Maritime law has always been complex. It has its own features and, because of that, you have to work with a lawyer who is familiar with it if you want to sue over injuries at sea or for other reasons. A personal injury attorney who understands maritime law, however, may be able to help you in the event that you’ve been injured.
Workplace Injuries that happen at Sea
Just as is the case on land, there are laws and regulations that govern workplace safety standards for those who work at sea. If you are injured or are brought to harm otherwise because of the negligence of a company, you may be able to file a lawsuit and get compensation. There’s no way to determine what the outcome of a jury trial will be before a jury actually hears your case argued but, if you have been injured, talking to a personal injury lawyer is always a good idea.
Other Injuries at Sea
There are plenty of firms out there that provide entertainment such as cruises, fishing trips and so forth. These companies are responsible for the safety of the people that they bring out to sea. Most of these companies will have waivers that you’ll have to sign to participate in their offerings but don’t for a moment think that signing a waiver means that you’ve absolved the company off all their responsibility for your safety when you’re on their boat or ship.
Negligence still may be something you can sue such a company over, even if you have been persuaded to sign a waiver. There are definite limitations on how much of a shield from negligence that a company can get by making people sign waivers. If you’ve been injured and you believe that the company that took you out to sea was negligent in a way that caused you or your family member harm, consider speaking with an experienced maritime lawyer like Blaine A (Bat) Tucker.
Working with an Admiralty Law Attorney
A Texas personal injury lawyer who understands maritime law may be able to help you if you’ve been injured at sea. There are some things that you should keep in mind before you talk to such an attorney.
First, the company responsible for your injuries may offer you a settlement. Shipping and cruise companies have generally a lot to lose due to bad publicity, so their initial offer may be rather large. Don’t take it without talking to an experienced injury attorney first. The attorney may be able to get them to offer more or they may advise you to pass it up completely because it’s a tactic to avoid going to court on the part of the company.
The company may also claim that you cannot sue them because the incident occurred somewhere at sea where US law does not apply. Never believe this. Talk to an experienced attorney who specializes in Admiralty Law and ask them whether or not you can sue. Asking the shipping company’s representatives if US law applies is exactly the equivalent of asking a fox if a henhouse is safe.
Make sure you talk to an attorney soon. There are limitations on how long you have to act in these cases.