Offshore Injury Lawyer in Las Vegas

Federal Laws That Govern Offshore Injury Claims

Offshore injury cases typically fall under federal maritime law rather than Nevada state personal injury statutes. The specific framework that applies depends on your job classification and where the injury occurred. And it determines what benefits and claims are available to you.

The Jones Act

The Jones Act allows seamen, workers who spend a significant portion of their time aboard a vessel in navigation, to bring a negligence claim against their employer. If your employer’s negligence contributed to your injury in any degree, you may have a valid Jones Act claim. These claims are generally subject to a three-year statute of limitations under federal law, so acting promptly matters.

Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act

The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) provides benefits to maritime workers who don’t qualify as seamen, including longshoremen, harbor workers, and certain offshore facility employees. It functions similarly to workers’ compensation but operates under federal law.

Maintenance & Cure

Maintenance and cure is a maritime doctrine that generally requires an employer to cover a seaman’s basic living expenses and medical costs during recovery from a work-related injury, regardless of fault. This obligation typically continues until the worker reaches maximum medical improvement.

Unseaworthiness Claims

Separate from a Jones Act claim, an unseaworthiness claim may hold a vessel owner liable when an unsafe condition aboard the vessel caused the injury. These two claims are often pursued together.

Common Causes of Offshore Accidents

Offshore environments carry hazards that shore-based workplaces simply don’t. Injuries frequently result from equipment failure, slips and falls on wet or unstable surfaces, crane and rigging accidents, and fires or explosions on rigs or platforms. Inadequate safety training and insufficient protocols also account for a significant share of offshore workplace injuries. When those conditions exist, there may be a basis for a claim.

Who May Be Liable for Your Offshore Injury

Responsibility in an offshore injury case rarely falls on a single party. Liability may extend to your employer, the vessel or platform owner, equipment manufacturers whose products failed, and third-party contractors working alongside you. Multiple parties can share fault for a single incident, which is exactly why these cases require the kind of thorough, multi-party litigation strategy we bring to every case we open.