 A maritime lawyer is primarily involved with a special set of laws and regulations dealing with people who may be injured on a ship or boat, as a result of either a work-related or recreational accident. Waks & Barnett handles many cases involving personal injuries or wrongful deaths that are brought either by crewmembers or passengers.
The law applying to crewmembers is different from the maritime rules that apply, for example, to passengers on cruise ships or recreational boats. It is the job of the maritime lawyer to see that the injured crewmembers, cruise ship passengers or recreational boaters receive the proper amount of compensation for their maritime injury.
Maritime law is highly technical when it comes to where and when a maritime claim can be filed and the benefits which the victim of a maritime accident may be entitled to receive. Although most maritime personal injury cases are settled, they must often first be litigated in court and, depending on the circumstances, the case may be brought either in a state or a federal court. Decisions about where to file the claim, how a claim will be litigated, what witnesses to call, and whether a settlement offer is reasonable, are the role of a maritime lawyer.
In selecting a maritime lawyer, it is important to review the experience of the lawyer involved in handling the case, the ratings that he may have received, and whether or not the maritime lawyer is Board Certified.
At Waks & Barnett, our attorneys have received the highest possible rating (AV) by Martindale-Hubbell, the distinguished legal directory, and Andrew L. Waks of our firm is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in maritime law. |
