Houston Maritime Chemical Exposure Attorney

Houston Maritime Chemical Exposure Lawyer – Maritime Exposure & Illness

Our Attorneys Can Help with Leukemia, Lung Cancer and Other Illness Caused by Chemical Exposure

Many career maritime workers have been unknowingly exposed to potentially toxic and carcinogenic substances during the course of their jobs. Long-term exposure to industrial solvents, diesel fumes and byproducts of oil and gas production can cause serious, life-threatening and fatal illnesses.

Were you diagnosed with leukemia, mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another chronic, progressive illness? Do you suspect that maritime workplace exposure may be the cause? If so, then the Texas law firm of Stevenson & Murray can provide you with honest answers, straightforward legal guidance, and support in a free consultation. Contact our offices today to speak with an experienced maritime accident, injury, and illness attorney.

Experience and Resources That Makes a Difference

The law firm combines years of experience in the litigation of personal injury and wrongful death claims. Furthermore, we have a thorough understanding of maritime and admiralty law. Our attorneys have a proven record of success. In fact, we obtain multimillion-dollar settlements and judgments for our injured clients and families of fatal accident victims.

We apply this experience and dedication to producing results. Our cases involve serious, life-threatening illnesses caused by maritime workplace exposure to substances like benzene, asbestos, diesel fuel, cleaning agents, acids, pesticides, and other harmful substances.

A thorough investigation by a team of capable attorneys, knowledgeable investigators, and leading independent experts will almost certainly be necessary. We must uncover evidence to prove that chemical exposure caused your illness. The firm has substantial resources at its disposal. Thus, we are willing to invest as necessary to build a strong case for our client’s recovery.

Maritime Workers’ Rights

Anyone working in a maritime business must know the legal protections available to them. Most maritime workers are not covered by workers’ compensation insurance through their employers. However, the Jones Act and various other maritime laws exist to help injured maritime workers recover their losses. These laws also aim to hold shipowners and maritime employers accountable for allowing dangerous conditions to persist on their vessels and the work environments they manage.

Under the Jones Act, an injured maritime worker has the right to bring a claim against their employer in response to an injury they sustained while performing their job duties. The injured worker must prove how their injury occurred and establish whether their employer is directly responsible for causing it. If so, the Jones Act enables the injured worker to seek maintenance and cure, a term used to describe the economic compensation they require to recover from their injury as quickly and completely as possible. It’s also possible for the injured worker to file a seaworthiness claim if their employer allowed the vessel on which they work to fall into a dangerous level of disrepair or if their employer allowed a dangerous chemical hazard to persist on the vessel.

When an injured maritime worker succeeds with a Jones Act claim for chemical exposure, they can potentially secure compensation for their lost wages, both immediate and future. If they cannot return to their job, they can claim compensation for vocational rehabilitation and job retraining, or they could be left unable to work at all and would be eligible to claim lost future earning potential. The plaintiff also has the right to claim pain and suffering compensation, and an employer found liable for a chemical exposure injury could also face fines and other disciplinary action from the appropriate oversight agencies.

Benefits of Hiring an Experienced Attorney

Whether you suffered an acute illness from hydrogen sulfide exposure, a gas leak, or an explosion onboard a vessel, an experienced Houston maritime chemical exposure attorney is the ideal resource to have on your side when you intend to seek compensation for your damages. Like any other type of legal action, success with a maritime injury case requires legal representation from an attorney familiar with this unique area of law.

When you choose Stevenson & Murray as your Houston maritime chemical exposure attorney, you have a much better chance of maximizing the results you reach in your recovery efforts. This is because we carefully review our client’s situation to ensure we address their unique needs and concerns in their recovery efforts.

Time is a critical factor if you have been injured by chemical exposure at sea and must take legal action against your employer, and our team is ready to assist you with all of your recovery efforts. You have a limited time in which to file a Jones Act claim, and depending on the location of your work environment and the level of maritime work you perform, other maritime laws may apply to your case. For robust, personalized defense counsel, it is crucial to connect with an experienced Houston maritime chemical exposure attorney as soon as possible if you believe you have grounds for legal recourse.

FAQs About Houston, TX Maritime Exposure & Illness Laws

How Do You Prove an Injury Resulted From Maritime Chemical Exposure?

Your Houston maritime chemical exposure attorney can help you deduce the root cause of your injury by closely examining your work environment and job duties. You may have been compelled to use a specific chemical every day at work that gradually caused an illness, or you may have suffered an acute injury from chemical exposure. Whatever your case may entail, your attorney will assist you in gathering the evidence needed to prove how you acquired your injury and who is responsible for your damages.

How Can I Prove the Extent of My Damages From Chemical Exposure?

Your Houston maritime chemical exposure attorney will be invaluable when it comes to providing guidance for proving your damages. You have the right to seek full maintenance and cure for your injury, and injuries from maritime chemical exposure typically demand extensive ongoing treatment. A good attorney will help their client secure full recovery from all immediate and future economic losses, and they may also assist their client in securing compensation for the pain and suffering they experienced.

Can I Claim Compensation for Pain and Suffering?

If you file a chemical exposure injury claim under the Jones Act, you have the right to seek compensation for the pain and suffering you experienced. Your legal team can help you determine a fair amount based on the scope and severity of the medical complications you face from the chemical exposure in question. For example, if you are left permanently disabled from your chemical exposure injury, you could receive a substantial amount of pain and suffering compensation to reflect the severity of your condition.

How Do I Determine Fault for My Chemical Exposure Injury?

If you suffered an injury from chemical exposure while working in any maritime operation, your employer is liable for your damages under the Jones Act. You will need to prove the root cause of your injury, such as identifying the specific substance that harmed you. It is typically more difficult to prove the root cause of an injury resulting from consistent, repeated exposure than an injury from an acute accident like a gas leak, explosion, or chemical spill.

Do I Really Need to Hire a Houston Maritime Chemical Exposure Attorney?

Any maritime worker injury case is likely to draw upon many complex statutes that fall outside the realm of the typical civil laws that apply to land-based claims. While most maritime workers do not have access to the usual type of workers’ compensation benefits available to workers on land, the Jones Act and various other maritime laws exist to provide these workers with avenues of legal recourse when they are hurt at work. Therefore, hiring an experienced Houston maritime chemical exposure attorney significantly improves your chance of success with your recovery efforts.

Contact Our Houston Maritime Chemical Exposure Attorneys Today

To discuss a potential maritime exposure illness claim with an experienced trial attorney, call the Houston offices of Stevenson & Murray toll-free at (713) 622-3223. You may also contact the firm by email for prompt attention to your questions or to schedule a free case evaluation.