If you are looking for Texas maritime lawyers with strong trial experience, start with evidence you can check: formal trial credentials, actual maritime cases, jury Verdicts, and the identity of the lawyer who will lead your case. A serious vessel injury can affect your ability to earn a living, obtain treatment, and care for your family. Choosing counsel deserves more than a comparison of advertisements.
At VB Attorneys in Houston, founding partners Brian Beckcom and Vuk Vujasinovic are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. The firm’s maritime work includes a $4,081,047 Jones Act jury Verdict led by Vuk, a $10 Million Jones Act Settlement led by Brian with Vuk, and Brian’s representation of Maersk Alabama crew members. Those matters involved different injuries, evidence, and decisions. They give you something specific to examine.
Why trial experience matters in a maritime injury case
A maritime injury case has to connect the law to the work. A lawyer may need to explain how a tow winch operated, how a hatch was secured, why a crew member remained aboard after an injury, or what a vessel’s maintenance records showed before a fall. The person deciding the case may never have worked a hitch or stepped aboard that kind of vessel.
The lawyer’s job is to make the evidence understandable without stripping away the details that matter. That requires knowing which questions to ask, which records to obtain, and how to test an explanation under oath. Familiarity with maritime terminology is useful. The ability to prove what happened is essential.
Trial experience also matters before anyone enters a courtroom. A proposed Settlement should be evaluated against a developed case: responsibility, medical evidence, future needs, disputed facts, and the risks of continuing. Preparation gives the client a basis for making that decision.
A lawyer who has handled a case through jury selection, witness testimony, and a Verdict has performed work that a Settlement announcement alone cannot establish. Both experiences can be valuable. When comparing firms, ask them to explain which kind of experience they are describing.
The practical question is whether your lawyer can take the case as far as your interests require. Sometimes careful judgment means accepting a Settlement. Sometimes it means proceeding to trial. You want advice grounded in the evidence and your circumstances.
Board Certification must be earned
Board Certification is one of the clearest objective credentials a person can verify when evaluating a Texas personal injury trial lawyer. It is a formal specialty credential administered by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, which operates under the authority of the Supreme Court of Texas. The designation recognizes demonstrated experience and tested knowledge in a defined field.
It cannot be obtained simply by paying for it. Application and examination fees do not replace the experience, references, education, and examination requirements. A lawyer must qualify. That makes the credential a useful measuring stick when the decision involves your health, your work, and your family’s future.
The published Personal Injury Trial Law standards generally require at least five years of full-time law practice; substantial involvement in the specialty during each of the preceding three years; qualifying trial experience as lead counsel; professional references; specialty continuing education; and a written examination.
The trial requirements generally include 10 contested civil cases handled as lead counsel and submitted to a judge or jury in a Texas court, including five personal injury jury trials, and 20 separate trial days, including 10 in personal injury jury trials. Those trial totals concern the lawyer’s practice history, rather than all having to occur in the preceding three years.
Certification lasts five years. Recertification requires continued compliance with the applicable standards, including substantial involvement and continuing education. It is a credential built through years of professional work and maintained through ongoing requirements.
There is an important distinction for a maritime client: the specialty is Personal Injury Trial Law. It is not a separate maritime-law certification. The credential helps you evaluate trial qualifications. You should then examine the lawyer’s Jones Act and maritime experience, because vessel status, seaman status, maritime remedies, and federal procedure require their own knowledge.
A useful way to evaluate counsel is to combine three forms of proof: a verified specialty credential, documented maritime work, and a clear commitment about who will handle your case. Each answers a different question. Together, they tell you far more than a description such as experienced or successful standing alone.
You can check the current certification entries in the State Bar of Texas profiles for Brian Beckcom and Vuk Vujasinovic.
Maritime experience you can examine
Ask for examples that explain the lawyer’s role, the evidence, the court, and how the matter ended. A Verdict means a fact finder decided the case. A Settlement means the parties reached an agreement. Confidential terms should remain confidential. These distinctions help you understand the experience behind a result.
A Jones Act jury Verdict
A fish processor aboard the M/V Excellence suffered a serious foot injury when a tray of frozen fish fell on him. The case examined protective footwear and the delay in getting him ashore for medical care.
Phoenix Processor Limited Partnership admitted in discovery that no steel-toed boots were available aboard the vessel. The trial team used a biomechanical expert’s equipment testing, the vessel’s medical log, and the company’s own records to explain the injury and the delay in treatment. The vessel continued fishing for roughly nine days before the injured processor reached shore.
Vuk Vujasinovic served as lead trial counsel with Job Tennant. After a trial in King County, Washington, the jury returned a $4,081,047 Verdict on June 16, 2025. Phoenix had made a $600,000 Offer of Judgment before trial. The firm’s published account reports that the company paid rather than appeal.
This is a completed maritime jury trial, with identified trial counsel. It is evidence of the firm’s courtroom experience, including work outside Texas. Read the M/V Excellence Jones Act Verdict for the underlying facts.
A captain’s future medical needs
A towboat captain became seriously ill with botulism after a vessel-galley meal. The litigation examined food safety, the response to his illness, and the care he would need for the rest of his life.
Brian led the case with Vuk. The company’s last firm offer at a January 2017 mediation was $6,000,000, with trial scheduled for March. The matter ultimately resolved in March 2017 through a $10 Million Settlement.
The important issue was what the available evidence and future needs justified. A number that sounds substantial still has to be evaluated against the cost and duration of the client’s care. The towboat captain’s Jones Act case illustrates that distinction. It was a Settlement, rather than a jury Verdict.
A hatch injury on the Houston Ship Channel
Najee Hubbard, a deckhand aboard the tug Candace, suffered a head injury involving an engine-room escape hatch on the Houston Ship Channel. The case required investigation of the hatch mechanism, crew training, and the medical evidence.
Brian served as lead trial counsel and prepared the matter for a Harris County jury. It resolved through a Confidential Settlement two days before trial. No jury decided the allegations.
The practical point is the work required to understand a specific piece of vessel equipment and explain its connection to an injury. The Weeks Marine escape-hatch case describes that work and the distinction between preparation and a completed trial.
Federal proceedings after a winch injury
A tug engineer lost part of his foot in a tow-winch incident aboard the Rebekah. Brian led the case. The investigation included the winch’s configuration, repair records, and testimony about the work arrangement. The litigation also involved two federal limitation-of-liability proceedings.
The case ended in a Confidential Settlement in November 2025. The Rebekah winch-amputation case shows why maritime experience includes procedure as well as equipment and injury evidence. The amount remains confidential.
The Maersk Alabama crew litigation
Brian represented crew members of the Maersk Alabama after the hijacking portrayed in Captain Phillips. Their litigation against Maersk Lines Limited and Waterman Steamship Corporation ended in Confidential Settlements.
The matter is one example of Brian’s maritime practice, alongside vessel-equipment injuries and cases involving medical care. The public Maersk Alabama case history explains the setting and the legal work. A familiar vessel name can help you recognize the matter; the lawyer’s responsibility and the documented work are what help you evaluate it.
The law depends on your work
A maritime lawyer should be able to explain which law applies before discussing the possible value of your case. Your job title, your employer’s description of you, and the fact that an injury happened near water do not settle that question.
Jones Act negligence
The Jones Act, 46 U.S.C. § 30104, allows a qualifying seaman injured in the course of employment to bring a negligence action against the employer, with a right to trial by jury. Determining who qualifies as a seaman involves the person’s contribution to a vessel’s work and a connection to a vessel in navigation, or an identifiable group of vessels, that is substantial in both duration and nature.
A tugboat captain, deckhand, engineer, tankerman, commercial fishing crew member, or offshore vessel worker may qualify, depending on the facts. A title alone is insufficient. Work aboard a vessel also differs from work on a fixed offshore platform. Classification should follow the actual employment and work arrangement.
Our Jones Act claims page explains the framework in more detail.
Maintenance and cure
Maintenance and cure is a separate maritime obligation that generally provides a qualifying seaman with basic living expenses and medical care for an injury or illness arising in the service of the vessel, without requiring proof of employer negligence. It generally continues until maximum medical improvement, when further treatment is not expected to improve the condition.
A dispute about fault and a dispute about ongoing medical payments are different questions. Counsel should explain both and investigate the records supporting the need for treatment.
Unseaworthiness and other frameworks
An unseaworthiness claim concerns whether the vessel, equipment, or crew was reasonably fit for its intended use. It is distinct from Jones Act employer negligence. The facts may support more than one claim, but each has its own requirements.
Some workers fall under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act or another framework instead. Maritime deaths also require a separate analysis of the location, worker status, parties, and applicable law. An experienced admiralty attorney should explain the classification and the reasons for it, rather than assume every offshore injury is a Jones Act case.
VB Attorneys focuses on serious maritime injury and wrongful death litigation. The maritime injury practice page provides an overview of the firm’s work.
What preparation should accomplish
Ask a prospective lawyer to describe the early work in terms you can understand. A useful answer will depend on your incident. It should connect the investigation to the questions the case needs to resolve.
Preserving the evidence. Depending on what happened, relevant material may include vessel logs, equipment, photographs, maintenance records, crew assignments, training documents, electronic communications, and witness accounts. The lawyer should identify what exists, who controls it, and what needs to be preserved or obtained.
Testing the explanation. A statement in an incident report is a starting point for investigation. Counsel may need to compare it with physical evidence, earlier work orders, medical records, and testimony. The purpose is to determine which account the evidence supports, including facts that may create difficulty for the claim.
Understanding the injury. A diagnosis matters, but so do treatment, work restrictions, future care, and the effect on earning a living. An amputation, brain injury, spinal injury, or serious burn can require different medical and financial evidence. The case should reflect the injured person’s actual condition.
Preparing to explain it in court. The lawyer has to organize the record so a judge or jury can understand it. That may involve expert testimony, equipment demonstrations, medical explanations, and a clear chronology. Every exhibit and witness should serve a purpose.
Helping you make a decision. When an offer arrives, the discussion should address the evidence, the amount you would receive after fees and relevant deductions, remaining uncertainty, and the costs and risks of continuing. The decision whether to accept a Settlement belongs to the client.
This work is what makes trial experience relevant to someone who hopes to avoid a trial. A well-prepared case gives the client an informed choice.
Questions to ask before hiring
You do not need to know admiralty law to compare lawyers. You need specific answers about responsibility, experience, and the process. These questions can help make the first conversation useful.
- Who will lead my case? Ask for the name of the responsible lawyer, that person’s role, and how the team will support the work. Understand how you will speak with your lawyer and receive updates.
- What maritime cases have you personally handled? Ask about similar work, equipment, injuries, or legal issues. Identify the lawyer’s actual role instead of relying on a result attributed only to the firm.
- Which cases went through a jury trial? Ask which court heard the case and who served as trial counsel. Then ask separately about matters prepared for trial that ended in a Settlement.
- What must be investigated first? A useful answer identifies the important unknowns and the information needed to resolve them. No lawyer needs to pretend the whole case is known during an introductory call.
- Why do you think this law applies? Ask for an explanation of seaman status, the possible defendants, and the relevant remedies. You should understand the reason for the legal approach.
- How will we evaluate a Settlement? Discuss medical needs, lost income, disputed evidence, fees, expenses, and any applicable liens or reimbursement obligations. An offer should be evaluated in context.
Pay attention to the quality of the explanation. Does the lawyer listen to what you say? Distinguish known facts from questions? Explain risks without evasion? Identify what needs to happen next? Those habits tell you something about how the lawyer approaches decisions.
A strong first conversation does not require a promised amount or finish date. It should leave you with a clearer understanding of the problem and the work ahead.
Texas ports and cases elsewhere
Texas maritime work connects people to the Houston Ship Channel, Galveston, the Sabine-Neches Waterway near Beaumont and Port Arthur, Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, and offshore Gulf operations. Crew members also live inland and travel for their hitches. Your home address may be far from the vessel or the place where you were injured.
VB Attorneys is based in Houston and handles serious maritime matters across Texas, the Gulf Coast, and nationwide, with local counsel or appropriate court admission where needed. The proper place to bring a case depends on the facts and legal requirements. Hiring a Texas maritime lawyer does not mean every case belongs in a Texas court.
Tell the lawyer where you live, who employed you, the vessel’s name, where you worked, and where the incident happened. Those details can affect the early review. The M/V Excellence Verdict in Washington and the Houston Ship Channel hatch case illustrate why the court and location should be identified precisely.
After a serious maritime injury
Your health comes first. Get the medical care you need. Gathering records or looking for counsel should never delay treatment.
When you can, preserve information already in your possession: photographs, messages, incident paperwork, medical instructions, pay records, and the names of people who saw what happened. Keep originals. Give an accurate account, and say when you do not remember something rather than guessing.
If you are asked for a recorded statement or presented with a release, proposed Settlement, or other document affecting your rights, get an explanation before deciding what to sign or say. Bring that paperwork to the case review.
Do not assume the matter can wait because someone has mentioned a general deadline. Maritime cases can involve different filing and response requirements, including court notices in limitation-of-liability proceedings. Early review gives counsel time to identify the applicable requirements and evidence needs.
For the first call, the employer’s name, vessel’s name, incident date and location, your regular duties, and a short description of the injuries are useful. Incomplete records need not prevent a conversation. Start with what you know and explain what is missing.
Common questions about maritime trial lawyers
How do I find Texas maritime lawyers with strong trial experience?
Verify formal trial credentials, examine actual maritime cases, and ask who will lead your matter. Separate jury Verdicts from Settlements and identify the lawyer who performed the work. At VB Attorneys, the examples above identify counsel, the result, and the maritime issues involved.
Does a maritime injury case have to go to trial?
No. A case may resolve through a Settlement. Trial preparation can still matter because it develops the evidence needed to evaluate an offer. Whether to accept an offer should depend on the client’s circumstances, the evidence, and the risks of continuing.
Is every offshore worker covered by the Jones Act?
No. Jones Act seaman status depends on duties and a substantial connection to a vessel or identifiable group of vessels. Offshore location or job title alone does not establish coverage. A fixed-platform worker and a vessel crew member may fall under different legal frameworks.
Can I hire a Houston maritime lawyer if I live elsewhere?
Yes, depending on the matter and the required court admission. VB Attorneys reviews serious maritime cases for people living in Texas and elsewhere. The employer, vessel, incident location, and other facts help determine where a case may be brought.
What does a maritime lawyer charge?
VB Attorneys offers a free initial case review and handles accepted maritime injury matters on a contingency fee. Review the representation agreement for the attorney fee, case expenses, and how those amounts are handled. Ask about anything you do not understand before signing.
What if my loved one was killed?
A family member can contact the firm about a serious maritime wrongful death matter. The review must address who may bring a claim, which law applies, and the available remedies. Begin with the incident and the information your family has.
Speak with VB Attorneys
Choosing a maritime lawyer is a decision about who will take responsibility for understanding what happened and explaining your options. Verify the credentials. Read the cases. Ask who will do the work. Then consider whether the lawyer’s answers give you a sound basis for trusting that judgment.
VB Attorneys accepts a limited number of serious injury and wrongful death cases so the responsible lawyers can remain involved. For a closer account of the working relationship, read working with Brian Beckcom on a Jones Act case.
Tell us what happened. Call (877) 724-7800 or request a free case review. You can begin with the facts you have and get a straight answer about whether the firm can help.
Sources and further reading
- Texas Board of Legal Specialization: Personal Injury Trial Law standards.
- State Bar of Texas: Brian Beckcom and Vuk Vujasinovic.
- 46 U.S.C. § 30104: the Jones Act injury provision.
- U.S. Supreme Court, Chandris, Inc. v. Latsis, 515 U.S. 347 (1995), addressing seaman status.
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Barto v. Shore Construction, addressing maintenance and cure, and Marceaux v. Conoco, addressing vessel seaworthiness.
- Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Supplemental Rule F, addressing limitation-of-liability proceedings and court-specified claim deadlines.
- U.S. Department of Labor: Longshore program questions and answers.
- The linked VB Attorneys case accounts identify the counsel, evidence, and dispositions described in this article.