Maritime and Admiralty Practice Areas and Legal Definitions

Admiralty/Maritime Law/Jones Act:

Admiralty and maritime law are specific areas of law that regulate accidents and injuries of sea crew and passengers on ships, yachts and recreational boats.

Congress passed a maritime law called the Jones Act to protect sea crew who work on ships, offshore oilrigs, or other sea-going vessels, such as barges, riverboats and fishing boats. Under the Jones Act, sea crews are entitled to recover damages if injured on the job. The Jones Act can also cover inland river workers and offshore workers, as well as divers and underwater personnel. The Jones Act is not workers’ compensation law, so any injury sustained as a result of employer negligence must be proven in order to receive compensation for said injuries. The statute of limitations for a maritime law injury suit is three years but may be shorter in cases involving potential claims against cruise ships, ferries, government-owned vessels and governmental entities.

Cruise Ship Accidents:

Cruise ship accidents can include food poisoning, assault by crew members or other passengers, sexual battery, slip/trip and falls and other personal injuries. Cruise ship lines have a responsibility to make sure there are no hazardous conditions on board that can cause injury to its passengers. When cruise ship accidents occur because of poor maintenance, incompetent staff members, inadequate safety equipment, inadequate emergency precautions and/or improperly trained employees, cruise ship owners can be held legally responsible for negligence. Victims of cruise ship accidents may be entitled to damages for pain and suffering, medical bills and lost wages.

The cruise ship industry restricts when and where a personal injury claim can be filed. For example, many tickets make a stipulation that an injured passenger must file a claim within one year of the cruise ship accident, and that claims must be made in a certain state. Because of these limitations, it is important to consult with experienced legal counsel before (and during) filing a cruise ship personal injury claim. For more information on cruise ship injuries, please contact the cruise ship accident attorneys of Tabak, Mellusi & Shisha.

Boating Accidents:

Legal claims that arise from boating collisions are typically governed by the law of negligence. Any individual who negligently operates a watercraft may be required to pay damages to an injured victim. A maritime case involving a boating accident may become formalized through civil court proceedings, or may be resolved through an informal settlement before a lawsuit is filed. The surviving family members of a fatally injured boating accident victim may be able to recover damages in a maritime wrongful death action against the defendant.

The New York maritime and admiralty lawyers of Tabak, Mellusi & Shisha have years of practice and a successful track record representing clients who have suffered significant injuries in boating accidents of all kinds. These attorneys work closely with doctors and other health care providers to discuss the short and long-term medical consequences of an injury. The New York boating accident lawyers of Tabak, Mellusi & Shisha have a detailed understanding of federal and New York state boating insurance and liability laws as well as having Coast Guard shipboard experience. They are seasoned veterans at tracking the various sources of recovery that may be available to boating accident victims and their families.

Shipboard On-the-Job Accidents:

The Jones Act, a federal statute encompassing a very substantial portion of maritime and admiralty law, is the applicable law for the claims of ship crew members injured on the job. As creatures of the statute, Jones Act claims can be extremely complex and difficult to prosecute. Apart from dedicated maritime and admiralty law firms, few lawyers have much in the way of knowledge of these claims, and even fewer have any substantial experience in handling them. All too frequently, this results in mediocre and ineffective representation and minimal financial compensation for the claimants.

Burn Injuries:

People who have suffered and survived the agony of second, third and even fourth degree burns describe the pain they experienced as among the most severe of all traumatic injuries. Personal injuries involving severe burns commonly result from explosions, fires, electric shock and accidental exposure to harmful chemicals.

If you or someone you care about needs the assistance or trusted legal advice of an experienced maritime and admiralty lawyer, please contact Tabak, Mellusi & Shisha today at 866-435-5960 , or complete the contact form provided on this site to begin your consultation with a skilled New York serious injury maritime attorney. All initial consultations are free.