Injured at the Port of Long Beach? Contact a Port of Long Beach accident attorney who knows federal maritime law and the local terminals.
Working at the Port of Long Beach means operating in one of the world’s most demanding maritime environments. Every shift, thousands of dock workers, crane operators, and vessel crews navigate a complex industrial landscape where massive containers move overhead, heavy equipment operates around the clock, and the margin for error is measured in inches. Federal maritime law governs port injuries through statutes like the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act and the Jones Act, creating a fundamentally different legal framework from standard workplace injury claims. Terminal operators, vessel owners, and their insurance carriers have teams of lawyers who specialize in minimizing payouts to injured workers.
The maritime injury attorneys at The Law Offices of Charles D. Naylor bring five decades of maritime legal experience directly to injured port workers. From our Long Beach office, minutes from the port terminals, we have recovered millions for longshoremen, crane operators, and maritime workers who suffered serious injuries in accidents that could have been prevented. We understand both the immediate financial crisis you are facing and the long-term implications of a port injury on your career and family.
Get your free consultation and discover how a Port of Long Beach accident attorney can help you seek the compensation and justice you deserve.
How the Law Offices of Charles D. Naylor Help Injured Port Workers
The Law Offices of Charles D. Naylor is a maritime injury law firm based in Long Beach, California, located minutes from the Port of Long Beach. We represent injured longshore workers, seamen,dock workers, and maritime contractors in claims arising from accidents at the Port of Long Beach.
Port injury cases involve federal maritime laws that are entirely different from standard California personal injury claims. We handle every part of your case so you are not left trying to figure out complex legal systems while dealing with medical appointments and missed paychecks.
- Free case evaluation: We review your accident and explain your legal options at no cost.
- Evidence preservation: We send legal notices to terminal operators and vessel owners to preserve CCTV footage, maintenance logs, and incident reports before they are lost.
- Insurance communications: We deal directly with adjusters, so you are not pressured into a settlement that does not cover your future medical needs.
- LHWCA filings: We handle all paperwork and make sure every deadline is met so you do not lose benefits on a technicality.
What Counts as a Port of Long Beach Accident?
A port accident includes nearly any work injury that occurs inside a marine terminal, on the docks, in a rail yard, or aboard a vessel berthed at the Port of Long Beach. If your job involves loading, unloading, repairing, or supporting maritime commerce, your injury is almost certainly covered under federal maritime law.
Common accidents at the Port of Long Beach include:
- Crane, rubber-tired gantry (RTG), top handler, and forklift accidents
- Being struck by or caught between containers or heavy equipment
- Falls from heights, gangway falls, and slips and falls on wet or oily decks
- Yard hostler, drayage truck, and on-dock rail collisions
- Defective chassis, twist lock failures, and cargo handling incidents
- Chemical exposure and confined space injuries aboard vessels at berth
Which Laws Protect Port of Long Beach Injury Victims?
Several federal laws protect injured port workers, and each one provides different rights and benefits. The law that applies to your case depends on your job and where the accident happened.
- Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA): This federal no-fault system covers most longshore workers, dock workers, and shipyard employees. You do not need to prove your employer was negligent to receive medical benefits and wage replacement.
- Section 905(b): This provision of the LHWCA allows an injured worker to file a separate negligence lawsuit against a vessel owner, even while receiving LHWCA benefits from their employer. This is how many port workers recover compensation for pain and suffering.
- Jones Act: Seamen who are crew members of a vessel can sue their employer directly for negligence and recover full damages, including lost wages and pain and suffering.
- Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA): When a maritime worker is killed in an accident more than three nautical miles from shore, surviving family members can file a wrongful death claim under this federal law.
| Worker Type | Where Injured | Likely Coverage |
| Longshore worker, clerk, foreman | Dock, terminal, rail yard | LHWCA benefits, possible third-party claim |
| Vessel crew member | Aboard a vessel in navigation | Jones Act, unseaworthiness, maintenance and cure |
| Mixed-status worker | Both dock and vessel | Case-by-case review needed |
| Surviving family of a fatal injury | Beyond 3 nautical miles offshore | Death on the High Seas Act |
Who May Be Liable for Your Port Accident?
One of the most important things an experienced Port of Long Beach accident attorney can do is identify every party responsible for your injury. LHWCA benefits from your employer are valuable, but they do not cover pain and suffering or the full value of your lost future earnings. Third-party claims fill that gap.
- Terminal and stevedore operators can be held liable for unsafe yard operations, inadequate worker training, or failing to maintain safe working conditions.
- Vessel owners and operators can be sued under Section 905(b) when an unsafe condition aboard the ship contributed to your injury.
- Outside contractors and service companies performing maintenance or repair work at the port can be held responsible for negligent work that caused your accident.
- Equipment manufacturers are liable when a defective crane, forklift, chassis, or twist lock fails and causes a serious injury.
In one case we handled involving a yard hostler collision at a container terminal on Pier T, the terminal operator initially claimed our client had violated a right-of-way rule inside the yard. We obtained CCTV footage from the terminal’s own camera network, which showed the at-fault hostler had run a stop sign inside the yard at more than twice the posted yard speed limit. The footage contradicted the operator’s initial incident report entirely and shifted liability away from our client.
What to Do After a Port of Long Beach Accident
The steps you take in the days after an accident directly affect your ability to recover compensation. Acting quickly protects both your health and your legal rights.
Step 1: Get Medical Care and Notify Your Employer Within 30 Days
Seek medical attention right away and tell your doctor the injury happened at work. The LHWCA requires that you give your employer written notice of your injury within 30 days. Missing this deadline can eliminate your right to benefits entirely.
Step 2: Document the Scene and Identify Witnesses
Take photos of the hazard that caused your injury, any damaged equipment, and your visible injuries. Collect the names and contact information of any coworkers who witnessed the accident. We will immediately send preservation letters to the responsible parties to protect surveillance footage and operational records.
Step 3: Avoid Recorded Statements and Signing Forms
Do not give a recorded statement or sign any documents for an insurance adjuster or company representative before speaking with an attorney. These statements are often used to reduce or deny your claim. Adjusters work for the company, not for you.
Step 4: Contact a Port of Long Beach Accident Attorney
Reaching out to a maritime lawyer early protects you from procedural mistakes that can harm your case. We step in immediately to manage communications, preserve evidence, and make sure your claim is filed correctly and on time.
What Compensation Can You Recover?
The compensation available to you depends on which laws apply to your case. Combining LHWCA benefits with a third-party claim, when possible, is often the most effective way to recover the full financial impact of a serious injury.
LHWCA Benefits include:
- All reasonable and necessary medical treatment
- Two-thirds of your average weekly wage during the period you cannot work
- Permanent disability compensation based on the severity of your injury
- Vocational rehabilitation if you are unable to return to your previous job
- Death benefits for eligible surviving family members
Third-Party and Jones Act Damages include:
- Full past and future lost wages and loss of earning capacity
- All past and future medical expenses not covered by LHWCA
- Compensation for physical pain and emotional suffering
- Loss of consortium for a spouse
- Punitive damages in cases of reckless or intentional misconduct
Filing Deadlines for Port of Long Beach Injury Claims
Maritime law has strict filing deadlines, and missing even one can end your right to compensation. These deadlines apply regardless of how serious your injury is.
- LHWCA employer notice: Written notice must be given to your employer within 30 days of the injury.
- LHWCA formal claim: You generally have one year from the date of injury to file a formal claim.
- Jones Act lawsuit: Seamen generally have three years to file a negligence claim.
- Under the Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA) for wrongful death claims, surviving family members generally have three years from the date of death to file.
We file claims in the Long Beach Courthouse or the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, depending on the specifics of your case.
Why Choose the Law Offices of Charles D. Naylor?
The Law Offices of Charles D. Naylor is not a general personal injury firm that handles maritime cases on the side. Maritime law is all we do, and we have spent over five decades building the expertise and track record to prove it.
One pattern we see consistently in Port of Long Beach LHWCA cases is insurance adjusters making contact with injured workers within 24 to 48 hours of an incident, before an attorney is involved, to take a recorded statement while the worker is still in pain or on medication from an emergency room visit. Early recorded statements have been used in multiple cases to dispute injury severity and reduce compensation. We advise every client to decline those calls and let us take over communications immediately.
- 50+ years of maritime law experience: We know the LHWCA, the Jones Act, and Section 905(b) inside and out. You are not our first port injury case.
- Long Beach location: Our office at 111 W. Ocean Blvd is minutes from the port, which means we can respond quickly and investigate your accident before evidence is lost.
- Proven results: We have obtained substantial jury awards and settlements for longshore workers, including cases involving wrongful death and amputation injuries.
- No fee unless we win: We handle all port injury cases on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Port Worker Collect LHWCA Benefits and Also Sue a Vessel Owner?
Yes. The LHWCA allows you to receive employer-paid benefits while also filing a separate negligence lawsuit against a vessel owner under Section 905(b), which can include compensation for pain and suffering.
Does Immigration Status Affect a Port Worker’s Right to File a Claim in California?
No. In California, a worker’s immigration status does not prevent them from receiving LHWCA benefits or pursuing a third-party personal injury claim after a port accident.
What Happens If a Longshore Worker Is Partially at Fault for Their Own Injury?
LHWCA benefits are no-fault, so partial fault does not affect your right to those benefits. For Jones Act and third-party claims, California uses a comparative fault rule, which reduces your recovery by your percentage of fault but does not eliminate it.
How Much Does a Port of Long Beach Accident Attorney Cost?
The Law Offices of Charles D. Naylor handles port injury cases on a contingency fee basis. There are no upfront costs, and you owe us nothing unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
Contact the Law Offices of Charles D. Naylor
If you were injured at the Port of Long Beach, call us at (310) 514-1200 or visit our office at 111 W. Ocean Blvd, Suite 400, Long Beach, CA 90802. We offer free, confidential consultations and same-day appointments. Let us handle the legal fight so you can focus on getting back to work and taking care of your family.
