General maritime law provides injured seamen with a “trinity” of rights against employers and shipowners. First, maintenance and cure requires that the employers and shipowners of injured seamen pay for accident-related medical care and an amount for room and board. Second, when the unseaworthiness of the vessel or its crew cause the seamen’s injury, then the seaman can sue for unseaworthiness in tort. Third, a Jones Act seaman has a statutory cause of action against his employer if the employer was even slightly negligent.
Seamen suing under unseaworthiness or the Jones Act may seek recovery for their past and future medical bills, past and future lost wages, and pain and suffering, among other things. If a family is suing on behalf of a deceased seaman, then the family’s damages may include compensatory damages for loss of support, loss of services, and loss of society, among other things. Further, if an employer fails to pay maintenance and cure benefits, then the seaman may be entitled to seek punitive damages at trial.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured while working as a seaman, contact the experienced lawyers at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or toll free at 713-222-7211 for your no-cost consultation. Maritime injuries often involve a complex framework of federal, state, and international laws. Our firm has been serving and protecting the rights of seriously injured people since 1951. Contact us today to learn how you can hire the oldest personal injury firm in Texas.