If you or a loved one has suffered injuries as a direct or indirect result of a boat accident, one of the first things that you should do is to hire a qualified maritime injury lawyer. This is very important if you want to ensure that your rights are protected and that you can get the maximum damages possible for the injuries that you have sustained.
What Are the Differences between a Personal Injury Lawyer and a Maritime Injury Lawyer?
If a boat accident has befallen you and you wish to claim damages for your injuries, you will need the help of a lawyer. Although any kind of lawyer can legally represent you in your case, it is strongly recommended that you hire the right one. In this case, it would have to be a qualified maritime accident lawyer.
A personal injury lawyer can also be of service as they are also experts in helping clients with accident claims. But while the goal and the overall process are basically the same, there are a lot of intricacies in maritime law that only a specialist can truly apply towards your case. Maritime attorneys will file your case in a federal maritime court if your situation involves injuries sustained from boating accidents at sea.
What Are the Common Reasons Why People Don’t Hire a Maritime Accident Lawyer?
Although most people are aware that they should hire a maritime accident injury lawyer for any boating-related injury, there are circumstances that can make them decide otherwise. For example, one of the most common reasons why people skip hiring a lawyer altogether is if the other party seems very willing to reach a settlement. It also happens if the insurance company approaches them in a very amiable manner and seems very cooperative in providing financial assistance.
This is, of course, a ploy used by insurance companies and liable parties to reduce their payment. A rule of thumb that you should keep in mind when you get into a boat accident, whether you are working in a fishing vessel or are a passenger in a cruise ship, is to never talk to the insurance companies. Doing so can hurt your case and leave you with much less than you are entitled to.
Another reason why people don’t seek maritime injury lawyers is because they already have their own lawyers. As mentioned earlier, although any lawyer can technically represent you in a boating accident case, you should only rely on the expertise of a maritime lawyer who has thorough knowledge of maritime law and all its implications. Even your real estate lawyer can stand as your legal representative in court but it is very unlikely that they will have the expertise needed to navigate the complexities of maritime law.
What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Maritime Injury Lawyer?
We have repeatedly mentioned that knowledge of maritime law is one of the key reasons why you should absolutely seek the services of a maritime accident injury lawyer instead of any other kind of attorney. Other than this, there are several other important benefits that you can experience if you do decide to go ahead and hire a maritime injury lawyer.
Significant Experience
Maritime accident attorneys have extensive experience in dealing with all kinds of marine accidents. Some of them even have particular specialties, like a commercial fishing lawyer, a tug boat lawyer, a dredge boat lawyer, and so on. At O’Bryan Law, we have a lineup of truly competent lawyers that have several decades of combined experience in all these areas.
Vast Network of Resources
Maritime injury lawyers work with many other professionals in the course of representing clients in boating accidents. They have built considerable networks of experts in the industries of medicine, engineering and others, who can be instrumental in strengthening your case.
Excellent Witnesses
Not only will they represent you favorably in court because of their high level of expertise in maritime law, but they can also stand as excellent witnesses in front of a judge because they are very credible in the maritime industry.
Free Consultation
Qualified maritime injury lawyers will offer a free consultation in which they will hear out your situation and give you legal advice on what you can do and what they can do for you. You don’t need to pay for services unless you are certain that the attorney you hire will be able to represent you properly in a court of law.
Can a Maritime Accident Lawyer Help Maximize Your Claims?
There is no doubt of this, especially if you have selected a lawyer who is competent, aggressive and has superior negotiation skills. There are several areas that a maritime person will consider in the computation of your losses. To begin with, they will analyze the extent of your injuries, including not only the physical damage but also the emotional suffering, the diminished capacity for work, and so on.
A maritime injury lawyer will also know exactly which laws will affect the total value of your claims, like causation laws and the Limitation of Liability Act. If you are a sea worker, you can even sue your employer for things like unsafe working conditions or negligence, which could have led to the accident that caused your injuries.
Get the Compensation You Deserve by Working with a Maritime Attorney
It only makes sense for the liable party to use all kinds of defense legally possible in order to pay as little as possible to injured individuals like yourself. Thus, it is only right that you should also have a capable maritime attorney who will be just as assertive in fighting for your rights. Here at O’Bryan Law, that is exactly what we do. We make sure that each client is duly represented and will receive the just compensation to cover all medical expenses, lost income, emotional pain, and so on. If you want to learn more, just call us or leave a message and we will be very happy to give you a free consultation.
