Maritime Injury Lawyers in Gulfport, MS

Mississippi has thousands of  people employed offshore, in shipping, on oil rigs, and in the fishing industry. Regular maritime injuries, accidents, and sometimes deaths create an environment in which even lawyers without much experience in the field are tempted to hang out a shingle as admiralty attorneys.
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Do not be fooled: it takes an experienced admiralty lawyer to properly protect your rights. Schedule a free consultation with a Wetzel Law Firm maritime injury lawyer.

A Brief History of Maritime Laws

Because Congress recognized international shipping and a healthy seafood industry as particularly dangerous forms of employment that remain vital to a strong national economy, it passed the Jones Act in 1920 and the Longshore Act in 1927 to improve on nascent state-based workers’ compensation schemes. The Acts entitle people injured while employed on sea-going vessels or as harbor workers to more generous benefits than ordinary workers’ compensation. If injured under such circumstances, you need a practiced admiralty lawyer to ensure you receive maximum compensation.
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Although all lawyers are licensed to practice in all areas of law, passing the bar exam does not in fact qualify every lawyer to deal with issues of admiralty and maritime law. Modern statutes have modified a body of law that evolved from diverse sources over the past 2,000 years. Admiralty lawyers know and understand this complexity and can help protect your rights.

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United States Maritime Laws: An Overview

Generally, admiralty and maritime law refers to the body of law — civil, public, and private — that governs sea-going vessels and their owners, seamen, passengers and cargo. In the United States, admiralty and maritime law includes:

Specific laws to protect seamen and similar professions, such as the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (Longshore Act)

• Common law rules that govern a ship owner or operator’s responsibility toward his or her passengers
• Old traditions protecting ship owners and operators from bad faith or malfeasance by those who hire them to transport cargo, and vice versa

​We invite you to read more about this specific area of the law on our website. To discuss your case in greater detail, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with a maritime law attorney at our firm.

Protecting Maritime Passengers

General maritime law — not specific statutes — protects cruise passengers and other passengers on ocean-going vessels. Unless otherwise specified by the cruise or charter operator, federal law creates a fairly generous three-year statute of limitations in which injured passengers must bring suit, and defines the scope of the vessel owner or operator’s responsibility. If injured as a cruise passenger, you need the assistance of a skilled admiralty attorney to make sure you file your claim on time and in the right court.

Attorneys For Cruise Ship Injuries and Passenger

Despite the shiny, sunny advertisements, cruise ships are not all fun and games. Injuries, accidents, and even crimes plague cruise ships. After all, many cruise ships are the size of small cities, and have the same problems.
Frequent injuries to passengers include:

• Slips and falls on soapy decks or floors
• Food poisoning
• Falling object injuries
• Being thrown by rough seas

Occasionally, passengers even become victims of crime, anything from petty theft to assault.
In these cases, general maritime law applies. Under the law, shipowners have a duty of reasonable care to their passengers. Shipowners cannot create dangerous conditions, or negligently allow dangerous conditions to exist without taking steps to remediate them.
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A maritime injury attorney will help you determine whether your injury resulted from shipowner negligence, and where and when to file your claim. General maritime law allows a three-year statute of limitations. Many cruise tickets establish shorter periods, and even limitations on where you can file suit. Maritime injury attorneys can help you parse those rules and recover for your injuries

Lawyers for Crew Injuries

The Jones Act governs almost all offshore injuries to crewmembers. Whether you work on a cruise ship, a restaurant boat, a cargo ship, a fishing boat, a barge, or almost any other type of vessel, Jones Act law governs your employer’s responsibilities and obligations in the case of an injury.

If injured as a seaman, the Jones Act obligates your employer to pay transportation and wages until you return to shore, and then to pay maintenance and cure. Maintenance costs should match the reasonable costs of board and lodging while you pursue medical care necessary to get you back to work. Cure payments should cover the cost of all medical care until you are well enough to return to work or until you reach your maximum medical improvement.
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Maritime attorneys can help ensure that your employer does not balk at paying your medical costs or the costs of board and lodging. They will also help determine whether negligence or unseaworthiness contributed to your injury, creating grounds for additional compensation.

Call Us Today About Maritime Accident Compensation

If you are hurt as a passenger on a cruise or fishing charter, or in the course of your duties as a seaman or maritime crewmember, work with The Wetzel Law Firm to secure the greatest possible compensation for your injuries. We have years of experience and have successfully represented maritime injury victims. Contact us today to set up a free consultation and meet with one of our dedicated attorneys.

​Read more about your injury cause.