Offshore Injury Help
Find a Maritime Injury Lawyer Without the Guesswork
Tell us what happened. Within one business day, our editor reviews your submission, confirms whether it fits a maritime injury claim type we cover, and introduces you to a vetted specialty attorney whose practice matches your case type, your jurisdiction, and the severity of your injury. The review is free, the introduction is free, and you are never under any obligation to retain the attorney we introduce.
- One submission, one editor review, one vetted introduction
- Specialty attorneys only: Jones Act, LHWCA, OCSLA, DOHSA, general maritime
- Your information is never shared with a lead exchange or multiple firms
- Urgent matters expedited the same day when possible
How to find a maritime injury lawyer through Offshore Injury Help
Offshore Injury Help is an independent editorial resource that connects injured offshore workers, drilling rig crews, commercial fishermen, cruise ship passengers, and surviving families with vetted Jones Act, LHWCA, OCSLA, general maritime, and DOHSA specialty attorneys. Submit a confidential case review in about two minutes. Within one business day, our editor reviews your submission and introduces you to a single vetted specialty attorney whose practice matches your case type, jurisdiction, and severity of injury. The review is free, the introduction is free, and you are never under any obligation to retain the attorney we introduce.
- Cost to you: $0 out of pocket
- Response time: Within one business day
- Submission time: About two minutes
- Attorneys introduced: One vetted specialty firm, never multiple
- Fee structure: Participating attorneys work on contingency
- Coverage: Nationwide, all U.S. maritime jurisdictions
From submission to vetted attorney introduction in four steps
You will not be added to a list, you will not receive cold calls from five different firms, and you will not be left in the dark. Here is exactly how it works, in the order it happens.
Submit your details
Tell us your name, contact information, where and when the incident happened, the type of vessel or worksite, and a brief description of your injury. Roughly two minutes.
Editor review
Our editor reviews your submission for case type, jurisdiction, severity, and statute of limitations exposure. If we need more context, we reach out by phone or email first.
Vetted attorney match
We introduce you to a specialty maritime attorney whose practice fits your case type and jurisdiction. One attorney, not five. Your information is never broadcast to a network of firms.
Free consultation
The attorney contacts you directly to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. You decide whether the fit is right. If it is not, tell us and we will introduce you to another qualified attorney.
Your information stays with our editor and the attorney we introduce, period.
The single most common reason injured workers hesitate to reach out is fear that submitting an intake form means handing their story to a lead exchange that will share it with a dozen marketing firms. That is not what we do.
Our four-line privacy pledge
We do not sell your data. We do not share your data with any third-party lead exchange. We introduce you to one vetted attorney at a time. You can request deletion of your record at any moment, in writing, and we will honor it.
Encrypted in transit and at rest
Submissions travel over HTTPS to our intake system. Stored records are access-controlled and limited to our editor and assigned staff.
One attorney introduction, not a directory blast
We introduce you to a single specialty attorney whose practice matches your case. If the fit is wrong, tell us and we will try again. Your information is never sent to multiple firms at once.
No lead exchanges, no resale, no syndication
Your submission is not posted to a marketplace, sold to bidders, or syndicated to other intake services. Our model is a marketing fee paid by attorneys, not a commission on your recovery.
Right to deletion, no questions asked
Email or call us and ask that your record be deleted. We will confirm in writing within three business days. No follow-up, no upsell, no retention attempt.
What we look for before we introduce any attorney to a maritime worker
We are not listing attorneys on this page. We are telling you the screening criteria a firm has to clear before we introduce them to an injured maritime worker or family. For the deeper version of how to evaluate a maritime injury attorney yourself, see our editorial guide on how to vet a maritime injury attorney.
Maritime is a practice, not a sideline
The firm's maritime work is a meaningful portion of their case docket, not an occasional file alongside auto and slip-and-fall.
Active in federal court
Trial-ready in U.S. District Court under federal admiralty jurisdiction, with recent filings under Jones Act, LHWCA, OCSLA, or general maritime law.
Familiar with the statutes that matter
Comfortable handling Jones Act seaman cases, LHWCA longshore claims, OCSLA outer continental shelf claims, DOHSA wrongful death, and Section 905(b) vessel negligence in the same firm.
Track record on similar fact patterns
Verifiable outcomes on injury types and worksites similar to your case, whether that is a drilling rig fall, a supply vessel crush injury, a galley burn, or a helicopter transport crash.
Reasonable, transparent fee structure
Standard maritime contingency structures, written engagement letters, clear cost-vs-fee distinctions, and no aggressive hidden escalators. Covered in detail in our contingency fee guide.
Clean bar standing
Active license in good standing in the jurisdiction where they would file your case, no recent public discipline, and no pattern of client complaints in public state-bar records.
Responsive intake and case communication
Returns initial calls within one business day, assigns a real attorney to the matter rather than only a paralegal, and commits to a written communication cadence.
Geographic reach for your jurisdiction
Licensed or formally co-counseled with local maritime counsel in the venues that govern offshore work: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, California, Washington, Alaska, and the federal Outer Continental Shelf.
A free case review is the right step if any of these describe your situation
We would rather you reach out and we tell you, kindly, that your situation does not fit maritime law than have you wonder for months whether you should have called.
Reach out if
- You were hurt working on a vessel, an offshore platform, a drilling rig, a supply boat, a tug, a barge, a fishing boat, or an offshore wind site.
- You are a longshore or harbor worker, a shipyard worker, a stevedore, or a marine terminal worker injured on the job.
- You are a commercial diver, a saturation diver, or a dive-support vessel crew member injured during or related to diving operations.
- You were a passenger on a helicopter transport flight, a crew boat, or a cruise ship and were injured during transit.
- A family member died at sea, on the outer continental shelf, or during a maritime work assignment.
- You are unsure whether the Jones Act, LHWCA, or another maritime statute applies to your situation and you want clarity.
- You already have an attorney and want a second-opinion consultation on whether they handle maritime as a true specialty.
- A statute-of-limitations deadline is approaching and you need to move quickly.
This page is probably not for you if
- Your injury happened on land and is not connected to a vessel, a maritime worksite, or the offshore industry.
- You are seeking general workers' compensation benefits for a non-maritime workplace injury under a state system.
- You are looking for advice on a criminal matter, a family-law matter, or an immigration matter.
- You want a directory of attorneys to call yourself. We are an editorial-and-introduction service, not a directory.
- You want representation in a country other than the United States. Our coverage is U.S. based, including the outer continental shelf.
- You are an attorney seeking to refer a case. Use our contact page instead.
What to have ready so your attorney consultation is productive
You do not need any of these to submit the case review form. You need them to make the consultation with the attorney we introduce you to as efficient as possible. Bring what you have. If you cannot find something, the attorney will guide you.
Date, approximate time, location, vessel name or platform name, weather and sea state if relevant, who was present, what you were doing in the moments before the injury, and what happened. A few paragraphs is more than enough.
Who employed you, your role on the vessel or worksite, how long you had been in that role, whether you were a regular crew member or a contractor, and the name of your direct supervisor at the time of the incident.
U.S. Coast Guard incident report, OSHA report, internal company incident report, insurance carrier intake, or any document you were asked to sign in the hours or days after the injury. Even if you only have a portion or a screenshot, bring it.
Hospital discharge summary, urgent-care notes, emergency-room records, names of all treating providers, current medications, and any pending surgery or specialist referrals. Pictures of physical injuries with date stamps are useful.
Two or three recent pay stubs, your most recent W-2 or 1099, and any record of overtime, day rate, bonus structure, or shift differential. Earnings history is central to lost-wage and loss-of-future-earnings calculations.
Maintenance and cure payments, advances, statements signed at the hospital, recorded statements taken by an insurance adjuster, or partial settlement offers. If you were asked to sign anything, the attorney needs to see it.
Anyone who saw the incident, anyone on the same vessel or worksite who can describe conditions, and anyone you spoke with about the injury in the hours immediately after. Even partial contact information is useful.
Write your questions before the call. The single biggest reason a consultation feels unsatisfying is that the injured worker forgot to ask the one question that was keeping them awake. Write it down before you pick up.
Questions about the intake itself
Specific questions about Jones Act, LHWCA, OCSLA, DOHSA, contingency fees, claim timelines, or case types live on our pillar pages. The questions below are about the intake process on this page.
Is the maritime injury case review really free?
Yes. The case review is free, there is no obligation to hire any attorney we introduce you to, and you will never pay us a fee out of your pocket. Participating attorneys pay marketing fees to Offshore Injury Help. Those payments come from the law firm's marketing budget, not from your recovery, and we do not share in attorney fees or settlement proceeds. If you do later hire an attorney, that attorney typically works on a contingency basis, meaning they are paid a percentage of the recovery if and only if your case wins. No recovery, no fee. The standard maritime contingency structures, and the questions to ask before signing one, are covered in detail in our contingency fee guide.
What happens after I submit the intake form?
Within one business day, our editor reviews your submission, confirms whether the facts described fit a maritime injury claim type we cover, and either contacts you to gather a few additional details or routes your inquiry to a vetted specialty attorney whose practice matches the case type, jurisdiction, and severity of your injury. The attorney then contacts you directly to schedule a free consultation. You are never under any obligation to retain that attorney, and you may decline at any point.
How long does it take to be connected with a maritime lawyer?
Most inquiries receive an initial response within one business day. In situations involving an imminent statute of limitations deadline, a death at sea, a person currently hospitalized, or an active investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard or employer, we expedite the review. For urgent matters, indicate the urgency in the form notes and we will work to introduce you to a specialty attorney the same day when possible.
Is my information confidential when I submit the intake form?
Yes. Your submission is encrypted in transit and stored in our intake system. We share your information only with the specialty attorney we introduce you to, and only after we confirm the case type and jurisdiction. We do not sell your data, we do not share it with multiple law firms simultaneously, and we do not distribute your information through any third-party lead exchange. You can request deletion of your record at any time, in writing, and we will confirm the deletion within three business days.
Do I have to use the attorney you introduce me to?
No. The introduction is just that, an introduction. You have an absolute right to interview any attorney we introduce you to, ask questions, and decide whether the fit feels right for you and your family. If the fit is wrong, tell us and we will work to introduce you to a different qualified attorney. You can also pursue your own search using the criteria in our editorial guides on how to vet a maritime injury attorney and questions to ask a maritime lawyer.
What case types do you cover?
We cover Jones Act seaman injuries, LHWCA longshore and harbor worker injuries, OCSLA outer continental shelf claims, general maritime law claims including unseaworthiness and Section 905(b) vessel negligence, DOHSA wrongful death at sea cases, commercial diving and saturation injuries, helicopter transport crashes connected to offshore work, offshore wind technician injuries, commercial fishing injuries, and cruise ship passenger injuries. If your situation does not fit any of those categories, we will tell you that directly and, where appropriate, point you toward a general-jurisdiction resource.
What information do I need to provide to start a case review?
At minimum we need your name, contact information, the date of the injury or incident, the type of vessel or worksite, the nature of your injury, and a brief description of how it happened. You do not need a Coast Guard report, medical records, or your employment contract to start. We will tell you what additional documents are useful before your consultation with an attorney. If you do not have everything, that is fine, send us what you have and we will guide you from there. The full preparation list lives in the What to have ready section above.
Can family members file for an injured or deceased worker?
Yes. Spouses, children, parents, and other family members regularly initiate a case review on behalf of an injured worker who is hospitalized, incapacitated, or recovering. For workers who lost their lives at sea, the surviving spouse or another close family member typically files the case review on behalf of the estate and qualifying beneficiaries under the Jones Act, DOHSA, or general maritime law. You do not need a Power of Attorney or other formal legal authority to start a case review. The attorney will guide you on the legal authority needed if and when a case is filed.
What if I already have a lawyer or signed a contingency agreement?
If you have already retained an attorney we will not interfere with that representation. You may still contact us for a second-opinion consultation if you have specific concerns about fee structure, escalator clauses, communication problems, or whether your current attorney practices maritime law as a specialty. We will be candid about whether your concerns rise to the level of a meaningful problem and, where appropriate, can introduce you to a maritime specialty attorney for a second review. For specifics on contingency fee terms, see our contingency fee agreement guide.
Are you a law firm?
No. Offshore Injury Help is an independent editorial resource and lead generation service operated by Michael Mangione and The Mangione Group, Inc. We are not a law firm, we do not practice law, no attorney-client relationship is created by using this site or submitting an intake form, and nothing on this site is legal advice. Our role is to publish independent editorial guides on maritime injury claims and to introduce qualifying inquiries to vetted specialty attorneys.
Ready to start? The form is at the top of this page.
Free, confidential, no obligation. Reviewed by our editor. One introduction to one vetted maritime specialty attorney. Same-day handling on urgent matters.
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