Maritime Injury Lawyer

Have you or a loved one been injured and are considering whether you should contact a maritime injury lawyer? Personal injury and wrongful death cases related to maritime laws are vastly different from traditional cases. Maritime laws provide increased compensation for victims and are handled by an entirely different legal process. Hiring a maritime personal injury lawyer is a crucial element of securing all of the compensation that you are entitled to receive as a victim or surviving relative.

Being a passenger or a worker on a water vessel puts an individual at an increased risk of personal injury, illness, or suffering from a tragic accident. Maritime laws protect any individuals who are harmed in accidental or intentional incidents on any boat, ship, or another type of water vessel.

The US Coast Guard reported an astounding 6.5 deaths per 100,000 water vessels and thousands of injuries. Individuals who are hurt on a water vessel and their families are entitled to special protection through several legal acts.

The laws of the land do not provide victims with legal protection in the event of an injury-causing accident. Willie D. Powells III is a personal injury lawyer with extensive knowledge of maritime law. Reach out today for a free case evaluation if you or a loved one has been injured or wrongfully died as a result of a maritime accident.

What Does a Maritime Lawyer Do?

Maritime lawyers are legal professionals who specialize in building cases to fight for clients legal rights regarding incidents that occurred on the water.

Maritime lawyers have specialized educational training, skills, and experience in handling cases related to maritime laws. Defending and fighting for their client’s best interest presents maritime lawyers with an extensive list of job-related responsibilities.

Maritime Lawyer Job Duties Include:

Drafting Legal Documents
Reviewing Contracts
Assessing Evidence
Defending / Fighting Cases in Admiralty Court
Prove Liability

The Coast Guard revealed that there are an average of 5,000 recreational boating accidents every year. These accidents account for thousands of injuries, and millions in property damage, and claim the lives of over 700 victims.

Individuals who are injured in recreational boating accidents are protected under maritime law. These protections apply to any form of recreational boating, including cruise ship passengers.

Maritime lawyers fight for workers who are injured while working as a seaman. Maritime lawyers fight for all maritime workers, including, cooks, mechanics, dock workers, or any other individual that contributes to shipping operations.

Any crime that occurs on land also has the potential to occur on the water. The New York Post reported that sexual assaults on cruise ships are up a whopping 67% in recent years. Maritime lawyers help individuals prove liability in the event that they are a victim of a crime, including assault, rape, theft, etc.

Personal injury maritime lawyers may also assist clients in collecting evidence, building a solid case that proves liability, dealing with the insurance company, and numerous other tasks.

What Counts as Maritime Law?

Any ship that operates under a United States Flag is subject to maritime law. Maritime law is one of the oldest areas of law and encompasses an extensive list of regulations regarding water vessels, shipowners, organizations, seaman, and passengers. The same types of legal issues that can occur on land also have the potential to occur on the water.

Maritime Law Applies in Cases Related to:

Worker’s Compensation
Personal Injury
Employment Issues

Criminal Offenses
Property Damage
Insurance Claims

Maritime law is applicable in cases involving any of the aforementioned incidents when they occur on the water. Maritime law applies to ships and boats of all sizes, types, and regardless of operational intent.

Maritime laws protect workers on barges, oil rigs, commercial fishermen, passengers on cruise ships, and any other individual who is injured on a water vessel.

Ship Dock Personal Injury Cases

It is important to note that the water vessel is not required to be in motion for maritime laws to be applicable. The only requirement is that the vessel is capable of operation.

Passengers are also not required to be on the water vessel at the time that the injury-causing incident occurs. Maritime laws may still protect workers who are injured on the dock or while performing other duties for the ship.

Bodies of Water Protected by Maritime Law

Incidents that occur on any navigable body of water are protected under maritime law, including oceans, rivers, lakes, etc.

Admiralty Court

The Admiralty court is a specialized federal legal system that handles all cases related to maritime laws. The processes within this court system vary greatly from mainstream legal proceedings. This is one of many reasons that it is crucial to choose a lawyer who has experience in maritime personal injury cases.

What to Do After a Maritime Accident

There are several things that you must ensure that you do after an accident occurs on a water vessel. Knowing what you should do and avoiding certain mistakes is crucial for protecting your personal, legal, and financial future.

The first thing that you should do is seek medical attention from the ship’s medical doctor. Do not admit guilt or sign any statements related to the office visit. Obtain a copy of all medical paperwork.

Report the incident to the required individuals and comply with a report. Obtain a copy of this report for your records.

Do not admit blame or any responsibility for the accident or resulting injuries. Do not sign any documents or agree to a recorded statement before speaking to your lawyer.

Collect any evidence that could help prove your maritime personal injury case in court. Obtain evidence, including photos and videos of the injuries sustained, dangerous working conditions, or other content related to the incident.

Gather contact information for any individuals who may have information regarding the incident. These individuals could include any witnesses, staff members, fellow employees, and/or anyone who was aware that there was a potential of an accident occurring.

Schedule an appointment with a maritime personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. It is a maritime lawyer’s job to help you navigate these complex and stressful circumstances. You can reach maritime lawyer Willie D. Powell III at (281)881-2457.

Seek medical attention at a provider onshore as soon as physically possible. This is of critical importance, regardless of whether you believe that the condition has improved.

The medical team on the ship works for the ship operator and may not be entirely truthful in their findings. Visiting a non-biased medical professional onshore will guarantee you protect your physical and financial wellness.

Be sure to keep all documents related to these medical visits, including care summaries, testing and prognosis reports, prescribed medications, billing statements, etc. Maritime law provides compensation for past, current, and future medical care for applicable injuries.

Common Types of Maritime Law Cases

The admiralty court system handles any case that occurs on/or near a navigable water vessel. This creates a wide range of potential cases that maritime lawyers may represent in the court of law.

Common Types of Maritime Law Cases Include:

Personal Injury Cases
Maritime Worker’s Rights Cases
Criminal Acts on the Water
Environmental Cases
Maritime Shipping and Commerce

Maritime lawyers may serve clients through their own practice, work for a government agency, or be employed through another organization.

Cases resulting from employer negligence are a common type of case seen in an admiralty court. Shipowners and employers have a legal responsibility to protect passengers from harm. There are several forms of negligence that are commonly observed in maritime cases, including:

Poor Training
Failure to Maintain Water Vessel
Operating in Dangerous Weather Conditions
Inadequate Supervision
Unsafe Work Practices

The maritime lawyer who represents these cases is responsible for proving that the employer or ship operator’s negligence is directly related to any injury or accident that occurred.

Employee disputes are a common type of maritime law case. This could include wage disputes, employer non-compliance, workers’ compensation, or any other employee/employer-related issues.

Contract or financial agreement breaches that occurred in international waters are handled under maritime laws.

Any crime that occurs on international waters is handled by the US Federal Court System and governed by maritime laws. This applies to crimes on cruise ships, commercial boats, and even private boats. Common criminal acts governed under maritime laws include theft, assault, piracy, etc.

Willie D. Powells III is Houston’s Leader in Maritime, Jones Act, and Offshore Injury Cases

Willie D. Powells III is Houston’s leader in Maritime law, including the Jones Act, and offshore injury cases. You deserve maximum compensation if you or a loved one was hurt or wrongfully killed in an offshore accident.

It is imperative that you choose a lawyer with the experience, skill, and knowledge to handle any case related to maritime law. Willie D. Powells III fights for clients who were injured in all types of maritime law cases, including maritime workers, recreational accidents, and victims of criminal acts.
Willie D. Powells will build a strong case and fight to prove that another party is responsible for your injuries. Liable parties could be another passenger, your employer, or the shipowner, or there may be multiple parties to blame.

Only an experienced maritime lawyer understands the acts that govern maritime law and all applicable compensation that is due. You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, maintenance, and cure, pain and suffering, and punitive damages. Reach out to Willie D. Powells III today and let him use his expertise to fight for the compensation that you deserve.