Maritime Injury Lawyer for Jones Act Claims

We are Texas attorneys, but we have joint ventures with local counsel nationwide to handle your case in the best courts for your case, at no additional cost to you. Your case will be handled with no charges unless and until you get your recovery.

We are based in Houston, one of the nation’s busiest ports in terms of cargo and in terms of oil and industry support. If you were injured in the Gulf, you likely have some connection to Houston. Whether Houston is your best choice of court or not, we will handle your injury case.

Port Houston reports that the Port of Houston ranks first among U.S. ports in foreign waterborne tonnage, with 220.1 million short tons in 2024 and more than 200 private and eight public terminals along the Ship Channel. An economic impact study Port Houston released in 2026 credits port activity with supporting about 1.89 million jobs across Texas. The work carries real risk: in 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 3.1 injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in the water transportation industry, above the private-industry rate of 2.3. Behind those figures are deckhands with crushed hands and families waiting on a paycheck that stopped, and the rules below decide who pays.

Even if you think you are limited to workers’ compensation under state or federal law, let us review your case to see whether better options exist. If it turns out you have a third-party claim in addition to your compensation claim (for instance, your employer sends you onto an unrelated supply boat and the boat’s crane operator injures you), we will work with a compensation attorney to maximize your overall recovery. Call us now to make sure you've done everything you can for you and your family.

Which Federal Maritime Law Covers Your Injury?

Your job decides which laws apply, what you must prove, and how long you have:

Many workers qualify for more than one path. For example, a deckhand hurt by a broken winch may bring Jones Act and unseaworthiness claims while collecting maintenance and cure. These avenues of recovery have different standards for responsibility for your injuries. The law is complex and requires tactical decisions from the beginning. Do not rely on a robot to tell you your best options.

Do You Qualify as a Seaman Under the Jones Act?

Only a "seaman" can bring a Jones Act claim, and a job title does not settle the question. The U.S. Supreme Court set the test in Chandris, Inc. v. Latsis, a 1995 decision that requires two things:

1. Your duties contribute to the function of the vessel or the accomplishment of its mission. Cooks and engineers can meet this part without helping navigate.
2. You have a connection to a vessel in navigation, or an identifiable fleet of vessels, that is substantial in both duration and nature. As a rule of thumb, the Court said a worker who spends less than about 30 percent of working time in the service of a vessel in navigation should not qualify, calling that figure a guideline, not a rigid cutoff.

Employers often contest seaman status, arguing that the rig or barge was not a vessel, that you were mostly land-based, or that a vessel under repair or “off contract” was not "in navigation."

Work schedules, vessel assignments, payroll records, and your testimony about your duties and the status of the worksite are critical to determining which law applies. THIS IS CRITICAL. If you have not completed the accident report, call us first. If you have not yet given a written or recorded statement, call us first. We do not try to change facts. But you should understand why your employer is asking what it asks.

Rest assured, the employer representative will either be in touch with their attorney or will be well-versed in the law. We do not recommend violating your company's accident-reporting policies, but if circumstances permit, take advantage of your right to counsel at this important time, which may affect your rights and those of your family.

How a Jones Act Claim Works

The Jones Act, codified at 46 U.S.C. § 30104, lets a seaman injured in the course of employment sue the employer and seek a jury trial. The statute also adopts the federal law that protects injured railroad workers, the Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA).

Negligence is the core question. You must show that your employer, or someone acting for it, failed to use reasonable care. Common examples include short crewing, defective equipment, and unsafe work orders.

The causation standard is relaxed. FELA makes employers liable for injuries resulting "in whole or in part" from their negligence, so the employer's negligence does not have to be the main cause of the injury.

Your own fault reduces damages but does not bar recovery. Under the FELA rule the Jones Act adopts, a worker's contributory negligence does not bar recovery, and damages are reduced in proportion to the worker's share of fault. On a claim worth $200,000, a finding that you were 25 percent at fault would reduce the award to $150,000. That can differ from the Texas rule for ordinary injury cases, which bars recovery once a person is more than 50 percent responsible.

Maintenance and Cure: Benefits That Do Not Depend on Fault

As the Supreme Court explained in Atlantic Sounding Co. v. Townsend, maintenance covers a seaman's food and lodging, and cure covers medical treatment, when the seaman falls ill or is injured while in the service of the ship. You do not have to prove your employer was negligent to receive these benefits.

Disputes still arise when employers pay a daily maintenance rate far below real living costs or stop cure before treatment ends. In Townsend (2009), the Court held that punitive damages remain available for an employer's willful and wanton failure to pay maintenance and cure. Earlier, in Vaughan v. Atkinson, the Court allowed attorney's fees after a callous refusal to pay.

Unseaworthiness Claims Against the Vessel Owner

In addition to negligence liability, a vessel owner owes its crew a ship reasonably fit for its intended use, including its equipment, gear, and crew. In The Dutra Group v. Batterton, the Supreme Court described this duty as a species of liability without fault, separate from the Jones Act duty of reasonable care. A frayed mooring line or an undertrained crew can make a vessel unseaworthy even if the owner did not know about the problem.

In your case, negligence claims and unseaworthiness are often brought at the same time. We can help you navigate these complexities and present your facts in the most advantageous way to the jury.

Dock, Terminal, and Shipyard Workers: The Longshore Act

The Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act generally covers longshore workers, harbor workers, ship repairers, and shipbuilders, and the U.S. Department of Labor administers it. The Act's definition of a covered employee excludes a master or member of a crew of any vessel, so a worker usually falls under either the Longshore Act or the Jones Act, not both.

But offshore workers add more complexity. Generally, a platform fixed to the seabed isn't a vessel, so the LHWCA provides your injury benefits. However, vessels or helicopters are often involved and may have caused your injury. Again, attorney analysis is crucial.

Longshore benefits work much like state workers' compensation: federal law makes compensation payable irrespective of fault, and the employer also provides medical care. A worker hurt by a vessel's negligence may also sue the vessel under section 905(b) of the Act.

How Long Do You Have to File a Jones Act Claim?

Federal law sets the general rule: you must bring a civil action for personal injury or death arising from a maritime tort within 3 years after the cause of action arose. That period generally covers Jones Act and unseaworthiness lawsuits, though the statute begins with "except as otherwise provided by law," and disputes over when an illness was discovered can affect when the clock starts.

Longshore claims generally require notice within 30 days and a compensation claim within one year, subject to awareness, payment, and other exceptions. Certain occupational-disease claims have a two-year filing period and different notice rules. Medical-benefit claims and other exceptions require separate analysis. Report an injury promptly and obtain advice before assuming any deadline has expired.

State law claims are also often available, such as strict products liability for a defective part. Those claims may have shorter time limits, such as Texas’s two-year limit. So it is important to give us as much time as possible to explore all the possible responsible parties.

When a Maritime Injury Is Fatal

Losing someone to a vessel or dock accident often leaves a family with lost income and little information from the employer about what went wrong. A seaman's personal representative can bring a Jones Act claim when the seaman dies from a work-related injury. For deaths caused by a wrongful act or neglect on the high seas beyond 3 nautical miles from the U.S. shore, the Death on the High Seas Act allows a personal representative to sue for the benefit of the decedent's spouse, parents, children, or dependent relatives. Recovery under that Act is generally limited to financial losses.

Steps That Protect a Maritime Injury Claim

Employers and insurers often start investigating the same day, and vessel operators must report qualifying marine casualties to the Coast Guard, including certain injuries requiring treatment beyond first aid that render a person employed aboard unfit for routine duty. These steps help preserve a worker's claim:

• Report the injury in writing to your captain, supervisor, or employer, and keep a copy.
• Get medical care promptly and describe exactly how the injury happened. Keep every record and receipt.
• Preserve evidence. Photograph the equipment and area involved, and get witness contact details before crew members leave.
• Ask about records. Vessel logs, maintenance records, and onboard video can show what went wrong.
• Be careful with statements and releases. If possible, talk to us before giving a recorded statement or signing anything that limits your claim.

If some of these steps have already slipped by, call GoRo Law at (346) 483-2688 or start online intake around the clock.

What to Expect When You Work With GoRo Law

Maritime claims tend to move through a predictable sequence:

1. Free initial consultation. We learn how the injury happened, what your job involved, and what your employer has paid.
2. Classifying the claim. We use schedules and payroll records to determine seaman or Longshore status, which controls every later step.
3. Securing benefits. We seek maintenance and cure, or Longshore compensation and medical care.
4. Building the liability case. We collect logs, casualty reports, witness statements, and medical documentation.
5. Negotiation or litigation. Some claims resolve through negotiation, but when they don't, we prepare them for trial. Maximum recoveries require defendants to know you have attorneys ready for trial. We are those attorneys.

Throughout, you get plain explanations of where the claim stands, in keeping with the GoRo Standard: Integrity, Preparation, and Results.

Houston Jones Act Lawyers With Military Legal Backgrounds

GoRo Law is a Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) founded by two military veterans who each went on to senior in-house legal roles.

• Edgar Gonzalez, Partner. He is a veteran U.S. Coast Guard Judge Advocate who knows his way around vessels, deployed at sea to conduct maritime boarding operations and inspections, and is an experienced trial attorney who has led trial teams in complex litigation. He advised on major incident investigations, safety investigations, policies, and civil litigation involving catastrophic events, marine casualties, and Suspension and Revocation proceedings regarding Merchant Mariner Credentials. He also advised on federal laws, regulations, and policies involving vessel inspections, marine investigations, waterways management, port and facility safety, and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary; additionally, he advised on international issues concerning the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
• Ben Rothchild, Partner. He is a veteran U.S. Marine Corps Judge Advocate who deployed at sea, earned a U.S. Navy Craftmaster qualification to captain non-combatant craft, and is a trial attorney who served 8 years on active duty, attained the rank of Major, and served as a prosecutor and U.S. Naval Academy professor. He has valuable experience leading litigation teams and the knowledge to evaluate your case.

Every case depends on its facts, and no lawyer can promise a specific result.