The phone call no one expects to receive comes at the worst possible moment. Your husband has been injured on the rig. Or worse, you learn he won’t be coming home at all. In those first few hours and days, you’re not thinking about legal claims or settlement amounts. You’re thinking about how you’ll pay the mortgage. You’re wondering how you’ll feed your children. You’re worried about whether your family’s life as you knew it is over.
The emotional toll is overwhelming, and the practical challenges feel insurmountable. But here’s what you need to know: maritime law recognizes that your family has rights. Your suffering matters. And you deserve to be protected financially.
Understanding Your Family’s Loss: More Than Just Money
The law calls it “loss of consortium,” but that clinical term doesn’t capture what you’re actually experiencing. Loss of consortium acknowledges that when your spouse is injured or killed while working offshore, you lose far more than just his paycheck. You lose his presence in your daily life. You lose his support as a father. You lose the companionship, the comfort, and the partnership that held your family together. This isn’t about greed—it’s about recognizing that your family has been harmed, and that harm has a real financial consequence.
When your husband works on an oil rig or other offshore vessel, he’s covered by maritime law rather than standard workers’ compensation. This is actually good news for your family, because maritime law offers broader protections than land-based employment. Under the Jones Act and other maritime statutes, your family can pursue compensation not just for lost wages, but for the loss of your spouse’s guidance, support, companionship, and the contributions he would have made to your household throughout his lifetime. These damages are real. They’re measurable. And they’re meant to help your family survive financially when the primary breadwinner is no longer there.
What Kind of Settlements Can Families Expect?
The amount of compensation available to your family depends on many factors, and there’s no fixed formula. However, offshore wrongful death settlements can be substantial. Real cases show settlements ranging from hundreds of thousands to several million dollars. For example, a maritime worker injured on an offshore platform secured a $2.775 million settlement for a lower back injury that prevented him from working. When death is involved, settlements tend to be even higher because they must account for lifetime lost earnings and the broader impact on the family.
Your husband’s age, earning capacity, and the number of dependents all matter. If he was the primary earner for your family, if you have young children who depend on him, and if the accident was caused by someone else’s clear negligence, your settlement could be substantial. The severity of the circumstances also matters. If the company’s negligence was extreme or reckless, you may be eligible for punitive damages—extra compensation meant to punish the defendant for their conduct. This is one of the ways maritime law protects families more comprehensively than other legal systems.
Offshore Wrongful Death Settlement Amounts Explained
When we talk about offshore wrongful death settlement amounts, we’re looking at compensation designed to replace what your family lost. This includes past and future lost wages. It includes funeral expenses, which can run thousands of dollars. It covers medical bills from any period before his death. And critically, it includes non-economic damages that acknowledge the emotional devastation your family has suffered.
The loss of a spouse affects your children’s education, their emotional well-being, and their future opportunities. The loss of consortium claim acknowledges that you’ve lost emotional support, household management, childcare, and the financial partnership you built together. Courts understand that these losses have monetary value. When calculating damages, attorneys use methods like the multiplier approach, where economic losses are multiplied by a number reflecting the severity of the loss. If your economic losses total $500,000 and you have young children and a long marriage ahead, that multiplier might be 3, 4, or even 5, bringing your total compensation to $1.5 to $2.5 million or more.
Financial Help for an Injured Seaman’s Family: Immediate Relief
The hardest part is often the waiting. Maritime cases can take months or years to resolve. During that time, bills don’t stop coming. Medical debt piles up. Your mortgage is still due. Your children still need food, clothing, and school supplies. You may be entitled to immediate financial support while your claim is being processed.
One option is legal funding, also called a lawsuit advance. This is not a loan. If your case is strong, a funding company can provide you with cash now, and you only repay them if you win your settlement. There’s no credit check required, no monthly payments while you’re waiting, and no upfront costs. The amount they provide is based on the strength of your case, not your financial history. This can be a lifeline for families facing immediate financial crisis while pursuing a claim that may take a year or more to resolve.
Additionally, if your husband was injured rather than killed, he may be entitled to maintenance and cure benefits under maritime law. These are immediate medical benefits and living expenses provided by the employer while he recovers. Don’t hesitate to pursue these—your family’s survival during recovery is essential.
Loss of Consortium in Maritime Law: What This Really Means
Loss of consortium is a legal concept that finally gives a name to what your family has lost. In maritime law, your spouse’s injury or death doesn’t just affect him—it affects you and your children. The law recognizes that you’ve lost emotional support, sexual relations with your spouse, his ability to manage the household, and his presence as a father. These are real damages that deserve compensation.
Different states and maritime jurisdictions have varying rules about how much you can recover for loss of consortium, and whether you can claim it for a non-fatal injury or only in cases of death. This is why having an experienced maritime attorney is crucial. They’ll know exactly which legal pathways apply to your situation and how to maximize your recovery.
What’s important for you to understand right now is this: your suffering is not invisible to the law. When your husband was injured or killed, your family’s financial security was jeopardized. Maritime law exists partly to make sure that the companies responsible for his safety take responsibility for the harm they’ve caused to your entire family.
Taking the First Steps: What You Need to Know
If your husband has been seriously injured or killed while working offshore, time matters. Most maritime wrongful death claims must be filed within three years of death, but evidence deteriorates and witnesses’ memories fade. The sooner you consult with a maritime attorney, the better.
When you meet with an attorney, bring documentation of your family’s dependence on your husband’s income. Gather tax returns, pay stubs, and employment records. Keep records of medical expenses, funeral costs, and any other out-of-pocket expenses your family has incurred. Document the emotional impact this has had on your children and yourself. Write down the ways your daily life has changed. The more concrete information you can provide, the stronger your case will be.
You should also know that you don’t have to negotiate with your husband’s employer or their insurance company alone. In fact, you shouldn’t. These companies have teams of lawyers working to minimize what they pay. A maritime attorney works for you. They understand the specialized rules of maritime law. They know what similar cases have settled for. And they can handle the difficult conversations and negotiations so you can focus on supporting your family through this crisis.
Your Family Deserves Protection
Losing a spouse or watching him suffer from a serious offshore injury is one of life’s greatest tragedies. The emotional weight is almost unbearable. On top of that grief, you’re facing real financial pressure. Your family’s security feels fragile. But maritime law was designed with families like yours in mind. It recognizes that when a company chooses not to invest in proper safety, and someone gets hurt, that company should bear the financial cost.
You’re not being greedy by pursuing a wrongful death settlement or loss of consortium claim. You’re doing what any mother and spouse would do—fighting to keep your family stable and secure. Your children deserve to stay in their home. They deserve to go to school without worrying about money. You deserve to grieve without also worrying about how you’ll pay the bills. A settlement won’t bring your husband back, and it won’t erase the pain. But it can give your family the financial foundation you need to move forward.
If you’re facing this situation right now, reach out to a maritime attorney today. Many offer free consultations. They can answer your questions about your specific situation and tell you what your family might be entitled to recover. You don’t have to navigate this alone. Help is available, and your family’s future is worth fighting for.