The federal statute (46 U.S.C. ch. 303) governing wrongful death actions for deaths occurring more than three nautical miles from U.S. shore.
The Limitation of Liability Act lets the company that owns a vessel ask a federal court to cap everything it owes after an accident at the value of the boat, sometimes a boat that sank or burned and is now worth almost nothing. It is an 1851 law, and one of the hardest obstacles an…
If you were hurt as a passenger on a cruise, the law gives you far less time than you think, and the fine print on your ticket has already decided where you can sue. Here is how cruise ship passenger injury claims actually work, and why acting quickly matters more than in almost any other…
Losing a family member in an accident far out at sea is devastating, and the law that governs that loss is often harsher and narrower than families expect. Here, in plain terms, is how the Death on the High Seas Act works and what it means for your family. In short: The Death on the…
When a family asks what a maritime wrongful death case is worth, the honest first answer is a question: where did the death happen, and was the worker a seaman? Those two facts decide which law applies, and the law decides what the case can pay, often before any number is negotiated. In short: Maritime…
Few questions in maritime law are misunderstood as often as this one: when can an injured seaman, or a grieving family, recover punitive damages on top of their losses? The honest answer is that maritime law treats punitive damages as a powerful but narrow remedy, available for some claims and flatly barred for others. In…
In maritime law there is no single filing deadline. The maritime statute of limitations that controls your case depends on who you are, what kind of claim you have, and where you were hurt, and missing the right one can permanently bar an otherwise winning case. In short: The maritime statute of limitations is the…
A fisherman goes over the rail in a heartbeat, a slip on a wet deck, a rogue wave, a line that catches a leg, and from that instant survival is measured in minutes. Federal safety researchers have studied these moments in grim detail, and what they found does more than describe a tragedy. It points…
When a maritime worker dies far out at sea, a single line on a chart, three nautical miles from shore, can decide which law governs the family’s claim and how much their loss is worth under it. Few rules in maritime law have such uneven consequences. In short: The Death on the High Seas Act…
Losing a family member to a maritime accident is devastating, and the legal questions that follow can feel overwhelming at the worst possible time. One of the first is also one of the most practical: who in the family is actually allowed to bring a claim? In short: A maritime wrongful death claim is filed…
Losing a loved one in an accident at sea is one of the hardest things a family can face. If you are reading this, we are sorry. Here, in plain language, is how the law works and what your family’s rights may be. In short: A maritime wrongful death claim may fall under one of…
