Choosing the Correct U.S. Statute for Making Your Maritime Injury Claim

There are many bodies of law governing the rights and remedies of injured maritime industry workers. Some apply specifically to those engaged in sea-based employment. And some apply to those with land-based occupations. In cases where an American seaman is working on a foreign owned and flagged vessel, none of them may apply.

The issue of choosing the proper laws under which to make your maritime injury compensation claim is a complicated one. And many claims have been denied because of the claimant's wrong choice of law or jurisdiction. Claimants don't often get a second chance to try again if they choose wrongly the first time. Your choices include:

• The Jones Act.
• The Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA).
• The Death on the High Seas Act.
• General maritime law.
• The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.
• Individual states' workers compensation acts.

You need to ensure you get it right the first time. And statutes of limitations that provide deadlines by which you must make your claim mean that you don't always have much time to look into the issue before you must file.

Get the help you need to do things right. Contact our Texas maritime injury lawyers for a free and confidential consultation about your accident. We could help you determine under which law you need to file your claim, and when you need to file it in order to beat the statutes of limitations. If you have questions, we have the answers. Call today.