Experienced maritime injury counsel for Katy, TX workers and families hurt on the water.
If you were hurt on the water, the law that governs your claim depends on your job, the vessel, and exactly where the injury happened. A Katy, TX maritime injury lawyer can sort out which rules apply and pursue every form of compensation they allow. For a free, confidential case review with attorneys who have worked maritime claims from both sides, reach out to Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers today.
Maritime Injury Lawyer Katy, TX
A maritime injury claim covers people hurt on navigable waters or in the work that supports them. That includes deckhands and crew, dockworkers and longshoremen, offshore and shipyard workers, and passengers on vessels of every size. It also reaches people hurt in shipyards and at terminals along the Houston Ship Channel and the wider Gulf Coast. A worker can even move from one legal category to another depending on the task at hand when the injury occurs.
Maritime law is its own world, separate from ordinary Texas injury law, with different deadlines, different defendants, and different remedies. The category that fits your situation decides what you can recover, and the categories overlap in ways that are easy to misread. A Katy maritime injury attorney can place your claim in the right framework and pursue it from there.
Types of Maritime Injury Cases We Handle in Katy
Maritime work and recreation create a wide range of injuries, and the right legal path is rarely obvious from the outside. We represent people hurt across the maritime world. Below are the maritime injury cases our Katy lawyers handle most often.
- Jones Act. Crew members assigned to a vessel can sue an employer for negligence, and we evaluate whether you qualify.
- Offshore injuries. Workers hurt on rigs and platforms face a tangle of state and federal rules that we figure out for you.
- Longshore and harbor worker claims. Dockside workers who are not seamen often fall under a separate federal benefits system, and we help them pursue it.
- Boating accidents. Collisions, groundings, and falls aboard recreational and commercial boats can each support a claim, and we identify which body of law gives you the strongest one.
- Workplace injuries. Loading, repair, and yard work bring heavy equipment and serious risk close together.
- Burn injuries. Fuel and engine fires aboard a ship cause severe burns far from immediate care.
- Explosion accidents. Blasts on vessels and rigs can injure an entire crew at once.
- Brain injuries. A fall or impact on the water can cause cognitive harm that lasts for years.
- Wrongful death. When a maritime accident is fatal, the family may have claims under federal law.
Why Choose Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers as My Maritime Injury Lawyer in Katy, TX?
Maritime Experience That Runs Deep
Mike Streich trained at two of the most respected maritime firms in Texas and Louisiana, served as in-house counsel for an offshore construction company, and once responded to vessel incidents as an on-call investigator in the hours after a casualty. He spent years defending vessel owners and insurers, so he knows their playbook before they run it. That inside view helps him predict the defense and protect a claim before avoidable mistakes are made, and it shapes how we investigate from the first day.
Matt Greenberg brings a trial record in catastrophic injury and death cases that keeps the pressure on. Mike has been named a Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers, and Matt has earned recognition from Super Lawyers and the National Trial Lawyers. Our maritime injury attorneys in Katy put that combined background to work on every claim.
Recoveries That Reflect the Stakes
Maritime injuries tend to be severe, and the recoveries should reflect that. Our attorneys have secured more than $300 million for injured clients, including a $16 million settlement for a worker who suffered serious head and brain injuries on the water. Maritime law is unforgiving, so a personal injury lawyer in Katy, TX who genuinely understands it can mean a stronger outcome. We work on a contingency basis and advance the costs of the case, so you pay nothing unless we recover for you. There is no fee to begin and no fee at all unless we win, and our maritime injury lawyers in Katy can start protecting your claim right away.
What Is Important to Understand About a Maritime Injury Case?
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Maritime Injury Cases
Most maritime claims arise from negligence or from the condition of the vessel itself. The injured person shows that an employer, owner, or operator failed to provide a reasonably safe vessel or workplace and that the failure caused the harm. A vessel that is not reasonably fit for its purpose is called unseaworthy, a maritime concept with no exact match on land.
Which law applies, the Jones Act, general maritime law, or a federal benefits program, shapes what you can recover. The wrong classification can reduce a claim that should be worth much more, which is why we settle that question before anything else. We also look closely at whether an unseaworthy condition played a role, since that can open a separate path to recovery. Depending on your status and the facts, a claim may include:
- Medical care. Emergency response, surgery, and long-term rehabilitation.
- Lost wages. Income lost during recovery and future earnings a disabling injury takes.
- Pain and suffering. Physical pain, mental anguish, and loss of life’s enjoyment.
- Maintenance and cure. Daily living and medical costs an employer owes an injured seaman until maximum recovery.
- Disfigurement and disability. Scarring, amputation, and permanent physical limits.
What Are Important Aspects of a Maritime Injury Case?
A few questions tend to determine the outcome of a maritime case, and they come up right away. Here are important aspects to consider:
- Your legal status. Seaman, longshore worker, or passenger status decides which law governs your case.
- The vessel’s condition. Maintenance and inspection records can reveal an unseaworthy condition.
- Evidence afloat. Vessels move, get repaired, and change hands, so proof can disappear fast.
- Choice of court. Maritime claims may be filed in state or federal court, and the choice carries real strategy that we weigh around your facts.
What Is the Maritime Injury Case Timeline?
No two maritime cases move at the same speed. What you do after a serious accident can influence the entire claim. An early, independent investigation can preserve proof the other side would rather see disappear, especially when a vessel is about to sail. Still, most of these cases follow a familiar path.
- Get medical care and report the injury to your employer or the vessel’s master.
- Preserve records for the vessel, its equipment, and its crew.
- Determine your legal status and the law that governs your claim.
- File suit within the deadline that applies to your case.
- Move through discovery, then negotiate or proceed to trial.
What Should You Bring to Your Maritime Injury Consultation?
Bring whatever you have on hand, and we will gather the rest, including records held by the company or the vessel’s owner.
- Any injury or incident report filed with the company or vessel.
- Medical records and bills from your treatment.
- Pay records, including any per-diem or overtime, that show your earnings.
- Photos of the vessel, the equipment, or your injuries.
- Names and contact details for crew or witnesses.
There is no cost and no obligation to meet with us. If your injuries are severe, the questions in our catastrophic injury consultation guide can help you prepare, and we will tell you where your claim stands.
What Are Important Texas Legal Resources for Maritime Injury Cases?
Maritime injuries blend federal and state law, and the deadlines are unforgiving. The resources below are good starting points for the rules.
- The Jones Act lets an injured seaman sue an employer for negligence.
- Federal law sets a three-year deadline for most maritime injury claims.
- Texas applies a two-year deadline to state-law personal injury claims.
- Texas law defines the available damages a jury may award an injured person.
Reach Out to Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers to Schedule a Consultation
Few firms bring real maritime experience to a case like this one. Mike Streich and the attorneys at Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers represent injured maritime workers and their families across Katy and the Gulf Coast, with no fee owed unless they win. Contact us to request a free consultation, and we will move fast to protect your claim.
