If you were injured while on the water, the laws governing guilty parties are different than those on land. This is not a case to trust to just any lawyer. You need an attorney with the experience and know-how to go up against the big insurance companies to secure the amount of money you deserve.
Anchored in History
The body of common law and statutes that evolved into modern maritime and admiralty law has roots that are thousands of years old. Specific provisions of admiralty law were adopted between England and the American colonies to govern torts and contract issues that arose in trading over the high seas. In modern times, maritime law encompasses those provisions and all other laws and regulations that apply to the sea and all other navigable waters.
The admiralty law attorneys of Rutter Mills have in-depth expertise in maritime and admiralty law developed through their long history of representing maritime plaintiffs in matters including :
Admiralty law and maritime law are synonymous terms. Admiralty law supports commerce, travel, and trade over the high seas and other bodies of water. These laws protect the safety, employment rights, and privileges of seamen, dockworkers, passengers, and any related individual or business entity. The provisions of admiralty and maritime law apply not only to ocean-going ships, but also to ferries, harbor tugboats, barges, commercial fishing operations, offshore oil drilling platforms, and any other vessels or facilities that operate within bodies of water.
The United States has enacted many of the traditional common law provisions of admiralty law into statutes that govern maritime operations. Those statutes give federal courts primary jurisdiction over such matters. Rutter Mills’ managing partner, Brother Rutter, has vast experience defending admiralty law. In this video, he explains the difference between the laws that govern accidents on land versus accidents on the water.
Owners and operators of seagoing vessels and structures have an absolute obligation to provide “maintenance and cure” to injured seamen and other employees until the injured or ill party no longer shows signs of improvement. That means the ships owner needs to make sure your medical bills are paid and you are back on your feet.
Injuries to passengers on vessels traveling any navigable waterway in the US are covered by maritime law provisions. Injured passengers will still be required to demonstrate how a party’s negligence caused an injury. However, the procedures that appy to the prosecution of these matters, including the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit, will likely be different from injury claims on land.
If a lien is placed on a maritime vessel, for example, for non-payment of financing fees, a federal admiralty court may order a seizure or direct arrest that ship. Any lawsuit for recovery for the non-payment may then proceed directly against the vessel itself rather than against its owners or proprietors.
Salvage operators who recover goods from shipwrecks have legal options when it comes to claiming ownership. They can do it in an admiralty court, and have the value determined there. They can contract directly with the proprietor of the lost ship to claim ownership of those goods.
Years Winning Maritime Cases
Convenient Offices in Hampton Roads
Team Members Ready to Help
Complexity of Admiralty Law
Jurisdiction
For matters that take place within the navigable waters of the United States, the Constitution and federal statutes confer maritime law jurisdiction on U.S. Federal Courts. State courts are authorized to hear maritime cases that involve local state matters, but those courts are obligated to apply federal maritime statutes and laws to the issues in those cases. Maritime jurisdiction is often one of the more complex threshold matters in admiralty and maritime cases, particularly if an injury occurs when a vessel is in international waters.
The Virginia maritime law attorneys at Rutter Mills have extensive experience in maritime law equipping them with in-depth knowledge of the complexities of the industry, the regulations governing it, and the legal rights of maritime workers. This expertise enables us to provide the best possible legal representation to our clients. Two generations of firm owners have help the position as President of the Maritime Injury Law Association, helping shape the way admiralty law is practiced in the US.
A Rutter Mills case is a serious case. It may mean you have been badly injured. It certainly means you have a lot on the line, and the resolution of your case will make a big difference to you, your family, and your life moving forward.
If you’ve been injured on the job, workers’ compensation insurance may entitle you to critical assistance like medical treatment, lost wages, and more. But insurance companies will put up an aggressive fight to resist paying you the compensation you need and deserve. Rutter Mills can help get you the money you deserve.
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