Maritime Lawyer

Maritime lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP represent seamen, dockworkers, oil and gas industry employees, cruise ship employees, and others seriously injured or killed in maritime accidents occuring at sea or on inland waters.

A maritime lawyer is uniquely qualified to represent maritime workers or their families in serious injury or wrongful death claims resulting from accidents occurring at sea, in coastal areas or on inland waters. Arnold & Itkin LLP maritime lawyers handle cases governed by maritime laws, and have years of experience dealing with oil and gas companies, shipping companies and their insurance providers.

Throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the coastal regions of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, as well as on inland waters reaching as far as St. Louis, seamen, dockworkers, and oil and gas industry employees are exposed to dangerous working conditions. Maritime workers routinely suffer injuries caused by dangerous conditions on offshore platforms, spars, jack-up rigs, tankers, crew boats, lay barges and other vessels. Diving accidents, gas explosions, lost overboard deaths and injuries from dangerous equipment frequently take limbs and lives of innocent maritime workers.

If you or a member of your family has been seriously injured or killed as a result of a maritime accident or offshore injury, it is extremely important that you get sound legal advice from a qualified maritime lawyer before you discuss the matter with your employer or their insurance company.

Why Hire a Maritime Lawyer?

Unlike with state workers’ compensation claims, there is no administrative body that oversees your maritime injury claim. Instead, claims covered by maritime law must be filed in state or federal court. Although some claims may be settled in pre-litigation negotiations, the only way to preserve your right to pursue a claim is to file a lawsuit. A qualified and experienced maritime lawyer can help you do that.

In many instances, your employer may ask you to sign an agreement or release in exchange for payment of unearned wages, maintenance and cure, or medical benefits. It is imperative that you have any documents you are given reviewed by a competent maritime lawyer before signing them so that you do not waive any of your rights of recovery. Maritime employers and their insurance companies have their own experienced maritime lawyers. Their lawyers will work hard to minimize their client's losses by making sure you are paid as little as possible. When facing them, you deserve to have competent and experienced maritime lawyers on your side, protecting your rights.

Hiring a Maritime Lawyer

When selecting a maritime lawyer, you should inquire about the number of maritime injury cases they have tried. Select a lawyer who provides honest, direct answers to all your questions. Carefully consider the following traits of your potential counsel:

• Experience – Not all maritime law firms are the same. Select a maritime lawyer with experience not only in trying but winning maritime injury cases.

• Approach – If settling your maritime injury claim quickly means compromising and getting less than you deserve, you may need a maritime lawyer with a different approach. Sometimes a settlement outside of the courtroom is possible, but until you've won all the compensation you deserve, you'll need a team that will be prepared and willing to try your case in the courtroom if necessary.

• Efficiency – Just because a maritime law firm is big doesn't mean they're the best.  Some maritime law firms are so large that their many-layered organizational structures are an impediment to efficient practice. Ask whether the firm avoids wasteful spending and delays caused by inefficient practices, and request specific examples of how they will handle your maritime case efficiently.

Arnold & Itkin LLP is an experienced maritime law firm dedicated to helping injured maritime workers and their families obtain the compensation they deserve. Our maritime lawyers have tried more than twenty maritime cases in the past two years– more than some lawyers will try in their entire careers. Our extensive knowledge of maritime law, combined with a personal commitment to our clients, makes us a formidable advocate for your rights in the courtroom.

Contact a Maritime Lawyer

If you have questions about your rights following a catastrophic injury or wrongful death of a maritime worker, contact a maritime lawyer today. We can answer your questions, evaluate your maritime injury case and help you understand your options for claiming compensation from those responsible.

Initial consultation is FREE. Because we accept serious maritime injury cases on a contingency basis, you pay us nothing unless we prevail and obtain successful recovery on your behalf.