Maritime Lawyers: Experts on Offshore Injuries, Navigation, and Shipping

Injuries At Sea Or Coastal Waters, Even Para-Sailing Accidents Need Admiralty Law Expert

International maritime laws are some of the oldest and most studied in the world today. In fact, some of the very first references to admiralty law come to us from Islamic traditions established around the time of the Roman Empire, and still serve as background for the maritime lawyers of today. In ancient Rome, sailors were paid by rank, and according to the profit of the venture that their ships undertook. As such, the more profit a ship pulled in, the more each person made. However, the lowest-ranked sailors on the ship could end up making very little, even if there was a large profit. Islamic clerics (some of the very first maritime lawyers) instituted laws requiring that sailors be given a pre-determined wage. They also required that the money be paid before going out to sea, with the stipulation that sailors would return portions if they abandoned or quit early.

Of course, things have changed since then, and there are currently many different regulations and precedents on the books when it comes to legal matters such as employee rights and personal injuries. Today’s maritime lawyers are very specialized, as they cannot simply rely on established workers' compensation and negligence laws. Although the problems are quite similar, if a tragedy occurs on open waters, there are many national and international matters that must first be sorted out. If you are seeking help for your legal issue, make sure that you contact a qualified maritime attorney  that deals with the following areas.

The first task is to determine vessel nationality, which is more complicated than it first may seem. If your accident or injury took place on a vessel travelling strictly between two U. S. ports, the Jones Act states that the vessel must be of U. S. origin and construction, and staffed and run by U. S. citizens. This means that your suit will be filed in the United States, according to U.S. law. In this case, you should have about three years to bring your suits against the boat operator. However, it is possible that if you were on a cruise ship when the accident occurred, you may only have one year to file suit. Be sure you keep your cruise ticket, as it should list the regulations that determine some of your rights.

However, if your injury took place on a boat that was not made, owned, or operated by a company in the United States, of if you were in international waters, an attorney will have to determine which laws will affect you.

Even under international law, however, you should be able to sue a company if any of these matters are involved:

• Maintenance – Victims have the right to full living expenses while they are injured, including rent, utilities, travel, and more.
• Cure – Patients are entitled to all funds needed to pay medical expenses, as long as they improve the overall ability to function.
• Liens – If an owner or operator is unable to pay damages, a victim may place a lien against the vessel, as long as it is seized by law enforcement. In the United States, such actions must be brought in federal court.