Maritime workers are among the most essential yet overlooked members of the American workforce. Seamen, dockworkers, dredge operators, cargo ship crews, cruise ship employees, and harbor construction workers keep critical industries moving every single day—often in conditions that carry serious, life-altering risks. When an employer, vessel owner, or contractor fails to meet their legal obligation to keep those workers safe, the consequences could be catastrophic. And unlike most workplace injuries, the legal path forward is anything but straightforward. You need a personal injury attorney who understands where that path leads.
As a Houston maritime injury lawyer, Brant Stogner brings more than a decade of litigation experience to catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases involving individuals injured or killed offshore. We fight for maritime workers and their families, seeking both compensation and accountability from the at-fault parties.
Different Rules Governing Maritime Workers’ Rights
While most land-based workers turn to the traditional workers’ compensation system after an accident, things are more complex for maritime workers. Houston maritime injury attorney Brant Stogner understands that the legal framework governing offshore and waterway injuries operates outside the standard system, and that the statutes protecting you depend on who you are, where you were injured, and the nature of your work.
Seamen injured due to employer negligence may have a course of action under the Jones Act (46 U.S.C. § 30104), a federal statute that also guarantees the right to a jury trial. The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (33 U.S.C. §§ 901–950) extends federal protections to a broader class of waterfront workers, including those who build, load, and maintain vessels without ever leaving the dock. Coverage for workers injured on oil platforms located on the outer continental shelf may be under a separate body of federal law altogether. And regardless of the specific statute that applies, most maritime workers are entitled to maintenance and cure. This foundational legal obligation requires employers to cover basic living expenses and medical care during recovery, whether or not negligence is ever proven.
Getting these distinctions right from the beginning of a case is not a minor detail. It is the difference between a recovery that reflects the full scope of what you have lost and a settlement that does not come close.
Who Stands Against You When You File a Maritime Claim?
In most cases, injured maritime workers face well-funded and well-prepared opposition. Vessel owners, cruise lines, offshore employers, and their insurers have experienced legal teams handling maritime injury cases in Houston and across the Gulf region. They know the law, they know how to apply pressure, and they know that an injured worker facing mounting medical bills and lost income is vulnerable to accepting far less than they deserve.
That is precisely why the attorney you choose in Houston matters as much as the maritime injury case itself. Brant Stogner is a trial lawyer, first and foremost. He and the rest of our team approach every maritime case with the same preparation and urgency we bring to any catastrophic injury claim, because the stakes demand nothing less. We move quickly to preserve critical evidence, identify every liable party, and build a case that is ready for the courtroom from day one.
Contact Brant Stogner, a Lawyer Who Fights for Houston Maritime Injury Victims, Today
The dangers that maritime workers face every day are real, but so are the legal protections they are entitled to when those dangers result in serious harm. Whether you work aboard a cargo vessel, a cruise ship, a dredge, or an offshore platform, you have rights under federal maritime law that deserve full protection. Houston maritime injury lawyer Brant Stogner is prepared to do exactly that.
Contact us today and schedule an initial consultation with our team. We will listen to your story, answer your questions, and help you decide what comes next.