Maritime law is one of those fields so branched and complex that requires years of researching to fully understand. If things weren’t already complicated for those unfamiliar with these laws, maritime law is always evolving, always trying to get one step closer to perfection, step than could save thousands of lives. Living proof is today’s laws regarding maritime accidents and those from one century ago. With today’s technological boom, sea vessels and ships have come a long way and with them the laws and regulations became more evolved and more strict trying as much as possible to offer safety and protection to those that work at sea.
Working at Sea is Dangerous
Even with the recent technological breakthroughs, accidents on ships and vessels still happen every day. These can be caused by numerous factors such as machinery malfunctions, defective equipment, ship or sea vessel is not properly maintained or technically checked before going to sea. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, working at sea is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States and requires clear and strict laws and regulations to protect those working on sea.
Seek Professional Assistance
If you were injured at sea, you need to seek the best possible medical and legal assistance, no matter what type of injury you have suffered. Seamen have specific rights and benefits that they may not be aware of and need the right maritime lawyer to guide them in taking the best possible decisions. Maritime law is a complex set of federal rules and statutes that govern the amount of financial compensation you and your family are entitled to and what are the actions that need to be taken against the negligent entity. Given the complexity of this particular field, your legal defender needs to have the appropriate experience and knowledge to fight against the lawyers of the company you are working for.
Don’t Accept any Out-of-Court Agreement without Consulting a Lawyer
Maritime employers often try to reach an out-of-court agreement with the injured employee so they will save time, money and their image remains clean. If your employer wants to reach such an agreement you have to reject it no matter how tempted you may be by the benefits. Any agreement between the two sides without a lawyer on your side will most likely be in the benefit of the employer and not that of the employee.
Big name employers have their own experienced lawyers that will try as much as possible to lower the company’s losses and keep its image as clean as possible. Fighting against them will be more difficult but with the right legal defender on your side, getting the maximum amount of financial compensation is possible. Your maritime lawyer will send investigators to search for clues at the accident place for a better picture of what happened and what exactly caused your injury. Your lawyer needs to know as much as possible about the accident in order to determine the best legal strategy to ensure you the best outcome in the courtroom.
Being injured is a very difficult situation to be in, not only from a financial point of view but also mentally. An experienced lawyer can be your best friend in these difficult times, trying to get you the amount of financial compensation that will allow you and your family to quickly get over this unfortunate event.