Who is a Maritime Lawyer?
A Maritime Lawyer is a person who is specialized in that branch of law which specifically deals with the aspect of marine industry on the whole. A Maritime Lawyer has to be well versed in the aspects of compensation for seamen who have been injured, claims for compensation for accidents that have occurred when ships collide and every other minute detail relating to the oceans and the seas and the happenings there.
Duties of a Maritime Lawyer The concept of Maritime Law has been existent right from the 17th and the 18th century when sea travel was the common norm. But unlike in those times, modern day maritime law has become far more encompassing due to the various laws and regulations passed by various nation states. Therefore a Maritime Lawyer needs to be absolutely aware of every facet of knowledge about the marine law of every major and minor nation.
Credits: alexraths/depositphotos.com For a Maritime Lawyer it is important to be aware of the laws of every nation because in today’s times, business transactions involving the use of ships, trawlers and boats come within the purview of coast guards and border security patrol. Therefore, in case there happens to be any breach accidentally by the seamen and fishermen in the boats and the trawlers, they have to depend on a Maritime Lawyer to help them out of the crisis, making it important for the lawyer to understand whatever there needs to be understood about the vast area of the seas and the oceans.
Additionally, a Maritime Lawyer also has to be sure about the specifics and the core of problems which could be controversial in some cases.
Accidents where the damage caused is neither too much nor too less but where amount of compensation asked is questionable or injured parties whose compensation level needs to be keenly monitored are some areas where a Maritime Lawyer has to pay lots of attention. For this purpose, he has to keep an eye out for specific statutes and laws which stand ground in every nation across the world along with the specific laws of a particular nation.
Acts like the Jones Act which specifically deals with seamen injured or dead in the line of work and their compensation claims is an area about which a Maritime Lawyer needs to be specifically aware. Since a marine lawyer is involved with marine operations on a larger scale and since this specialization is not known to many, it becomes important that a Maritime Lawyer allots proper care and consideration to each and every client so that they are able to receive a fair deal through the legal process.
Conclusion In today’s times where the protection of marine ecosystem and ecology has become very important, a maritime lawyer can help to solve the threats and the problems posed by various events and incidents like the oil spill and so and so forth. Criminal lawyers and civil lawyers have their plate full by the activities happening on dry, solid ground but now, even maritime lawyers have to be on their mark because of the evolving and increasing nature of marine operations. In their own way, maritime lawyers help to bring about a balance between the legal operations on land and the legal operations taking place on the waterways and since walking on water is not that easy, their contribution to a completely unique yet important area of legalese needs to be mentioned and duly appreciated.
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When to Call a Maritime Lawyer
The quick answer to the question of when you should call a lawyer after an accident at sea is “as soon as your ship docks in Houston.” If you have cell phone / Wi-Fi access and the privilege of making personal phone calls onboard, call or contact an attorney as soon as you can. If your ship allows workers to make personal calls, the management cannot take action against you if you use your time to call an attorney!
A common mistake some workers make is trying to appear to be a “team” player who doesn’t want to stir things up with the threat of a lawsuit. There could be quite a price to pay in order to protect an image that won’t even benefit you in the long run. A lot of Houston maritime workers – or former workers who can’t work anymore – wish they had called an attorney promptly after their accident.
Don’t try to determine by yourself if you have a case worth filing, despite all the blogs and websites that try to advise you on a DIY courtroom strategy. Make the smart move and call an attorney. Patrick Daniel has won so many admiralty cases that he can generally recognize a winnable case in just the first few minutes of a free consultation . If Patrick Daniel Law accepts your case, the legal fee will come out of the final settlement, and you will have no out-of-pocket expense.
What a Maritime Accident Lawyer Does
Many people know that a lawyer can maximize compensation, but there is much more to it than that. Obtaining compensation means building a case demonstrating what happened, and your maritime lawyer will pour every available resource into doing just that.
A successful maritime claim usually involves fully investigating three separate aspects:
Coworker or employer negligence
The vessel’s seaworthiness
The maintenance and cure you are entitled to
Under the Jones Act, if your employer was even one percent responsible for what happened, you’ll be allowed to sue him or her for damages. This is unlike workers compensation laws in most other industries, which usually protect the employer unless gross negligence was involved.
The vessel’s seaworthiness is a matter separate from negligence, however. If a vessel doesn’t provide you with a safe and suitable place to work at sea, then the vessel’s owner can be held responsible, even if he or she attempted to correct the situation.
How to Pursue Fair Compensation When Injured In a Maritime Accident
If you’ve been injured while at work, one of the questions you might be having is how compensation will work. While every case is different and falls under different precincts of the law, legal damages under maritime law will typically cover things such as lost wages, medical expenses, pain, and suffering, amongst others.
If you want to move forward with a claim under general maritime law, make sure you:
Document any evidence of your illness and injuries.
Keep track of related medical bills and other associated expenses.
If you have potential witnesses, reach out to them when possible.
Contact a New Orleans maritime attorney to give you the much needed legal help.
Topics
These topics were mentioned multiple times across various sources:
- maritime law
- Maritime Lawyer
- Admiralty
- Jones Act
- Marine Layer
- Law firm
- Seaman
- Maritime Accident
- admiralty law
- death
- United States
- body of water
- air mass
- maritime attorney
- large body
- merchant marine
- maritime injury lawyer
- merchant marine Act
- maritime industry
- injury claim
- maritime injury
- temperature inversion
- cooling effect
- cruise ship
- Unseaworthiness
- Alaska
- federal law
- free consult
- June Gloom
- Personal Injury
Some Important Questions about Maritime Lawyer
These are some relevant questions found across sources:
- Who is a Maritime Lawyer?
- When to Call a Maritime Lawyer
- What a Maritime Accident Lawyer Does
- What is a “Seaman?”
- How to Pursue Fair Compensation When Injured In a Maritime Accident
- How Do Marine Layer Clouds Dissipate?
- Why Marine Layer Clouds Do Not Form over all Large Bodies of Water
- What Are Some of the basic requirements of LHWCA?
- When Can Your Employer Be Held Liable For Negligence under the Jones Act?
Sections
These are some relevant subsections found across sources:
- Understanding Maritime Law
- Types of Maritime Injury Cases
- The Marine Layer
- Distinguished Maritime Lawyer Award
- Filing Your Maritime Claim – The Do’s
- Example Cases – How Does Your Maritime Case Compare?
- Essential Things You Should Know About These Maritime Laws.
- Washington Maritime Injury Lawyers
- Things Change When You Hire a Maritime Attorney
- Maritime Law – Florida Lawyer
Statistics
These are some factual sentences found across sources:
- The colder surface temperatures enhance the inversion layer and also make it more likely the air beneath the inversion base is saturated with a relative humidity of 100%.
- This year marks the 90th anniversary of both the percentage depletion allowance and the Joint Committee on Taxation.
- This year marks the 90th anniversary of both the percentage depletion allowance and the Joint Committee on Taxation.
- · You’re eligible to receive 66 2/3 percent of your average weekly wages during the period you’ll be recovering
- This definition also requires that you spend at least 30 percent of your time onboard a vessel as part of your job.