Tugboat & Towboat
Injury Lawyer

Yes. Tugboat and towboat workers typically qualify as Jones Act seamen because they spend the majority of their work time on vessels in navigation. This includes deckhands, engineers, captains, pilots, and other crew members. The Jones Act allows you to sue your employer for negligence and recover full damages including pain and suffering.

Common injuries include mooring line snapbacks (often causing amputations or death), falls on wet decks, crush injuries from tow wire operations, burns from engine room work, back injuries from heavy lifting, head injuries from low clearances, and repetitive stress injuries. The confined spaces and 24/7 operations create constant hazards.

Maintenance and cure is a no-fault benefit for injured seamen. Maintenance covers daily living expenses (food, lodging) while you're unable to work, typically $40-$75 per day in Texas in 2026. Cure covers all reasonable medical expenses until you reach maximum medical improvement. Your employer must pay maintenance and cure regardless of who caused the injury.

Recovery depends on injury severity and employer negligence. Minor injuries may settle for $50,000-$150,000. Serious injuries requiring surgery typically range from $250,000-$750,000. Catastrophic injuries like amputations from line snapbacks can exceed $1-2 million. Wrongful death cases involving tugboat accidents have settled for $2-5 million.

Potentially yes. If unsafe conditions on a barge you were assisting contributed to your injury, you may have a claim against the barge owner under general maritime law. This is separate from your Jones Act claim against your tugboat employer. Third-party claims can significantly increase your total recovery.

Under the Jones Act, comparative negligence applies. Even if you were partially at fault, you can still recover damages reduced by your percentage of fault. If you were 20% at fault and damages are $500,000, you'd recover $400,000. Additionally, maintenance and cure benefits are owed regardless of fault—your employer cannot deny these benefits by blaming you.