Maritime Accidents Articles

Picture of Chris Mahfouz

Safety for Individuals Working Over or Near Water

What must construction site managers and employers do to protect workers who are engaged in work over or near water? The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) addresses this concern in 29 CFR 1926.106, which provides for the following: Although simply stated, these requirements have been the subject of numerous letters of interpretation over the…

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Picture of Ben Agosto III

The Basics of the Longshore Act & Available Remedies for Injured Maritime Workers

The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (“LHWCA” or the “Longshore Act”) is a federal workers’ compensation scheme designed to provide coverage to maritime employees who are injured or killed in an incident “occurring upon the navigable waters of the United States (including any adjoining pier, wharf, dry dock, terminal, building way, marine railway, or…

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Picture of Alicia Patterson

Warmer Temperatures Bring Boating Accidents for Houston Residents

With warm weather returning and summer officially starting, Houstonians are starting to enjoy many of the nearby water recreational opportunities in large numbers. Many take advantage of the numerous lakes in the region for boating, swimming, and leisure. Unfortunately, the benefits of water recreation sometimes come with a cost. Injuries and deaths while boating happen…

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Picture of Brant Stogner

Federal Agencies Underreport Offshore Oil & Gas Deaths, Creating the Illusion of Safety

Recent investigations into the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (“BSEE”) allege that deaths of offshore oil and gas workers frequently go unreported. Specifically, “inconsistent and missing data, as well as loopholes that allow some fatalities to go unreported, make the offshore industry appear safer than it really is.” Investigators allege that at least 30%…

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Picture of Benny Agosto, Jr.

Liability Insurance Required For “Party Boats”

Like motorists, boat drivers have duties and responsibilities when operating boats in a safe manner. However, boating accidents are still a common occurrence, and damages stemming from these types of accidents can be substantial. Boat owners must make sure that crew members are trained and certified to operate commercial boats. They must also ensure that…

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Abraham Watkins

The Perils of the Seaman Status– 5th Circuit Revised Seaman Status Test

The Fifth Circuit’s recent en banc decision in Sanchez v. Smart Fabricators of Texas, L.L.C., No. 19 20506,2021 WL 1882565 (5th Cir. May 11, 2021) upends 20 years of its own precedent and reformulates the seaman status analysis. The plaintiff in the lawsuit was a welder working on a jack up-rig. Sanchez had been onboard the second of two…

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