
Federal maritime law — the Jones Act, general maritime law, Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act — gives offshore workers far stronger rights than ordinary injury law. But it's a specialized practice. Most Texas lawyers don't know it.
Quick answer: The Jones Act (46 U.S.C. §30104) gives seamen a right to sue their employer for negligence under a 'featherweight' causation standard. Seaman status requires substantial connection to a vessel in navigation. Maintenance and cure benefits are automatic while you heal, regardless of fault.
Critical threshold: are you a seaman, a longshoreman, or a harbor worker? Different laws apply.
Beyond Jones Act negligence, unseaworthiness is a separate, strict-liability theory against the vessel owner.
We demand immediate maintenance and cure — owners who withhold it face punitive damages.
No — maritime claims generally have a three-year federal statute of limitations under the Uniform Statute of Limitations for Maritime Torts.
Likely under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act rather than the Jones Act. Both are handled by our firm.
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