Houston Jones Act lawyer Stephen Goldenzweig stands up for injured seamen working the Port of Houston and Gulf waters. Drawing on trial-honed skill and insider knowledge of maritime law, he pursues maintenance, cure, and full damages from negligent vessel owners, letting injured crew members focus on healing while Goldenzweig Law Group handles the fight.
How Can Our Houston Jones Act Attorneys Help You?
Injured mariners deserve fast, knowledgeable help. Our Houston Jones Act attorneys at Goldenzweig Law Group investigate accidents, collect evidence, and guide clients through every legal step. We explain each option in plain language so you always know where your case stands.
Houston Jones Act lawyer Stephen Goldenzweig starts every case with a free, in-person consultation at the docks, hospital, or our Bellaire office. We photograph the scene, secure vessel logs, and interview coworkers before memories fade. Because we work on contingency, you pay nothing up front and nothing at all unless we win.
Call (713) 561-5003 or fill out our quick online form now to schedule your FREE, no-obligation consultation with Houston Jones Act lawyer Stephen Goldenzweig. We’ll meet you at the docks, the hospital, or our Bellaire office—wherever is easiest for you. Remember, you pay nothing unless we win.
What Is the Jones Act and Who Qualifies?
The Jones Act is a federal statute that lets qualifying “seamen” sue employers for negligence. Any worker who spends roughly 30 percent of work time on a vessel in navigation generally qualifies. The law gives you a right to a jury trial and the full range of personal-injury damages.
Deckhands on barges in the Houston Ship Channel, cooks on offshore rigs in the Gulf, engineers aboard container ships anchored off Galveston Bay—all may meet the definition. If you draw a paycheck tied to a vessel’s mission, Stephen Goldenzweig can evaluate your status and protect your rights.
What Types of Accidents or Injuries Are Covered by the Jones Act?
Maritime work around Houston is demanding and hazardous. The Jones Act covers virtually any on-the-job injury suffered while serving a vessel in navigable waters.
- Slips, trips, and falls: Oil-slick decks on a Bayport tanker can send a deckhand over hard steel.
- Man-overboard events: A tug-boat crew member falls into Buffalo Bayou while handling lines.
- Cargo-handling mishaps: Crushed limbs when a container shifts during heavy crane lift.
- Explosions and fires: Flash burns on an offshore drilling unit east of Galveston.
- Electrical shocks: Faulty welders or frayed power cords in engine rooms.
- Toxic exposures: Benzene fumes during tank-cleaning operations cause respiratory damage.
- Repetitive-stress injuries: Chronic back pain after years of carrying mooring lines.
The statute also covers uncommon harms:
- Shipboard illnesses: MRSA contracted in tight quarters.
- Occupational diseases: Mesothelioma from asbestos in old boiler rooms.
- Assaults: Intentional harm by a reckless crewmate.
- Helicopter or crew-boat crashes: Transport accidents en route to rigs.
- Wrongful death: Fatal falls, fires, or collisions on navigable waters.
Houston maritime injury attorney Stephen Goldenzweig builds each claim to include every covered accident, ensuring no category of damage is overlooked.
What Compensation Can I Recover Under the Jones Act?
The Jones Act allows full recovery of economic and non-economic losses. Damages include:
- Maintenance and cure: Daily living expenses and all medical treatment until maximum medical improvement.
- Past and future wages: Replacement of paychecks missed now and earning capacity lost long-term.
- Pain and suffering: Physical agony, emotional distress, and loss of life enjoyment.
- Disfigurement and disability: Scarring, amputations, or limits on physical abilities.
- Loss of consortium: Harm to family relationships caused by injury.
- Wrongful-death benefits: Funeral costs and lifetime financial support for surviving families.
Because federal maritime law imposes no damage caps, our Houston Jones Act lawyers at Goldenzweig Law Group can pursue every dollar your case is worth.
Do I Have to Prove Negligence or Unseaworthiness?
Yes, but the required proof is lighter than in ordinary injury cases. You must show that employer negligence or vessel unseaworthiness played any part, even a slight one, in causing harm.
Stephen Goldenzweig, an experienced Houston Jones Act litigator, gathers maintenance records, Coast Guard findings, safety manuals, and expert testimony to demonstrate liability. A corroded handrail, missing non-skid paint, or understaffed watch can all establish fault. Our job is to connect that fault to your injuries so compensation follows.
How Much Time Do I Have to File a Houston Jones Act Claim?
Most seamen have three years from the injury date to file suit. A delayed-diagnosis illness triggers the clock when the condition is discovered or should reasonably have been found.
The Houston Jones Act attorneys at Goldenzweig Law Group file quickly, preserve evidence, and stop employer intimidation tactics before they start. Calling us soon protects both your health and your legal rights.
Do I Need a Houston Jones Act Lawyer to Recover Compensation?
Jones Act litigation is complex and company lawyers act fast. Handling a claim alone risks lost evidence, blown deadlines, and undervalued settlements.
Attorney Stephen Goldenzweig uses marine experts, vocational economists, and medical specialists to measure lifelong impact. Our firm drafts airtight complaints, counters insurer arguments, and positions clients for top-value resolutions—often without trial but always trial-ready.
Is It Worth Hiring a Jones Act Attorney?
Hiring counsel almost always increases net recovery. Carriers routinely offer unrepresented workers a fraction of true case value and require releases that bar future claims.
Stephen Goldenzweig, our lead Houston maritime injury attorney, levels the playing field. Because we front litigation costs, you can fight multinational shipping companies without financial stress. If we do not obtain compensation, you owe nothing—period.
Why Hire a Houston Maritime Lawyer Like Goldenzweig Law Group?
Local insight and personal commitment set our office apart. Houston is America’s busiest foreign-tonnage port, and hazards are unique to its refineries, turning basins, and coastal weather. We know the terminals, the judges, and the defense firms that handle maritime cases here.
Stephen Goldenzweig, a dedicated Houston Jones Act attorney and Navy veteran, personally strategizes every file. The Jones Act team at Goldenzweig Law Group uses state-of-the-art accident-reconstruction software and maintains relationships with ship inspectors who have walked every deck from Pasadena to Texas City.
Clients receive small-firm attentiveness with big-firm firepower: real-time case portals, 24-hour phone access, and proven trial advocacy if negotiations fail.
What Do Our Clients Say?
“From the initial call to working with my case manager, the service was excellent. I always felt heard and all my questions and concerns were always answered. The staff is amazing and I was always treated with respect and as if I was family. Stephen is the best when it comes to fighting for his clients and I highly recommend the firm.” – Amanda M.
“Absolutely fantastic group Stephen is one of those most knowledgeable attorneys I’ve met and is absolutely relentless in his pursuit of justice. I would not think twice about retaining his services should the need ever arise” – Alec K.
How Do I Schedule a Free Consultation?
Scheduling is simple and confidential. Call (713) 561-5003 to reach the seaman injury attorneys at Goldenzweig Law Group or visit us at 6575 West Loop South, Suite 420, Bellaire, TX 77401.
We travel statewide and can arrange virtual meetings for crew still offshore.
There is no fee unless we succeed, and all consultations are protected by attorney-client privilege. Let Houston Jones Act lawyer Stephen Goldenzweig guide you toward the recovery you and your family need.