Texas Offshore Injury Lawyer

The Jones Act and other maritime laws protect seamen, longshoremen, harbor workers and others in the maritime industry. In the event of an on-the-job injury or illness, an injured seaman may be able to seek benefits under the appropriate maritime law. At Arnold & Itkin LLP, we are dedicated to assisting injured maritime workers and the families of seamen who have lost their lives as a result of catastrophic offshore injuries. Our headquarters are in Houston, Texas and we are particularly familiar with representing clients in Texas and along the Gulf of Mexico, as well as throughout the rest of the U.S. in coastal and non-coastal states.

A Texas offshore injury attorney at our firm can provide you with knowledgeable insight regarding any type of injury that you or a loved one may have sustained while working on a vessel at sea or on an inland waterway. We can also help if you were injured while performing your duties as a dock worker. Because we have a solid understanding of the Jones Act and all maritime laws, we are confident in our ability to determine what financial compensation you may be entitled to receive, and from what individual or corporation. For a free review of your case, please do not hesitate to call our offices.

Maritime Trade in Texas

Maritime trade, which includes matters such as marine commerce and transportation of passengers and goods by sea, is important to Texas. The state has thousands of maritime workers and several ports that serve national and international maritime industries and companies. The ports are important to the success of maritime trade (e.g., offshore drilling, commercial fishing, and recreational boating and cruise industries), which boosts the economy of Texas. Those important port cities include the following:

• Corpus Christi, Texas is the largest coastal port city in the southern part of Texas (the Port of Corpus Christi is the sixth largest port in the United States), with shoreline on the coast of the western Gulf of Mexico. The 45-foot depth along its wide and straight canal provides fast direct access to the Gulf, the United States inland waterway system and the seas of the world beyond. The world-class port can accommodate a various types of cargo including storage, grain elevators, bulk dry and bulk liquid facilities. Additionally, a nearby massive industrial park has plenty of room for on-site processors and value-added operations provide for an in-out and off-to-market process in one place. The Port of Corpus Christi provides equally impressive land transportation access with in-port direct connections to three Class I railroads, the nationwide interstate and state highway system, and the Corpus Christi International Airport. The port has been a strategic deployment seaport for U.S. military forces since 1997. The Port of Corpus Christi Authority is currently undertaking a project with the Department of Defense to develop and construct a Surge Sealift Homeport on Corpus Christi Bay at a port-owned site adjacent to Naval Station Ingleside. On the International trade scene, the Port of Corpus Christi was the first port to sign a strategic memorandum of understanding with ALIMPORT, the government purchasing agency for Cuba.
• Galveston, Texas is home to the Port of Galveston, also known as "Galveston Wharves." Located on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway of Texas, the port serves as a busy import and export center, and popular terminal for passenger cruise ships operating in the Caribbean. Galveston is ranked the number-one port on the Gulf Coast and number four in America, making it an important part of the local economy.
• Houston, Texas, a major port city, is the largest city in the state of Texas. Today, the Port of Houston is a 25-mile-long complex with both public and private facilities. It is located within a few hours' sailing time from the Gulf of Mexico. The port is ranked first in the United States in foreign waterborne tonnage and second in the U.S. in total tonnage. The Houston Ship Channel serves extremely busy ports. The restrictive configuration of the channel, shifting directions of its upper reaches, and diversity in size of the vessels that transit the waterway, make safe navigation paramount. The Houston Ship Channel Security District works to improves security and safety for facilities, employees and communities surrounding the Houston Ship Channel by eliminating potential security threats. Security District members include the following: the East Harris County Manufacturers Association plant facilities, Maritime company facilities regulated by Maritime Transportation Security Act, the Port of Houston Authority and Harris County. Ample truck, rail and air connections are available at or near the port, allowing shippers to economically transport their goods between Houston and inland points. Two major passenger and air cargo airports are close to the port: Bush Intercontinental Airport and the William P. Hobby Airport.
• Port Arthur, Texas is 90 miles east of Houston near the Gulf Coast of Texas, and its port handles the area's waterways, refineries and petrochemical industries. Today Port Arthur is the home of three major refineries and is the terminus of the Kansas City Southern Railroad. The port of Port Arthur, officially called Port Arthur International Public Port, is located on the Sabine-Neches Ship Channel, with channel depths to safely accommodate large petrochemical tankers and cargo ships on the 1,200-mile Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The port can handle any type of break-bulk cargo with five docks, a 75-ton gantry crane for bulk and containerized cargo and an 87-foot setback to accommodate fixed-stern vessels. Ocean carriers at the Port of Port Arthur include Spliethhoffs for the Mediterranean area, Grieg Star Shipping for Brazil, Europe and the Mediterranean area and Hanjin Shipping for Mexico and Brazil. Rail, truck and air transportation are located adjacent to the port. Kansas City Southern, Union Pacific, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe are the three railroads serving the port. Trucks have convenient access to Interstate 10. The Southeast Texas Regional Airport is located on Port Arthur's northwest boundary.

Maritime Injury Attorney for Texas Seamen

Whether you were injured on a ship along the Gulf Coast of Texas or while working at one of the state's ports, you can count on our team to provide you with an accurate and helpful analysis of your case. We are intimately familiar with the complexities of maritime law and our offshore injury lawyers have successfully recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients. We are not afraid to go to battle for our clients, whether this is inside or outside of the courtroom. We fight for maximum compensation in every maritime injury claim we handle.

Contact a Texas offshore injury lawyer today for your free consultation.