Offshore Injuries
Offshore claims run on federal law, and which statute applies decides the case before the facts do. Seaman status is usually the entire fight.
Four statutes, four different outcomes
The Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and the Death on the High Seas Act each cover different workers and allow very different damages. The wrong path costs the claim.
Seaman status turns on connection
A worker must contribute to the function of a vessel and have a connection to it substantial in both duration and nature. Fixed platform workers usually are not seamen, and that single determination changes everything.
Maintenance and cure starts immediately
A seaman is owed daily living expenses and medical care regardless of who was at fault, from the day of injury. That obligation begins before anyone proves anything, and employers underpay it as a matter of routine.
The company doctor works for the company
So does the company investigator, and so does the form they want you to sign. Give a statement to none of them before you have spoken to a lawyer.
Not sure you have a case?
That is what the free review is for. Two minutes on the phone is usually enough to tell you.
Start your case in under 60 seconds
Tell us what happened. An attorney reviews it within 24 hours, and during business hours you will usually hear back in minutes.
- Free, with no obligation.
- You pay nothing unless we win money for you.
- Everything you share stays confidential.
- Photos and records help, but nothing is required.
