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What Our Clients Say

I am very pleased with attorney Curtis Bickers and the entire law firm for their diligence in handling my case. I would gladly recommend them to others and use them again if the need arises. Thank you very much and may God continually bless all of you.

Sincerely,

Walter W.
Office Manager
Houston, Texas
Dear Curtis,

I would like to express my gratitude for the way you have taken care of this case. Thank you for your advice and encouragement during a time when I was completely bewildered by what needed to be done and how very much needed doing.

You and your staff made a very difficult time much easier for me and I appreciate your work on my behalf.

Sincerely,

Darlene R.
Dear Mr. Beckcom:

I never got a chance to say thank you for the wonderful job you did on my daughter's case. My daughter will be graduating in June from High School with cum laude status. She will be attending college at U.T. Austin and majoring in Communications. Thanks to your efforts her college education has been taken care of. Thank you again from both of us.

J. Perez

Houston, Texas
I know that my attorney is good because he won my case and I would recommend him to others.
Words cannot express the thanks and gratefulness that we have for Vuk and his company. His tireless efforts and aggressive style meant the world to us and he changed our lives forever. I will always be loyal and grateful to V&B for taking on my case and being committed from the beginning until the end. I highly recommend these guys with 100% assuredness that they will work hard for you and help you receive what you deserve.

Mark S.
Mechanic
Pasadena, Texas
From the moment I came to this law firm, I felt peace in my heart. You all were my voice. Thank you Mr. Curtis, you are a great attorney. I want to especially thank you for your effort and dedication and the good heart you put in my case. You are very professional. God Bless you always.

Alba

Therapist
Houston, Texas
Sincere thanks for this depo ... really excellent ... Beckcom/the firm is tops ... for such exhaustive preparation ... WOW ... what a depo.

Houston lawyer commenting on deposition of defense orthopedic doctor taken by V&B
Your law firm did a great job getting the case settled. You were helpful and I would recommend you to anyone.

Betty J. Richmond

Retired
Houston, Texas
Brian & Curtis

Thank you for all you've done for me in regards to my case.

Sincerely

-Raymond S.

Seafood Worker
Deltona, Florida
I would like to thank Brian Beckcom and his staff for their professionalism and their support. . . I knew when I met Brian that he was more than qualified to handle my father's wrongful death case . . .if I needed his help again I wouldn't hesitate to call.

Sabrina M, U.S. Air Force enlisted

Houston, Texas
Just when we thought we would never find someone who would listen to our story, V&B opened their doors to us. For one month, I spoke to 25 lawyers and the answer I received was "your case is a lost case, no one will ever represent you."

Aridana Perez (mother of Miguel Perez, Jr., auto accident victim)
Houston, Texas
I'd like to thank the staff at Vujasinovic & Beckcom for the professionalism and courtesy they displayed on my case.

Kurt R., Houston, Texas
I also have a heart full of gratitude for the way you presented such an excellent court case on behalf of me and my kids.

Gloria H., Wichita, Kansas
Brian, I recommend your maritime book highly. I also happily recommend you, personally.

-Captain Jim Vickers
I sat on one of your juries early this year. I observed your eloquence and complete passion....you seem to be a man of utmost qualifications.

- Juror on one of Vuk's cases (name withheld)
Vuk, it has been such a wonderful experience working with you and your staff. Thank you so much for all the hard work that you did to help my family and I survive through the most difficult time of our lives.

Phuong N.
Houston, Texas
I was injured in an auto accident in Houston, and was referred to Vuk by another attorney. I couldn't work as a result of the accident and desperately needed back and knee surgery.. . . Vuk was able to get me a generous settlement within about a year of taking my case.

Steven R.
Deer Park, Texas
After my two-year old son was killed by an 18-wheeler driver and me and my daughter were badly injured, we hired Brian and Vuk to represent us on the recommendation of another lawyer.

This was the hardest time in our lives and it was great knowing we had you there to represent us.

Justin and Sonya H., Splendora, Texas

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Disclaimer

We designed this website to provide information to consumers, injured people, and their families. Our goal is to level the playing field between consumers and insurance companies and expose the tricks, traps, and techniques they use to cheat injured people out of their legal rights. We also let consumers know about legal news, including verdicts and settlements and other interesting legal information.

But please understand that nothing on this website is meant to provide legal information about your specific case, create an attorney-client relationship, or imply that the results of your legal case will be the same as some other case.

How do you find the Best Attorney for Your Maritime Injury or Jones Act case?

Every month, thousands of visitors come to our firm's websites to find useful, free information about legal issues.

Have you been injured offshore during your maritime employment? Has a loved one been killed? You probably have a lot of questions you want answered. You probably want honest, straightforward advice. You may even need an attorney to help you through the process.

We accept cases for injured offshore workers. Unlike some, we do not represent insurance companies or maritime employers. Our practice is devoted 100% to representing injured people and their families.

Click Here To Get The Free Book On Winning Your Maritime Injury Case Written By Board Certified Injury Lawyer Brian Beckcom

Our clients and website visitors tend to have a lot of questions. We answer your questions. Some of the most common questions are listed below. Click on the link if you would like to read the article:

How to hire the best lawyer for your Jones Act or offshore injury case

Helpful resources for Maritime Injury Cases

Five ways to protect your rights after you are Injured Offshore

Will I get fired or "Blackballed" if I hire a lawyer or pursue a legal claim?

Should I give the company a "Recorded Statement?"

Tips on hiring a lawyer for your case

What is my case worth?

Financial Insecurity & Wrongful Termination - Two big fears after a work-related injury

Our maritime attorney and Jones Act lawyers are here to serve injured Seamen, Sailors, Merchant Marines, Roustabouts, Roughnecks, Tankermen, Pilots, Captains, Cooks, Galleyhands, Drillers, Oil Rig Workers, and all the men and women who work offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, the Port of Houston, the Houston Ship Channel, Galveston Bay, the Intracoastal Waterways, on the open sea, across the United States, and around the world.

We know how vital the offshore industry is to keeping our regional and national economy strong. Representing injured seamen, sailors, and offshore workers has always been a centerpiece of our law practice.

We believe that the workers who keep Gulf Coast oil production running, who man the vessels that ply the Gulf Coast, the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, who work in the waters at the Port of Houston, the Houston Ship Channel, Galveston Bay, and the Intracoastal waterways deserve the best legal representation available when accidental injury strikes them down and takes away their livelihood. Because sea and shipping accidents frequently involve death, V & B maritime law and Jones Act attorneys are often called upon to represent the family members of merchant marines, seamen, sailors, and offshore oil rig workers killed on the job.

A seaman’s rights to compensation when injury occurs is governed by federal legislation known as the Jones Act. The Jones Act was created in 1920 in part to extend unique rights to compensation for injured seaman. The Act was modeled closely after the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA), which was passed in 1906 to grant railroad workers and their families the legal right to sue their employers when preventable injuries and deaths occur on the job.

As with FELA, the Jones Act allows seamen and offshore workers to sue their employers and the owners of ships and offshore oil rigs directly. This means that an injured seamen’s compensation is not limited to the “no fault” arrangements common in most state workers compensation programs. The non-negotiable terms of workers compensation are often inadequate in providing the long-term “maintenance and cure” that injured seaman require, especially in cases involving serious injuries such as dismemberment, brain injury, spinal cord injury and severe burns.

In order to recover under the Jones Act, a seaman must prove negligence or fault on the part of the vessel's owners, operators, officers, or other employees. A seaman may also recover by proving negligence by reason of a defect in the vessel, its gear, tackle, or equipment, a condition sometimes referred to as "unseaworthiness" of the vessel. For this reason, seriously injured seamen often hire Jones Act attorneys or maritime lawyers to represent their interests and ensure they receive fair treatment.

The Jones Act has many provisions which are very favorable to those who are injured offshore. However, only a seaman can recover under the Jones Act. A seaman is a member of the crew of a vessel or someone assigned to a vessel or a fleet of vessels. V & B attorneys have worked extensively with crew members, merchant marines, seamen, sailors and offshore oil rig workers who have been injured while working on barges, rigs, tugboats towboats, crew boats, drill ships, dredges, floating cranes, tankers, cargo ships, fishing vessels, chemical ships, drill ships, research vessels, construction barges, lay barges, motorized platforms, diving vessels, cruise ships, recreational boats or other floating and movable structures.

To promote seamen’s awareness of their rights under the Jones Act and other maritime laws, V & B publishes articles regularly on the firm-sponsored website The Maritime Lawyer. This site strives to keep seamen informed of Jones Act and other maritime legislation that affects them, as well as news and changes in the maritime industry.

If you need assistance with an injury sustained while working aboard a sea vessel, a dredge, an offshore oil rig, or other offshore equipment, contact the Houston law offices of Vujasinovic & Beckcom, L.L.P. today. While our Jones Act lawyers and maritime attorneys focus on Jones Act cases in the Gulf Coast, due to the federal jurisdiction of the Jones Act, our attorneys have also been called on to help seamen injured in any United States seaport and around the world. Through experience and determination, we can make a positive difference in the outcome of your case, and ensure that you have the financial security you’ll need to recover from the injuries you’ve sustained.

Helping Seamen Exercise Their Rights under the Jones Act

Working on the ocean has always been perilous, and jobs at sea remain one of the world’s most dangerous occupations. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that fishing is second only to timber cutting in the number of annual on the job fatalities, with more than 70 deaths per 100,000 workers. The same trends apply in the offshore oil industry. There are far too many injuries, and unfortunately, all too often, the companies and individuals responsible refuse to accept responsibility for the damage their actions cause. Also, across the shipping industry, frequent work around heavy machinery, working on wet surfaces and at elevated work spaces, and with inadequate safety equipment and regulations in place, the potential for serious injury is everywhere. When ship owners, management and employers don’t take all steps necessary to stop preventable injury aboard a ship, then they must answer for their negligence in a court of law.

Like many laws passed in the early 20th century for the benefit and safety of workers, the Jones Act has many opponents today. Big business continues to lobby hard to have the Jones Act revised, and their attorneys and insurance companies offer stiff resistance when offshore workers attempt to collect for serious and costly injuries. To reach a fair and satisfactory conclusion, seamen must frequently resort to the law to pursue their rights to full compensation, often with the help of an experienced Jones Act attorney or maritime lawyer.

Since the very beginning of the firm, V & B attorneys have repeatedly obtained positive results for the seaman community through the Jones Act and general maritime law. We work hard in our defense of the Jones Act and maritime law because we are determined not to let big business do to those who work in shipping what it has already done to so many of America’s once-great industries. During the past six years of the Bush administration, safety regulations for miners, steel workers, factory workers and other dangerous professions have been scaled back severely, limiting the rights workers have at their disposal to obtain compensation when their employers ignore safety concerns. Predictably, this has led to an increase in on-the-job injuries and deaths across numerous industries.

At Vujasinovic & Beckcom, L.L.P., we believe that through continuous and vigilant defense of the Jones Act, we can maintain safe working conditions for seamen and force the shipping industry to make the long overdue investments in safety that they owe to their workers. If you need assistance with an injury sustained while working aboard a sea vessel or offshore oil rig, contact the Houston law offices of Vujasinovic & Beckcom, L.L.P. for a free consultation from one of our maritime attorneys or Jones Act lawyers today.

Library for Jones Act & Maritime Law:

VB Lawyers File Rigger's Jones Act Lawsuit Against Top Coat and Neches-Gulf Marine
Description: Houston attorney Vuk Vujasinovic represents a pipe fitter who was injured while performing a welding job on a work boat.

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