The offshore accident attorneys at Zehl & Associates Law represent offshore workers—including longshore and harbor workers and those on offshore platforms—who face incredible risks every day. According to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, there were nearly 1,500 offshore accidents between 2015 and 2017 alone, and more than a third of those involved injury.
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or even killed as the result of an offshore accident, an experienced Houston offshore accident lawyer may be able to provide you and your family with guidance and knowledge.
Laws protecting offshore workers
Offshore accidents can be broadly defined as any workplace accidents that occur off-land. As such, cases involving offshore injuries or fatalities are frequently covered under maritime law. The following are just some of the jobs that maritime law covers:
- Roughnecks, derrickmen, tool pushers, offshore installation managers (OIMs), deck engineers
- Seamen, deckhands, engineers, mates
- Tankermen and barge workers
- Longshore and harbor workers
However, not all offshore workers are covered by the same maritime laws.
The Jones Act
If you work on a “vessel in navigation,” your offshore accident or injury may be covered under the Jones Act. Under the Jones Act, employers are required to take all necessary precautions to ensure the following:
- That the seaman has a reasonably safe place to work
- Ordinary procedures necessary for safe conditions are being followed and maintained
Proving negligence is at the core of any offshore injury involving a Jones Act claim, something you and your Houston offshore injury lawyer will work on closely. In order to be covered by the Jones Act, you must have been injured while working on a vessel that was moving or otherwise navigable. Therefore, offshore workers including longshoremen and rig workers on “fixed” offshore platforms may not be able to pursue benefits under the Jones Act.
The Longshore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act
The Longshore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act extends legal protections to offshore workers not covered by the Jones Act. This law applies to longshoremen, harbor workers, civilian employees on military bases, as well as workers on docks and in shipyards.
Unlike workers covered by the Jones Act, longshore and harbor workers may be eligible to receive worker’s compensation. However, the benefits offered under the Longshore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act are more generous—an important distinction given the severe nature of many offshore accidents.
Fight for the compensation you deserve: Hire a Houston offshore accident attorney at Zehl & Associates Law
When dealing with the devastating aftermath of an offshore injury, the last thing you want to be worried about is the complicated technicalities of maritime law. Let the experienced Houston offshore injury lawyers at Zehl & Associates Law work through these complex issues so that you can focus on recovery.
The offshore accident attorneys at Zehl & Associates Law represent offshore workers—including longshore and harbor workers and those on offshore platforms—who face incredible risks every day. According to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, there were nearly 1,500 offshore accidents between 2015 and 2017 alone, and more than a third of those involved injury.
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or even killed as the result of an offshore accident, an experienced Houston offshore accident lawyer may be able to provide you and your family with guidance and knowledge.
Laws protecting offshore workers
Offshore accidents can be broadly defined as any workplace accidents that occur off-land. As such, cases involving offshore injuries or fatalities are frequently covered under maritime law. The following are just some of the jobs that maritime law covers:
- Roughnecks, derrickmen, tool pushers, offshore installation managers (OIMs), deck engineers
- Seamen, deckhands, engineers, mates
- Tankermen and barge workers
- Longshore and harbor workers
However, not all offshore workers are covered by the same maritime laws.
The Jones Act
If you work on a “vessel in navigation,” your offshore accident or injury may be covered under the Jones Act. Under the Jones Act, employers are required to take all necessary precautions to ensure the following:
- That the seaman has a reasonably safe place to work
- Ordinary procedures necessary for safe conditions are being followed and maintained
Proving negligence is at the core of any offshore injury involving a Jones Act claim, something you and your Houston offshore injury lawyer will work on closely. In order to be covered by the Jones Act, you must have been injured while working on a vessel that was moving or otherwise navigable. Therefore, offshore workers including longshoremen and rig workers on “fixed” offshore platforms may not be able to pursue benefits under the Jones Act.
The Longshore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act
The Longshore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act extends legal protections to offshore workers not covered by the Jones Act. This law applies to longshoremen, harbor workers, civilian employees on military bases, as well as workers on docks and in shipyards.
Unlike workers covered by the Jones Act, longshore and harbor workers may be eligible to receive worker’s compensation. However, the benefits offered under the Longshore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act are more generous—an important distinction given the severe nature of many offshore accidents.
Fight for the compensation you deserve: Hire a Houston offshore accident attorney at Zehl & Associates Law
When dealing with the devastating aftermath of an offshore injury, the last thing you want to be worried about is the complicated technicalities of maritime law. Let the experienced Houston offshore injury lawyers at Zehl & Associates Law work through these complex issues so that you can focus on recovery.
