Maritime injury lawyers, as the name suggests, represent clients in maritime injury cases. Their clients can be cruise ship vacationers, maritime workers, or seamen who have been injured while on board. These cases often border on international maritime law and admiralty law, thus requiring specific experience in the practice area. If you or a loved one has been injured while on water, there are many law firms like McLeod Brock that can help. Suppose you need the best possible outcome for your case, you have to Contact this maritime injury law firm for your case evaluation.
In many cases, maritime injury lawyers act in the same way any other injury lawyer will. They take on client’s cases, ensure that those injury cases are valid for an insurance claim, and negotiate claims in their client’s best interest. While all these are ongoing, your maritime injury lawyer does other things that may not be visible to you – as the injury victim or a family member. Below are some of the roles and functions of a maritime injury lawyer.
Case Building
To put it lightly, your maritime injury lawyer spearheads your personal injury claim and works toward helping you recover all that you have lost from the maritime accident. To begin the process, you may benefit from their free case consultation meeting, which may be over the phone or in person. This meeting will go over the details of your accident and the injuries sustained. The maritime injury lawyer will also consider the facts you have presented in the context of personal injury cases and whether it qualifies for a claim.
Determining that you have a claim is one part; understanding the context of maritime injury law and relating it to your accident is another. For example, an injured harbor worker hurt in a crane accident may not be able to file a claim under maritime law; instead, their injury case is classed under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act.
At the end of the consultation with the maritime injury lawyer, you’ll have a clear direction of where your case is headed and whether you can pursue damage recovery under maritime law. If possible, your attorney gets started on the process and maps out a plan to collect evidence, interview eyewitnesses, and more.
Proving your Maritime Claim
Insurance companies are strict with disbursing settlements to injury victims, whether maritime injury victims or car accident victims. Your maritime lawyer will leverage their experience to understand your case and position it for an expected outcome.
Positioning your claim for a favorable outcome will involve proving the elements of a personal injury. This entails;
- Gathering evidence relevant to the case while showing the accident and injury sustained
- Presenting evidence in the form of photos, videos, medical reports, eyewitness accounts, etc., to prove the duty of care was breached, thus leading to the victim’s injuries.
- Handling all paperwork, filing claims when due, and ensuring on-time completion of case-related tasks
- Drafting and reviewing demand letters and other documents targeted at the court or the opposing party
- Negotiating a fair and full settlement for injury victims based on their losses
- Taking the injury case to trial when necessary to recoup the maximum amount.
These tasks are common during the injury claims process, and you can trust your experienced maritime lawyer to handle each excellently.
Pursuing Monetary Recompense
The goal of your maritime injury claim is to recover your losses. Your maritime injury lawyer will itemize those losses, including the economic and non-economic losses, put a value on them, and demand payment from the opposing party.
Depending on the type of accident, injury, and losses, the maritime injury lawyer may be able to demand the following;
Maintenance and cure: All injured seamen are entitled to maintenance and cure funds, especially when hurt. The maintenance amount encompasses their living and housing costs, while the cure entails the medical bills incurred from treating their injury until maximum recovery is made. The medical bills may also include prescriptions, transportation to the medical facility, and others.
Income replacement: Injuries rob seamen and passengers of their ability to work and function as normal. Your maritime injury lawyer may be able to demand the repayment of the lost income during the injury period. Such income replacement may pay out the total amount you’re entitled to based on a pre-existing work-hour contract.
Disability: Certain maritime injuries can render the victim disable for years to come. This disability may rob them of the chance to return to work or to engage in other activities. The maritime injury lawyer may be able to secure the right amount for the victim’s disability, thus catering to their future financial needs.
Hiring a maritime injury lawyer, especially if you’re a sea worker or vacationer injured on the water can greatly improve your perspective on injury claims. Speak to one as soon as possible to get the right legal insight into your situation.