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
Do I Have a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Wondering if you have a personal injury lawsuit? First, you need to determine if your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence or carelessness. This could be anything from a business not keeping their premises safe, leading to a fall, to a defective product causing harm. Second, you need to show this negligence directly led to your injuries. For instance, if a poorly maintained piece of equipment at work resulted in an accident, that connection needs to be clear. Finally, you need to prove that due to your injury, you suffered actual damages such as medical bills, lost income, or pain and suffering. All personal injury lawsuits are unique, so it’s important to talk to an experienced Texas personal injury lawyer about what happened to you. They can evaluate your case and guide you through the legal process, advocating on your behalf. We encourage you to get in touch with an attorney immediately to learn more.
What Are the Damages for Personal Injury in Texas?
In Texas, if you've been injured, you may be entitled to various types of compensation, categorized into economic, non-economic, and exemplary damages. Economic damages cover financial losses such as medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage. Non-economic damages cover intangible losses such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and the impact on your quality of life. Exemplary damages are aimed at punishing the offender for reckless actions and deterring similar behavior in the future. There are limits on how much you can claim in certain cases, especially against medical professionals or government entities. Because of these complexities, it is important that you consult with a knowledgeable Texas injury attorney to ensure you receive the full, fair compensation you deserve.
What Does Litigation Mean in a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
When referring to personal injury lawsuits, “litigation” refers to the legal steps that are taken to seek full, fair compensation for the harm that was caused by someone else’s negligence or deliberation actions. This starts when the individual, also referred to as a plaintiff, files a lawsuit against a defendant. The defendant may be the individual or entity responsible for the injuries. The defendant then has a chance to respond to these allegations. Following this, both parties engage in what is known as the discovery process to exchange information and then prepare for trial. During this process, both parties can engage in settlement negotiations to try and reach an agreement; however, if that does not work, the case will proceed to trial where the outcome will be determined by a judge or jury.
Our firm takes cases on a contingency fee basis, which essentially means our clients only pay us if we win their case. There's no upfront payment, bills, or invoices. We cover everything so our clients can focus on getting better.
How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
Your case’s worth depends on the losses you’ve suffered as a result of your injuries, as well as the severity of the injuries. The total value of your medical bills, lost wages, lost future income, and future treatment costs will make up at least some of your case’s worth. People with life-altering injuries can also add the cost of their loss in quality of life, like physical pain, mental anguish, emotional distress, or loss of consortium. The easiest way to determine the value of your personal injury claim is by speaking with our team during a free consultation.
What Areas Do You Serve?
With convenient office locations in Houston, Dallas, Midland, San Antonio, Albuquerque, and Baton Rouge, Arnold & Itkin is equipped to take on cases from coast to coast, including throughout Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and beyond. Regardless of where you have been hurt, if you or someone you love has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, you can trust our trial lawyers to be there to help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
