were representing behemoth international corporations, and we have come away with life-changing, even record-breaking results for our clients.
For this consistent track record, our lawyers have been nationally recognized and received some of the highest industry honors by The Inner Circle of Advocates, Forbes, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and many others. More importantly, we are trusted and recommended by the amazing people we have had the honor of representing. By looking through our case results and our client reviews, you can understand the caliber of our law firm’s work ethic and legal advocacy.
Our offshore accident case results include and are not limited to:
A settlement for $193 million recovered on behalf of pipeline explosion victims.
A settlement of $125 million for the widow of dredge worker killed in an offshore explosion.
A recovery of $49.5 million won for man injured on offshore platform.
A settlement of $40 million for an injured Jones Act seamen.
A recovery of $29 million won in the largest known settlement for an offshore wrongful death.
Fighting for Offshore Workers in San Antonio. No Matter What.
If you’ve suffered because of an offshore accident or harbor incident that should have been prevented, help is available. Our team has helped workers and their families secure the justice they deserve, including those who survived the Deepwater Horizon disaster. We’ve recovered billions of dollars for clients and are ready to start fighting for you.
Have you suffered an offshore injury? Give us a call today at (888) 493-1629 for your free consultation! We serve clients in San Antonio, Bexar County, and throughout Texas.
Visit Our Personal Injury Office in San Antonio, TX
Arnold & Itkin LLP 100 NE Loop 410, Suite 650, San Antonio, TX 78216 Open 24 Hours
CommonQuestions
What If I’m Injured in Port or at a Dock?
If you qualify as a seaman, you might still be able to file a Jones Act claim if you were injured near but not on navigable waters. For harbor workers, shipyard workers, and anyone else who works at a port or dock but not aboard a vessel, the Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) could be your route to compensation for a workplace injury or illness. This could apply whether you were harmed while in navigable waters or while working at a dock, terminal, yard, or harbor. Call one of our San Antonio offshore injury lawyers today to discuss what your legal options are after such an occupational injury or illness.
How Much Is It to Hire an Offshore Injury Lawyer?
At Arnold & Itkin, if we accept your case, you pay us nothing upfront. In fact, even if your case goes all the way to trial, you won’t pay us unless we have recovered some compensation for you. Our San Antonio offshore injury lawyers would then get paid a percentage of that recovery, but you wouldn’t owe us a penny before said recovery.
Who Qualifies as a Jones Act Seaman?
To qualify as a seaman means being a U.S. citizen who works on a vessel that’s on navigable waters, a worker who is needed for the vessel to operate, and one who spends at least 30% of their working hours aboard said vessel. Our law firm has handled many Jones Act claims, and we are well-qualified to help you discuss eligibility and legal options after a maritime accident.
Is There Workers’ Comp for Offshore Workers?
Workers’ compensation happens through the state, and maritime law is federal law. While offshore workers and maritime employees are entitled to compensation for their injuries, they typically wouldn’t file for workers’ comp; their options for compensation would often be through the Jones Act or Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). As a law firm that has spent decades handling all types of maritime accident cases, our San Antonio offshore injury lawyers can help you determine the best course of legal action to take for your financial recovery and future.
Who Can File a Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA)?
First off, the high seas start three miles out from U.S. shores. If a death occurs on the high seas, and it was due to negligence or a crime, then a personal representative of the person who died can file a claim through the Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA). The surviving relative can recover some financial damages, but unlike a standard wrongful death claim, a DOHSA claim cannot provide compensation for pain and suffering, loss of companionship, etc. This act is not just for offshore workers, but for anyone who is killed on the high seas. That includes cruise ship passengers, and even airline passengers in a crash that occurs 12 nautical miles out from U.S. waters.
What Is the Limitation of Liability Act?
The Limitation of Liability Act of 1851 was meant to help ship owners avoid complete financial devastation because of lost cargo or ships due to risky voyages, piracy, or other unforeseen catastrophes. However, this act is sometimes used by modern vessel owners to evade responsibility for an unseaworthy vessel. In this way, companies may try to weasel out of any responsibility to pay grieving families the compensation they’re owed for their loved ones’ preventable injuries or deaths at sea. Our offshore injury firm has seen many companies try to avoid responsibility using this act, and we know how to counteract their tactics. Speak with one of our San Antonio attorneys about seeking justice on a loved one's behalf.
