Do you live in Burnet, Texas, and are struggling with injuries you recently suffered in a maritime accident off the coast? Call the skilled legal team at Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers at (737) 252-8168 for a free consultation with a Burnet maritime injury lawyer.
You have rights as a maritime worker, which can include the ability to collect compensation for your medical care, disability, lost income, and other damages. Working with our maritime injury lawyers can help you make the most of your fight for compensation.
Discover how our experienced Texas trial attorneys can help you fight for top-tier case results in your maritime injury case, too. Contact our law office serving Burnet to begin with a free case review.
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Why Trust Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers to Handle Your Maritime Injury Case in Burnet, TX
Maritime injury cases are inherently complicated. It can be easy to get stressed out and overwhelmed as you try to figure out which federal laws might apply to your situation, what types of benefits you can get, and how to get insurance carriers to pay the money you deserve. That’s why maritime accident victims turn to Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers.
Our firm is a leader in maritime accident litigation in the Lone Star State. Backed by more than 45 years of combined experience handling complex federal maritime cases, we’ve helped clients recover tens of millions of dollars in benefits, settlements, and jury awards at trial.
Our Burnet personal injury attorneys are nationally-acclaimed litigators who’ve been recognized as:
- Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyers by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
- Expertise Best Personal Injury Attorneys in Houston
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 100
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum Members
We have hundreds of positive reviews on Facebook, Google, Avvo, and other trusted platforms, and for good reason. We put our clients’ best interests front and center and fight for them as if they were family. Our law firm has amassed the resources and respect needed to litigate the toughest maritime injury cases and win life-changing results.
Call our law office serving Burnet, Texas, to learn more about how we can aid you after a maritime accident off the coast of Texas, too. Your first case valuation is free.
What Is a Maritime Accident?
Broadly speaking, the maritime industry involves business carried out on or in relation to the high seas. By extension, a maritime injury refers to an injury sustained in a maritime accident.
Examples of maritime accidents include:
- Oil rig accidents
- Gas and oil drilling accidents
- Commercial fishing accidents
- Tugboat accidents
- Shipyard accidents
- Machinery accidents
- Toxic and chemical exposure
- Shipbuilding accidents
- Port accidents
- Barge accidents
- Diving accidents
- Cruise ship accidents
If you work on a navigable vessel at sea, in support of a navigable vessel, or are otherwise employed in the maritime industry and get hurt in the course of your employment, you can potentially recover compensation under federal maritime law and/or Texas state law.
Maritime Workers Can Suffer Serious Injuries on the Job
The maritime industry is one of the nation’s most dangerous. Some jobs have extremely elevated risks of death and catastrophic injury.
At Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers, we’re ready to help you demand compensation for all of your maritime injuries, which might include:
- Burn injuries
- Amputation
- Degloving injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back injuries
- Crushing injuries
- Electrocution injuries
- Head injuries
- Brain injuries
- Eye injuries
- Hearing loss
- Leg injuries
- Knee injuries
- Drowning injuries
- Nerve damage
- Soft tissue injuries
- Broken bones
- Neck injuries
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death if a close family member
Report your maritime injury to your supervisor, then make sure you get to the closest emergency room as soon as you can. If you’re on a vessel, seek care from the medical staff on board. Documentation will be critical when you file a maritime injury claim for damages.
What Maritime Laws Might Protect Me After an Accident Near Burnet, TX?
Different federal maritime laws are designed to protect different workers under different circumstances. The types of benefits that can be paid are directly related to the maritime laws that protect you.
The Jones Act
The Jones Act, part of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, provides protections for maritime workers legally defined as “seamen.” To qualify, a worker must support a navigable vessel, have a significant connection to it, and spend at least 30% of their time onboard. Navigable vessels include ships operating on seas, rivers, and other commercial waterways.
If injured on the job, eligible seamen may:
- Receive maintenance and cure (medical expenses and basic living costs)
- File a lawsuit against their employer for negligence or vessel unseaworthiness
Recoverable damages can include economic and non-economic damages, such as:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Disability
- Diminished earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Nursing care
- Rehabilitation
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Disfigurement
- Embarrassment
- PTSD
Reduced quality of life - Punitive damages in cases of gross misconduct
Understanding your rights under the Jones Act is essential if you’ve been hurt at sea. A qualified maritime attorney can help you determine your eligibility and pursue the compensation you’re entitled to.
Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act
This generally applies to workers who don’t qualify for Jones Act benefits. The Act establishes a federal workers’ compensation system for injured maritime workers, which can provide benefits for:
- Medical treatment
- Temporary lost wages
- Impairment
- Permanent disability
Non-economic damages are not available under the LHWCA.
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act extends LHWCA benefits to workers on fixed structures far off the coast of Texas. Most often, this allows oil rig workers who would not otherwise qualify for benefits to get financial support if they’re injured on the job.
How Much Is My Maritime Injury Claim Worth?
It’ll depend on many factors, including:
- Your job and how you got hurt
- The maritime laws that apply to your specific situation
- The types of injuries you’ve suffered and their severity
- Temporary and/or permanent disability
- Physical impairment
- Changes in your quality of life
- Your age and earning capacity
Claims for federal workers’ compensation benefits will be subject to certain caps and limitations, while civil tort actions brought under the Jones Act or Texas state law typically won’t.
As a general rule, the more severe your physical injuries, the more you can potentially receive in a maritime accident settlement or win from a jury at trial.
What Does It Cost To Hire a Maritime Injury Lawyer in Burnet?
Maritime injuries can seriously impact your ability to earn a living and provide for your family. The last thing you need is the added burden of legal fees. That’s why our Texas maritime injury lawyers in Burnet offer representation on a contingency fee basis.
You pay nothing upfront. We only get paid if we successfully recover compensation for your case, whether through a settlement or a trial verdict. If we don’t win, you owe nothing. When we do, our fees come directly from the financial recovery we obtain for you, not out of your pocket.
How Long Will I Have To Pursue Compensation for My Maritime Injuries in Texas?
It depends on how you decide to seek compensation. Different claims are subject to different statutes of limitations. You generally must pursue your claim within the following time frames:
- The Jones Act: three years
- LHWCA: one year
- Texas personal injury lawsuit: two years
Once the statute of limitations that applies to your situation expires, you’ll forever lose the right to demand money from an insurance company or a liable third party.
What if I’m Partly To Blame for My Maritime Injuries?
Sharing fault for a maritime accident can impact your ability to recover compensation, depending on the type of claim you pursue.
For Jones Act claims, the rule of pure comparative negligence applies. This means your damages are reduced in proportion to your share of fault—even if you’re found to be 99% responsible, you may still recover 1% of the damages.
In contrast, maintenance and cure benefits are not affected by fault. These are no-fault obligations, and seamen are entitled to them regardless of who caused the injury.
However, if you file a civil tort claim under Texas law—such as a third-party personal injury claim—modified comparative negligence applies. In Texas, you can only recover damages if you are 50% or less at fault. If you’re found more than 50% responsible, you’re barred from recovery under state law.
Schedule a Free Case Review With an Experienced Burnet Maritime Injury Lawyer
You don’t have to deal with the aftermath of a maritime accident on your own in Burnet, Texas. Fight for the compensation you deserve under federal maritime law. Better yet, turn to Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers’ award-winning legal team for help.
Our Burnet maritime injury lawyers are known and respected Texas litigators who’ve secured countless multi-million dollar awards for clients like you. We can offer unmatched support, resources, and legal knowledge as we help you take a stand after a life-changing accident off the coast of Texas.
Call our Texas law office for assistance today. There is no charge for an initial case evaluation.
