Suffered a back injury working on a vessel or dock? Contact the top maritime back injury lawyer to seek the compensation and care you need.
Working on vessels and docks means your back takes punishment that office workers never face. Heavy cargo that shifts with the waves, steel decks slick with salt water, equipment that fails when you need it most, these are the daily realities that lead to herniated discs, compression fractures, and chronic pain that can end maritime careers. When you are hurt on a vessel or at the port, your employer and their insurance company have teams of lawyers protecting their interests while you are still trying to figure out how to pay for an MRI.
The experienced maritime injury attorneys at Law Offices of Charles D. Naylor operate from the Port of Long Beach and handles maritime back injury cases across California and the country. With over 50 years of exclusive maritime law practice, we know these injuries because we see them every week: longshoremen with torn ligaments from crane accidents, deckhands with spinal damage from falls on wet stairs, and commercial fishermen whose backs give out after years of hauling nets. We take your case to the insurance companies, the vessel owners, and if necessary, to federal court, while you focus on treatment and getting your strength back.
Contact us to schedule a free consultation and discover how a maritime back injury lawyer can help you seek the compensation and justice you deserve.
How Our Maritime Back Injury Lawyers Help You Fight for Maximum Compensation
The Law Offices of Charles D. Naylor represents injured seamen, longshore workers, and shipyard employees under the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA), and general maritime law. We handle every step of the legal process so you can focus on getting better.
Here is what we do for you from day one:
- We take over insurance communications: We handle all calls and letters from adjusters so you stop getting pressured at home.
- We lock down evidence immediately: We send legal preservation letters to secure vessel logs, safety reports, and surveillance footage before they disappear.
- We connect you with the right doctors: We can refer you to spine specialists who have experience treating maritime workers.
- We fight for every dollar: We pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, future earnings, and pain and suffering.
With extensive maritime experience in Southern California, we know how to build and win complex maritime back injury claims.
Do You Qualify Under the Jones Act or the LHWCA?
The law that protects you depends on your job and where you work. Your legal status as a seaman or harbor worker determines what benefits and compensation you can pursue.
| Law | Who It Covers | What You Can Recover |
| Jones Act | Seamen assigned to a vessel in navigation: deckhands, tugboat crews, commercial fishermen, tanker crews | Lost wages, full medical care, pain and suffering, maintenance and cure |
| LHWCA | Longshore workers, shipyard workers, crane operators, harbor construction workers | Medical care, two-thirds of your average weekly wage, permanent disability, vocational rehab |
| Unseaworthiness | Seamen injured by an unsafe vessel condition or defective equipment | Full damages including pain and suffering |
| DOHSA | Families of maritime workers killed more than three nautical miles from shore | Financial losses for surviving family members |
If you are unsure which law applies, we will determine that in your free consultation.
Common Maritime Back Injuries We Handle
Maritime work places extreme physical demands on your spine. We represent clients with a full range of back and spinal injuries, including:
- Herniated and bulging discs, where the cushion between vertebrae tears or presses on spinal nerves
- Lumbar and thoracic muscle and ligament strains from heavy lifting or sudden vessel movement
- Vertebral fractures caused by falls, dropped objects, or crush accidents
- Sciatica and nerve damage that causes radiating pain, numbness, or weakness down your leg
- Aggravated spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal worsened by repetitive maritime labor
- Failed back surgery syndrome, where chronic pain continues after a fusion or laminectomy
What Caused Your Back Injury on the Vessel or Dock?
Back injuries in the maritime industry are almost always the result of negligence, an unsafe condition, or defective equipment. We regularly represent workers injured by:
- Lifting heavy mooring lines, cargo, or fishing gear without proper mechanical assistance
- Slipping and falling on oily decks, icy gangways, or poorly maintained ladders
- Falls from cranes, masts, or stacked shipping containers
- Sudden violent vessel movement from rough seas or unsecured loads
- Defective winches, lashing gear, or hatch covers
- Understaffing that forces one worker to perform a two-person job
What To Do After a Maritime Back Injury
The steps you take in the days after a back injury directly affect your ability to recover compensation. Follow these steps to protect yourself.
Step 1: Report the Injury and Get Medical Care
Tell your captain, foreman, or supervisor immediately and insist on a written accident report. See a doctor right away and describe every symptom, because any gap in your medical treatment will be used by the insurance company to argue your injury is not serious.
Step 2: Avoid Recorded Statements and Premature Forms
Do not give a recorded statement to any claims adjuster or sign any release, settlement, or light-duty form before speaking with us. These documents are written to protect the company and can permanently limit your right to full compensation.
Step 3: Preserve Evidence and Identify Witnesses
Photograph the accident scene, the hazardous condition or broken equipment, and your visible injuries if you can do so safely. Get the names and contact information of every coworker who witnessed the accident.
Step 4: Call a Maritime Back Injury Lawyer
The sooner we get involved, the sooner we can secure vessel logs, maintenance records, and crew statements before they are altered or destroyed.
Call (310) 514-1200 before speaking to any insurance adjuster.
Maintenance and Cure for Back Injuries
Maintenance and cure is a legal right of every injured seaman. It requires your employer to pay for your medical treatment (cure) and provide a daily living stipend (maintenance) while you recover, regardless of who caused the injury.
- Cure covers all reasonable and necessary medical bills until you reach Maximum Medical Improvement, the point at which your condition cannot improve further.
- Maintenance covers basic living costs like rent, utilities, and food while you are off the vessel and unable to earn wages.
- Your choice of doctor is protected. You may be required to see a company doctor once, but you have the right to choose your own treating physician for all ongoing care.
- Wrongful denial has consequences. If your employer cuts off these benefits without a valid reason, you can sue for additional damages, including attorney’s fees and punitive damages.
One pattern we consistently see in maritime back injury claims at the Port of Long Beach is employers scheduling a company-designated physician to evaluate injured workers within the first week of an incident. These evaluations often result in findings that minimize the severity of the injury or recommend a return to light duty before the worker is medically ready. We advise every client to attend the required initial company examination and then immediately exercise their right to choose their own treating physician, typically a spine specialist, for all ongoing care.
Who Is Liable for Your Back Injury?
Identifying every party responsible for your injury is one of the most important steps in maximizing your recovery. Depending on the facts of your case, liability may fall on one or more of the following parties.
Employer Negligence Under the Jones Act
For Jones Act seamen, the burden of proof is intentionally low. You only need to show that your employer’s negligence played any part, however slight, in causing your injury. Common examples include forcing workers to lift without assistance, ignoring safety complaints, or failing to provide adequate training.
Unseaworthiness of the Vessel
Vessel owners have a strict duty to provide a ship and equipment that are reasonably fit for their intended use. A broken winch, a missing non-skid deck surface, or a defective lashing rod can each form the basis of an unseaworthiness claim that runs separately from your Jones Act claim.
In one back injury case we handled involving a slip on a rain-slicked metal ladder aboard a bulk carrier berthed at Pier J in Long Beach, the shipowner initially argued our client had failed to use the handrail. Our investigation found the ladder’s non-skid coating had been worn smooth and was flagged in a maintenance report three months before the accident with no follow-up repair. That maintenance record transformed the case from a disputed negligence claim into a clear unseaworthiness claim.
Third-Party and Section 905(b) Claims
Longshore and harbor workers covered by the LHWCA can also file a negligence lawsuit against a liable vessel owner under Section 905(b) of the LHWCA. Additional claims may exist against equipment manufacturers, terminal operators, and contractors whose negligence contributed to your injury.
What Compensation Can You Recover for a Maritime Back Injury?
The total compensation available depends on which laws apply to your claim. We pursue every available category of damages to make sure you are not left covering costs out of pocket.
Economic Damages:
- All past and future medical expenses, including surgery, injections, medication, and physical therapy
- Lost wages and overtime from the time you were unable to work
- Loss of future earning capacity if your injury prevents you from returning to maritime work
- Vocational rehabilitation and retraining costs
Non-Economic Damages (Available Under the Jones Act and Unseaworthiness):
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish and depression are connected to chronic back pain
- Loss of enjoyment of daily activities
- Loss of consortium for the impact your injury has had on your spouse
The Law Offices of Charles D. Naylor has achieved landmark results for injured maritime workers through significant settlements and jury awards.
How Long Do You Have To File a Maritime Back Injury Claim?
Missing a legal deadline means losing your right to compensation permanently, regardless of how serious your injury is. These are the deadlines you need to know:
- LHWCA written notice: You must notify your employer in writing within 30 days of your injury.
- LHWCA formal claim: You must file a formal claim within one year of the injury date or the last payment of compensation.
- Jones Act and unseaworthiness: You have three years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit.
- DOHSA wrongful death: Under the DOHSA wrongful death statute, families must file claims within three years of the date of death.
Vessel logs, safety records, and witness memories can be lost quickly. Contact us within days of your injury, not months.
Why Choose the Law Offices of Charles D. Naylor
When your medical bills are growing, and you cannot return to work, you need a law firm that knows maritime law and has the resources to fight large shipping companies and their insurers.
- Five decades of maritime focus: Charles D. Naylor has practiced admiralty and maritime law exclusively for over 50 years in state and federal courts throughout Southern California.
- Nationally recognized expertise: Our firm holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and Mr. Naylor has been repeatedly named a Southern California Super Lawyer and received the CLAY Award from California Lawyer Magazine.
- Located at the Port of Long Beach: Our office sits at the center of one of the world’s busiest maritime regions, allowing us to respond quickly to incidents at local terminals, shipyards, and vessels.
- No fee unless we win: We take all maritime injury cases on a contingency basis, meaning you pay nothing upfront and owe no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Maritime Back Injuries
Do I Qualify for Jones Act Benefits if I Split Time Between a Vessel and a Shore Facility?
You generally qualify as a Jones Act seaman if you spend at least 30 percent of your work time on a vessel in navigation. If you split time between a vessel and a shore facility, we will analyze your work history to determine your status.
Can My Employer Force Me to Keep Treating With the Company Doctor?
You may be required to attend one initial examination with a company-approved physician, but you have the right to choose your own treating doctor for all ongoing care of your back injury.
When Does Maintenance and Cure Stop for a Back Injury?
Cure benefits continue until your treating doctor determines you have reached Maximum Medical Improvement. If your employer stops payments before that point, they may owe you additional damages, including punitive damages.
Does a Normal MRI Mean I Cannot Recover Compensation for My Back Pain?
No. Many serious back injuries involve soft tissues, nerves, and ligaments that do not appear clearly on an MRI. These injuries remain compensable under maritime law, and we work with medical experts to properly document them.
Can I Recover Compensation if a Preexisting Back Condition Was Made Worse at Work?
Yes. Maritime law holds employers responsible for any aggravation of a preexisting condition caused by their negligence or an unseaworthy vessel condition.
Contact the Law Offices of Charles D. Naylor
You have rights under maritime law, and the Law Offices of Charles D. Naylor is ready to protect them. Our attorneys are located at 111 W. Ocean Blvd, Suite 400, Long Beach, CA 90802, and we represent injured maritime workers throughout California and across the country.
Call (310) 514-1200 or contact us online to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation today.
