Texas Maritime Lawyer

If you are part of the Texas maritime industry, you have a job in an exciting but dangerous line of work. The federal maritime laws that protect workers like you were designed to provide a way to get compensation after being injured or becoming sick on the job. If you find yourself in this position, let a Texas maritime lawyer help you get the money you need.

Texas Ports

Texas is home to 18 Gulf Coast ports, making up about a quarter of the state’s gross domestic product.

Port of Houston

The Port of Houston is the most important and busiest port in the state and one of the biggest in the country. The port here takes in and exports more cargo by ton than any other port in the country. In addition to cargo and container terminals, the Port of Houston has one cruise terminal.

Port of Galveston

The Port of Galveston is also a major cargo and container shipping center but is more known for its cruise terminals. Many cruise ships leave here to tour the Caribbean, with over one million passengers yearly.

Galveston is also home to several research vessels, which go from the port to conduct scientific studies.

With its unique international position and natural deep-water harbor, Galveston has become an important port for international shipping and trade.

Port of Brownsville

Further south, close to the border with Texas, is the Port of Brownsville. In terms of area, this is the largest public port authority in the country.

Millions of tons of steel products, liquid cargo, breakbulk, and other types of cargo go through the port each year. There is also a significant commercial fishing presence here.

Maritime Accidents in Texas

Accidents in the maritime industry are far too common. Workers on ships and in ports are hurt in accidents daily, and in the most tragic accidents, workers are even killed.

The danger of the work comes from many sources:

• Big, complicated equipment
• Heavy cargo
• Toxic cargo
• Falls from heights
• Falls into the water
• Dangerous weather and rough water out at sea
• Poor safety training and lack of equipment
• Poor maintenance of equipment and electrical systems

The Texas City Explosion

The worst maritime accident that the state has ever seen occurred in 1947. Known as the Texas City Explosion, the incident is considered the fifth worst maritime accident in the country.

The accident occurred on the French cargo ship, the SS Grandcamp. Workers were loading the ship with ammonium nitrate fertilizer, a highly explosive material if improperly handled.

A small fire broke out on the ship, which in addition to fertilizer, was carrying ammunition. Workers could not contain the fire; it spread and heated the fertilizer to a temperature high enough to cause it to explode.

Although the ship had been evacuated because of the fire, there was enough fertilizer on board the vessel to cause an explosion that killed hundreds of people. The blast spread to a nearby chemical plant, which didn’t help.

It was so powerful that the explosion blew out windows across the city and was heard as far away as 250 miles. Port workers, fire and emergency service workers, and bystanders were caught in the tragedy and lost their lives that day. In addition to those killed, thousands were injured.

Petroleum Explosion

Although not as large as the Texas City explosion, the Texas maritime industry saw another such incident in 1990. A Norwegian tanker, the MV Mega Borg, exploded as workers transferred petroleum cargo to another ship.

The transfer was going on 57 miles out on the water outside the Port of Galveston. The explosion and subsequent fires led to a massive spill of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the deaths of two workers. Seventeen other workers were injured.

Port of Houston Fall

Not all incidents in the maritime industry are as spectacular and disastrous as these explosions and fires. Many more small accidents occur with greater regularity. Some end with fatalities, while others only cause injuries.

For instance 2015, a worker at the Port of Houston fell from a walkway into a ship’s cargo hold. He had to be lifted with a crane out of the hold and immediately sent to the hospital to treat his injuries.

Barge Collision

In another incident in Houston, a barge struck an electrical tower, causing chaos as the shipping channel had to be closed temporarily. Fortunately, no workers were injured in the incident.

Legal Rights and Resources for Maritime Workers

Maritime workers in Texas, qualifying as seamen working on ships and longshoremen working in the many ports, are entitled to compensation after accidents injuring or making them sick.

For seamen, the dangers of working out at sea are great. Commercial fishing is hazardous, and those setting out from Texas’s coastal ports are at risk daily from injuries caused by equipment or from rough weather and water that can sink and capsize smaller vessels.

Cargo and cruise ship workers also face dangers on the job, from fires to electrical shocks, falls overboard, and even assaults.

The Jones Act is designed to provide a way for seamen to get compensation after an accident that was, at least in part, caused by negligence.

If you have been injured on a ship and can prove that your employer failed to take the necessary steps to prevent an accident. In that case, you can file a Jones Act claim to get money for your injuries, covering medical bills, lost income, and other expenses.

Work in the port area as a longshoreman or harbor worker. You can seek compensation through the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act after an accident.

This law provides money even if no negligence was involved in an accident. As with the Jones Act, it gives money to cover medical bills, lost wages, and other costs associated with injuries or illness. With both laws, if you are killed on the job, your dependent loved ones have a right to your benefits.

If you find yourself in a position of having been injured in a Texas maritime job, let an experienced lawyer help you fight for the compensation you deserve.

When your employer tries to deny you money, you may have to file a claim, and doing so is complicated and confusing. With a professional by your side to guide you and represent you, you can fight successfully for your compensation.