Where you were working decides which law governs. That's the first thing we figure out.
There is no single "maritime injury" statute. The Jones Act, the Longshore Act and its § 905(b), OCSLA's borrowed state law, the general maritime law, and the foreign-seaman provision all govern different workers — and which one applies turns on where the work happened and the worker's connection to a vessel.
Get that classification wrong and a worker is pushed into a workers'-comp schedule worth a fraction of the real claim. Get it right and the same injury supports a full recovery. Below are the working environments and the Gulf ports the firm handles, and what changes legally in each.
Longshore, dock & vessel work
The busiest U.S. port by tonnage — and the heart of LHWCA and § 905(b) territory, where the line between a harbor worker and a Jones Act seaman decides the case.
The energy-export gateway
The nation's #1 crude-oil export port. Tankermen, terminal longshore workers, and vessel crews — three different bodies of law on the same dock.
Military cargo & the refining belt
The world's busiest military cargo port, on the Golden Triangle's refining waterway. Heavy-cargo longshore, refinery docks, and vessel crews.
Ship recycling & shipbreaking
The country's ship-recycling capital — some of the most dangerous work on the water. A Longshore claim, and often a case against the vessel or an equipment maker too.
The Mississippi & GIWW gateway
Louisiana's only container port and a major breakbulk and cruise hub where the river meets the coast. Longshore, dock, and river crews under three different laws.
The grain & energy export corridor
One of the busiest export corridors on earth — grain elevators, midstream transfer, and river crews. The #2 U.S. port by tonnage sits here.
Shipbuilding, ship repair & longshore
Alabama's only deep-water port and a major Navy shipbuilding center. Shipyard, ship-repair, and dock workers under the Longshore Act and beyond.
Towboat & barge crews
The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the Lower Mississippi carry enormous towboat and barge traffic. Their crews are classic Jones Act seamen — a status the defense routinely contests.
Crew boats, OSVs & platforms
The land base for deepwater Gulf operations. The hardest classification zone of all — crew-boat seamen, platform workers under OCSLA, and the gaps in between.
Foreign rigs & foreign employers
Foreign nationals on foreign rigs are told they have no U.S. claim. Often that's wrong — the fight is jurisdiction, forum, and choice of law.
Hurt overseas, company in Houston
Much of the world's offshore chain runs through Texas. When the operator, contractor, or employer answers to Houston, a foreign worker's case may belong in a Texas court.
Not sure by location? You can also search by what you were working on — rig, vessel, or platform → | or by what happened — the type of accident → | or by your injury →
Common questions
Not sure which law applies to your injury? That's our job.
Doyle Dennis Avery LLP represents seamen, offshore and oilfield workers, longshore and harbor workers, and foreign nationals injured on U.S. and foreign waters. Tell us where you were working and what happened — the case review costs nothing.
This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Which body of maritime law applies to a given injury depends on the specific facts, the worker's duties and connection to a vessel, and the location of the work. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP · Houston, Texas. This is attorney advertising.
