WHAT IS MARITIME?

 

WHAT DOES A MARITIME LAWYER DO?

One of the most common questions asked about maritime lawyers is “What is a maritime lawyer and what do they do?”

A Maritime Lawyer is an attorney that specializes in maritime injuries and boating accidents that occur in both recreational and commercial maritime activities. Maritime lawyers protect not only seamen who are injured on the job, but maritime attorneys also protect those who are involved in recreational boating accident injuries.

WHAT IS MARITIME LAW?

As one of the oldest branches of law, maritime law, also know as admiralty law, pre-dates the constitution. Maritime law is defined as “law that relates to commerce and navigation on the high seas and other navigable waters and that is administered by the admiralty courts”. Maritime law generally encompasses both local laws U.S. law as well as international laws. These laws provide the rules that govern torts, injuries, contracts and any type of offense that occurs near a body of navigable water, on a body of navigable water or in a body of navigable water.

COMPENSATION CLAIMS FOR A MARITIME INJURY

A maritime injury claim is similar to a workers’ compensation claim, the only difference is that a maritime injury settlement tends to be a lot larger by comparison. This is due to the fact that working on a vessel puts workers at a much higher risk than many other works. The higher settlement compensates for this fact. If you suffered a maritime injury on the job (and qualify as a seamen under the Jones Act) you can be compensated for lost income (present and future income), healthcare costs, loss of your faculties (both physical and mental), any treatments or rehabilitation, pain, mental distress, and other expenses as they relate to your injury.

WHAT SHOULD I DO AFTER A MARITIME INJURY?

The first step after any injury, including a maritime injury, is to get medical treatment. No matter what pain and suffering you are dealing with, you want this to be on the record just in case, even if you’re not planning on filing a lawsuit. You never know what the long-term consequences of your injury may be and if you decide to sue at a later date you give yourself the option. Also, you may not know the full extent of your injuries and a medical doctor is in the best position to make a final determination.

Immediately following the accident, if you are able, be sure to get pictures of the vessel and the work area where you were injured. If you are unable to take photos yourself, make sure that a workmate is able to get photos for you. Again, even if you don’t plan on filing a lawsuit for your maritime injury, you are still covering your bases just in case. Be sure that photographs are taken of whatever caused the injury, the surroundings, and any machinery or equipment that was being used before the injury.