Trusted Texas City offshore injury attorneys with over a decade of experience handling Outer Continental Shelf claims for injured workers.
Offshore work in the Gulf of Mexico produces some of the most serious occupational injuries in the country, and the legal framework is among the most complicated in American law. A single incident on a fixed platform, a jack-up rig, or a supply vessel can implicate the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, general maritime law, and Texas tort law all at once. Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers represents offshore workers and their families across the Gulf Coast. To talk with our Texas City, TX offshore injury lawyer, reach out for a free, confidential case review.
Offshore Injury Lawyer Texas City, TX
What is an offshore injury case, and what makes it different from a typical workplace injury claim? An offshore injury case is a civil claim arising from injury, illness, or death sustained by a worker on a rig, platform, vessel, pipeline, or related offshore structure. The applicable law turns on the worker’s status, the nature of the structure, and where the incident occurred.
Seamen aboard vessels in navigation generally proceed under the Jones Act and general maritime law. Workers on fixed platforms beyond state waters often have rights under the Longshore Act through OCSLA. Land-based maritime workers and harbor employees may proceed under the Longshore Act directly. Each path carries different damages, deadlines, and venues. Our offshore injury attorneys in Texas City evaluate the facts so the case is filed under the right framework from the outset.
Types of Offshore Injury Cases We Handle in Texas City
Offshore injuries follow patterns tied to the equipment, operations, and environments where they happen. Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers represents the full range of workers and families affected by Gulf of Mexico incidents.
- Drilling rig injuries. Roughnecks, derrickhands, and floorhands face hazards from pipe handling, drawworks, and pressure equipment.
- Production platform incidents. Process upsets, hydrocarbon releases, and equipment failures cause burns, blast injuries, and fatalities.
- Helicopter transport crashes. Helicopter transit between shore and platforms remains one of the most dangerous components of offshore work.
- Supply and crew boat injuries. Workers on supply vessels, crew boats, and offshore support vessels face vessel-specific risks alongside cargo handling hazards.
- Diving and ROV operation injuries. Commercial divers and ROV operators face decompression injuries, drowning, and equipment entanglement.
- Crane and lifting incidents. Offshore lifts in adverse conditions account for a meaningful share of platform-related injuries.
- Pipeline and subsea construction incidents. Lay barge work and subsea construction expose workers to falls, line failures, and dropped objects.
- Hot work and welding incidents. Welding and cutting on platforms can ignite hydrocarbon vapors and produce catastrophic fires.
- Slip, trip, and fall injuries. Wet decks, oily walking surfaces, and weather conditions account for many serious offshore injuries.
- Toxic exposure cases. Hydrogen sulfide, naturally occurring radioactive material, and chemical exposures cause acute and long-term health consequences.
- Jones Act. Crew members on vessels in navigation may pursue negligence claims under the Jones Act with broader damages than other federal remedies.
- Maritime injuries. Maritime workers outside the seaman category may have rights under general maritime law or the Longshore Act.
- Oilfield accidents. Onshore oilfield work near Texas City often shares operators and risk profiles with offshore operations.
- Burn injuries. Fires, explosions, and chemical exposure on offshore facilities cause severe thermal and chemical burns.
- Wrongful death. Surviving families may pursue recovery under the Death on the High Seas Act, the Jones Act, or Texas law, depending on the facts.
Why Choose Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers for Offshore Injury in Texas City, TX?
Maritime Defense Background and Trial Experience
Successful resolution of offshore cases typically requires lawyers who understand both the technical operations involved and the multi-layered legal frameworks that govern them. Mike Streich began his legal career at Royston, Rayzor, Vickery & Williams, one of the oldest maritime injury defense firms in Texas, where he handled vessel investigations and represented vessel owners in catastrophic injury matters. He later represented Lloyd’s of London syndicates in offshore, refinery, and oilfield catastrophic claims. As a personal injury lawyer in Texas City, Mike applies that defense-side perspective to offshore litigation.
Matt Greenberg is a Texas trial lawyer with a record of significant verdicts and settlements in catastrophic injury matters. Matt is licensed in Texas, Louisiana, and Arizona, holds a J.D. from Baylor Law School, and has been recognized by Super Lawyers, the National Trial Lawyers, and Lawdragon. He is a member of the American Association for Justice.
Verdicts and Settlements
Our attorneys have recovered over $375 million for injured clients, including a $16 million Jones Act and maritime settlement and several seven-figure outcomes in offshore and refinery cases. Our Texas City offshore injury attorneys handle these matters on a contingency basis, with no fee unless we recover.
How Our Firm Operates
We accept a limited number of catastrophic injury matters at a time so each client receives full attention. Free consultations are available in both English and Spanish.
Understanding Offshore Injury Cases
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Offshore Injury Cases
Compensation in an offshore injury case depends on which legal framework applies, but the basic categories are familiar.
- Punitive damages. These may be recovered under general maritime law when an employer willfully fails to provide maintenance and cure, and in limited circumstances under the Jones Act. They are often pivotal in cases where safety failures are well documented.
- Economic damages. These cover your measurable financial losses, including past and future medical care, lost wages and diminished earning capacity, vocational retraining, and out-of-pocket costs tied to your recovery.
- Non-economic damages. These account for the personal toll of an injury, such as physical pain, mental anguish, physical impairment, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. They are available in Jones Act and general maritime claims, though they remain limited under pure Longshore Act schemes.
Liability commonly stretches across several entities. The vessel owner, the platform operator, the contractor, equipment manufacturers, and third-party service providers may all share responsibility. For state-law claims arising near Texas City, fault is allocated under Section 33.001 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. For Jones Act and general maritime claims, pure comparative fault applies.
Important Aspects in Your Offshore Injury Case
A handful of issues drive the direction and value of nearly every offshore claim. We work each thread from the start.
- Worker status determination. Whether the injured worker is a seaman, a Longshore Act employee, an OCSLA employee, or something else determines applicable law, available damages, and the proper court.
- Vessel and platform classification. Whether the structure is a vessel in navigation, a fixed platform, or a special-purpose unit affects which statutes apply.
- Spoliation and evidence preservation. Offshore evidence is mobile, distant, and easily lost. Letters preserving rig books, daily drilling reports, maintenance records, and telemetry data go out within days.
- Maintenance and cure rights. Seamen are entitled to maintenance and cure from the moment of injury, regardless of fault. Improperly denied maintenance and cure can support an additional claim.
- Forum strategy. Offshore claims may proceed in state or federal court, with significant tactical consequences.
Offshore Injury Case Timeline
Offshore claims unfold in stages, though pace varies with injury severity and parties involved.
- Site preservation and early investigation. Preservation letters, witness identification, and engagement of marine engineering and process safety consultants in the first 30 to 60 days.
- Maintenance and cure for seamen. Begins immediately following injury and continues to maximum medical improvement.
- Medical treatment. Burn rehabilitation, neurological care, and orthopedic surgery often extend a year or more.
- Pre-suit demand. Once damages are documented, we issue a demand to the appropriate insurers and operators.
- Lawsuit filing. State or federal court, depending on parties and strategy.
- Discovery, depositions, mediation, and trial. Most offshore cases settle, but only after the defense recognizes the case is genuinely headed to verdict.
What to Bring to Your Offshore Injury Consultation
A first meeting moves faster when you bring whatever records you have.
- The incident report, near-miss report, or BSEE submission relating to the event.
- Medical records, ambulance bills, ER notes, surgical summaries, and rehabilitation records.
- Hitch schedules, dispatch logs, vessel assignments, and contractor agreements.
- Photographs of the scene, equipment, vessel, or platform, including those taken by coworkers.
- Names and contact information for crewmates, supervisors, safety personnel, and witnesses.
The consultation will cover what occurred, the parties potentially responsible, the legal framework that applies, and your next steps. The contingency arrangement is explained clearly so there are no surprises.
Texas Legal Resources for Offshore Injury
Offshore injury law combines federal maritime law, federal regulatory law, and state tort principles. The resources below are starting points only.
- Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. Federal jurisdiction over the OCS is established at 43 USC § 1331, which extends Longshore Act benefits to certain offshore workers.
- Longshore Act program. The U.S. Department of Labor administers the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act program, including OCSLA extensions to certain offshore workers.
- Federal offshore safety regulator. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement publishes offshore incident statistics for fatalities, injuries, fires, spills, and collisions.
- Statute of limitations. Where Texas law applies, personal injury claims must generally be brought within two years under Section 16.003 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Federal maritime claims often have a three-year limitation, though shorter contractual deadlines can apply.
- Federal offshore leasing rules. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management publishes regulations and guidance governing leasing, exploration, and development on the Outer Continental Shelf.
- Local courts. Texas City offshore cases may be filed in Galveston County district court or in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Reach Out to Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers to Schedule a Consultation
Our Texas City offshore injury lawyer is here to help ensure you get fair treatment in the claims process. Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers provides free, confidential consultations to injured offshore workers, contractors, and family members affected by Gulf of Mexico incidents. We work on contingency, so the call costs nothing. Please contact us today.
