Maritime Insurance Law

Maritime Lawsuit

Filing a claim regarding your injury does not that you are going to be called to the court to be questioned. Most of the will try their best to settle it outside of court. With the help of an attorney filing a lawsuit becomes simple. The first step involved is to verify that your injury is job-related, then, you and your attorney need to determine if it was employer's negligence which is what that caused your injury.

While filing a Maritime lawsuit, an attorney will refer to the Maritime regularly. This is the legislation that describes the rights that an injured worker has as well as how an employer or ship owner can be held liable.

The Maritime was specifically created and written with sea workers in mind and takes into account the uniqueness of people who work at the sea. Even international laws can come into play because ships move in and out of international waters or the vessel, the sea worker or both could be foreign owned or foreign nationals.

It has to be kept in mind there are a number of limitations for filing claims and this varies from state to state. It can be anywhere from one to three years since the date of the injury or discovery of the injury. Obtaining a copy of the incident report or any other reports that refer to the cause and events that lead up to the injury and collect all the medical records, treatment plans medical bills etc.

A seaman or seafarer injured on the job first has to make sure that medical help is obtained and he should document any medical treatment received.
On being injured while working at sea:

·        Report the injury to the manager as soon as possible. Be sure to explain all the details of the injury including if there was any unsafe condition that existed or machinery/equipment that contributed to your injury.

·        Choose an attorney that has in-depth knowledge of the Jones Act and has tried maritime lawsuits before.

·        When you obtain medical treatment, choose your own medical professionals, not ones suggested by your employer.

Talking to any co-workers who were present at the time of the injury and asking them to write a statement regarding the conditions at the time of your injury. These workers spend hours, days, even months on their job off the coast and sleep, eat and work on the same vessel day after day. If injured while at sea, you may be considering filing a maritime lawsuit.

If this is the case, then it's very important to speak to an attorney, and follow the instructions. Maritime law is a complex area of law which requires an attorney who really knows what he or she is doing and is comfortable with this area of law.

Be sure to contact multiple attorneys, check bar records, meet with the attorney and just get a good feel of the attorney before making a decision. Try to collect the names and contacts of co-workers who were working during your accident for witnesses to the injury. Hesitation on the part of these workers will definitely be present as no one likes the idea of being a witness to a maritime lawsuit.