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Maritime Injury Attorney Network
Find the right lawyer for your maritime injury claim.
An independent resource for injured offshore workers, ship crew, longshore workers, cruise ship passengers, and their families. We help you find a vetted maritime injury attorney for your case.
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Maritime injury law: quick reference
The federal frameworks, deadlines, and fee structures every injured maritime worker should know.
Federal Practice
Maritime injury claims are governed by federal statutes, not state law. The primary frameworks are the Jones Act, LHWCA, DOHSA, and OCSLA.
Filing Deadlines
Jones Act: 3 years. LHWCA: 30 days to notify employer, 1 year to file. Cruise ship passenger: typically 1 year per ticket contract.
Attorney Fees
Maritime injury cases are handled on contingency. Standard fees range from 33 to 40 percent of recovery, disclosed in writing before engagement.
Who's Covered
Seamen, longshore and harbor workers, oil rig crew, commercial fishermen, and cruise ship passengers, plus family members in wrongful death cases.
Case Types We Cover
Maritime injury claims, by law and circumstance.
Every maritime case falls under a specific federal framework. Knowing which applies to you is the first step in finding the right specialist.
Federal Statute
Jones Act Claims
For seamen and vessel crew injured in the course of their work. Covers negligence, unseaworthiness, and maintenance and cure.
Read the guide →Federal Statute
LHWCA Claims
For longshore workers, harbor workers, shipbuilders, and ship repairers injured on docks, piers, or in shipyards.
Read the guide →Federal Statute
Offshore Injury Claims
For oil rig, drilling platform, and offshore-support workers. Includes OCSLA jurisdiction and platform-specific liability.
Read the guide →Federal Statute
Wrongful Death at Sea
DOHSA and general maritime wrongful death claims. Different damages frameworks than state law claims.
Read the guide →Vessel Work
Commercial Fishing Injuries
For deckhands, engineers, and crew on fishing vessels. Among the highest-risk maritime employment categories.
Read the guide →Catastrophic
Burn & Explosion Injuries
Catastrophic injuries from offshore explosions, fires, and chemical exposures. High-stakes cases with complex liability.
Read the guide →Transport
Helicopter Crash Cases
Offshore worker transport crashes between platforms and shore bases. Often involves multiple liable parties.
Read the guide →Specialty Work
Commercial Diving Injuries
Decompression sickness, equipment failures, and other injuries to commercial divers in offshore and salvage work.
Read the guide →Passenger Claim
Cruise Ship Passenger Injuries
Passenger injuries aboard cruise ships, with strict deadlines and forum-selection clauses that affect every case.
Read the guide →Do you need an attorney for your maritime injury?
We help injured offshore workers, ship crew, longshore workers, cruise ship passengers, and their families find experienced maritime attorneys who specialize in their type of case: Jones Act, LHWCA, offshore platform injuries, wrongful death at sea, cruise ship passenger injuries, and more.
Maritime injury law is a specialized federal practice. It has its own statutes, evidence standards, and settlement frameworks. And the wrong attorney, even a competent one, can cost you the difference between what your case is actually worth and what you end up with.
Our Editorial Standard
We choose attorneys we'd send our own family to.
Maritime cases don't get a second chance. Evidence disappears. Witnesses move on. Statutes run. The wrong attorney misses things you can't get back. So we treat the choice of who you talk to with the care we'd want for someone we love.
How We Vet
This isn't pay-to-play. Most "find a lawyer" sites accept anyone who pays. We don't. We work with maritime injury attorneys whose practice is concentrated in this work, and we keep working with them only as long as they earn it.
- Credentials & StandingActive bar license, no disciplinary actions, professional standing verified in every jurisdiction where the attorney practices.
- Maritime Experience & Case HistoryDocumented practice in Jones Act, LHWCA, offshore injury, or related maritime cases. We look for specialists, not generalists.
- Fee TransparencyStandard contingency structures disclosed in writing before engagement. No surprise costs at settlement.
- Client Communication StandardsDefined response times, regular case updates, and accessible representation throughout the matter.
Every attorney is reviewed before we connect them with anyone.
✓Bar standing verified
✓Maritime case history documented
✓Specialty practice focus confirmed
✓Fee structure disclosed
✓Communication standards stated
Guides
How to find the right maritime injury attorney.
Clear, simple guides on evaluating maritime injury attorneys, the questions to ask, the red flags to avoid, and the legal frameworks that determine your case.
01
Qualification Guide
How to vet a maritime injury attorney
What separates specialists from generalists, the questions that surface them, and the disqualifiers most injured workers miss.
Read the guide →02
Questions Guide
The questions to ask before hiring a maritime lawyer
Case-history questions, fee-structure questions, and the operational questions that reveal how a firm handles maritime work.
Read the guide →03
Red Flags
Red flags: maritime attorneys to walk away from
General-PI attorneys taking specialty cases, fee inflation, undisclosed referrals: the warning signs every injured worker should know.
Read the guide →04
Decision Tree
Jones Act vs. LHWCA vs. workers' comp , which applies to you?
A clear, simple guide for injured maritime workers unsure which federal framework covers their case.
Read the guide →
Featured Analysis
Maritime injury law, explained.
Educational analysis covering the federal statutes, case frameworks, and qualification questions that determine your maritime injury claim.
LHWCA
LHWCA vs. Jones Act: Which Federal Framework Covers Your Maritime Injury?
Offshore
How Much Is an Offshore Platform Injury Claim Worth? The Factors That Drive Settlement Value
Wrongful Death
DOHSA Explained: How Wrongful Death at Sea Is Compensated Under Federal Law
Commercial Fishing
The First 72 Hours After a Commercial Fishing Injury: What to Document
Helicopter Cases
Offshore Helicopter Crashes: Who's Liable When a Transport Flight Goes Down?
Common Questions
Questions injured maritime workers ask us most.
Educational information only. This is not legal advice. For your specific case, connect with a vetted maritime injury specialist via the free case review above.
Do I need an attorney for a maritime injury? +
If you have been injured in the course of maritime work or as a passenger aboard a vessel, you likely need a maritime injury attorney. Maritime law is a specialized federal practice with its own statutes, evidence standards, and damages frameworks that differ significantly from state personal injury law. A general personal injury attorney handling a maritime case for the first time may miss arguments specific to seaman status, vessel unseaworthiness, or offshore liability that materially affect the value of your case.
What is the Jones Act and who does it cover? +
The Jones Act is a federal law that allows seamen injured in the course of their employment to bring a negligence claim against their employer. To qualify as a Jones Act seaman, you must spend a significant portion of your work time aboard a vessel in navigation. Coverage typically includes deckhands, crew on tugboats, barges, fishing vessels, oil rig support vessels, and similar vessel-attached workers.
How is the LHWCA different from the Jones Act? +
The Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act covers maritime workers who are not seamen, typically longshore workers, harbor workers, shipbuilders, ship repairers, and dock workers. The Jones Act covers vessel crew. The key distinction is where the worker's duties primarily occur: aboard a vessel in navigation (Jones Act) versus on a dock, pier, or shipyard (LHWCA). Misclassification is one of the most common reasons maritime injury claims are mishandled.
How long do I have to file a maritime injury claim? +
Jones Act claims generally must be filed within three years of the date of injury. LHWCA notice requirements are much shorter: typically thirty days to notify your employer and one year to file a formal claim. Cruise ship passenger claims often have a one-year limit under ticket forum-selection clauses. These deadlines vary based on circumstances, and evidence preservation should begin immediately regardless of the formal filing window.
Why do I need a maritime injury specialist instead of a general PI lawyer? +
Maritime law is a distinct federal practice area with its own statutes, jurisdictional rules, damages frameworks, and procedural requirements. A general personal injury attorney handling a maritime case for the first time may miss seaman-status arguments, fail to preserve vessel-specific evidence, or settle for state workers' compensation amounts when federal maritime remedies would yield substantially more.
How does this site choose the attorneys it works with? +
Every attorney in our network goes through our review process covering credentials and standing, maritime experience and case history, fee transparency, and client communication standards. We focus on attorneys whose practice meaningfully concentrates on maritime injury work.
Is this site a law firm? +
No. Offshore Injury Help is an independent editorial resource and lead generation service. We are not a law firm, we do not practice law, and use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. We connect injured workers and their families with vetted specialty attorneys who handle their case types. Participating attorneys pay marketing fees; we do not share in attorney fees or case recoveries.
How much does a maritime injury attorney cost? +
Maritime injury attorneys typically work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing upfront and the attorney only gets paid if they recover money for you. Standard contingency fees in maritime injury cases range from 33 to 40 percent of the recovery, depending on whether the case settles before trial or proceeds through litigation. Fee structures should always be disclosed in writing before you sign an engagement letter, and the attorneys we connect you with follow this standard.
What is a maritime injury claim worth? +
Maritime injury claim values vary significantly based on the severity of injuries, the applicable federal framework, and the specific circumstances of the case. Jones Act claims can include lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and maintenance and cure benefits. LHWCA claims follow a federal compensation schedule based on disability rating. Offshore platform injuries often involve multiple liable parties (employer, vessel owner, third-party contractors) and higher-value claims. A maritime specialist will identify every party with potential liability and every category of damages available.
Can I sue my employer for an offshore injury? +
Maritime workers generally cannot sue their employers under state personal injury law, but federal maritime statutes provide specific legal avenues. Jones Act seamen can sue their employers directly for negligence. LHWCA-covered workers receive workers compensation benefits and may also sue third parties (vessel owners, contractors, equipment manufacturers) under separate federal claims. Offshore platform workers may have claims under OCSLA, the Jones Act, or both depending on their exact status. A maritime injury specialist will identify which claims apply to your case.
Get connected with a vetted maritime specialist for your case.
Confidential. No obligation. Routed to an attorney whose practice concentrates on your specific case type and jurisdiction.
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