A Maritime Attorney Specializes In Cruise Ship Injuries

Marine Law Experts Handle Cruise Ship, Oil Rig And Para-Sailing Injuries

For those who sustain injuries on land or while at work, a wide variety of personal injury lawyers are available to explain the applicable laws and regulations. However, if tragedy strikes and you find yourself injured while at sea, regulations and legal precedents can be quite different. For this reason, you will be best served by a lawyer with a direct, proven track record in maritime law. A maritime attorney will be able to review your rights and help you in bringing a suit against an employer, owner, or operator of any ocean-going vessel.

Often called admiralty or marine law, the regulations behind accidents at sea can be complicated. In order to begin the process, a maritime attorney may start by determining some or all of the following pieces of information, vital to the success of your suit.

The origin of the vessel

Nationality of employees on the ship

Whether the victim is a fulltime employee of the operator or owner

Whether the victim is a paid passenger

The seaworthiness of the boat or rig

Nationality of waters travelled in

According to the Jones Act , all ships travelling between two U.S. ports must be American ships, constructed in America, and staffed by an American crew. Therefore, if your injury occurred while working or travelling on a trip between two points the United States, your maritime attorney should begin helping you to determine whether you have a case, according to local, state, and federal law. In many circumstances, suits brought against American owners and operators can be filed in state courts, up to three years after the accident occurred. However, if you were on a cruise, or were not travelling between two American ports, you will have to determine which country will host the case.

For example, some cruises have strict regulations, which you agree to when you purchase your ticket. For this reason, be sure to retain any ticket stubs of information obtained while purchasing one of these trips. They may become vital in your maritime injury suit. Be sure to contact a qualified firm quickly, as you may have as little as one year to file a claim. If the owner or operator does not have enough money to pay your claims, it is possible to have a lien, or mortgage placed against the vessel in question. However, these kinds of suits typically must be enforced in federal court, after a ship has been seized by law enforcement.

It is also important to note that seaman, and other professionals that work primarily on boats, may receive compensation for accidents that happen while they are not on the boat. Whether an injury occurs on- or offshore, however, employees are due compensation and recompense for time lost, medical bills, rent, utilities, and more. Employers are required to provide complete monetary benefits for their employees injured on the job.

If you have any questions at all about the rights you have under local or international rules, teaming with the right lawyer is vital to securing your rights and protecting your quality of life.