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Maritime Injury FAQ

What Is General Maritime Law?

Before the Jones Act, general maritime law was created from court decisions that determined the rights of seamen. This is also commonly referred to as "admiralty law" and is used to govern all offshore questions, injuries, and offenses. Cases that fall under maritime law can range from passenger ship accidents to fisherman injuries, covering nearly any type of maritime accident.

If you believe you have a case under this “common law,” reach out to Arnold & Itkin today. We have secured positive results for injured offshore workers time and time again.

When you hire us, you get the following:

  • Confidence in the billions of dollars we've won for our clients
  • Compassionate and caring counsel every step of your case
  • Proven success as both litigators and negotiators
  • National recognition from legal professionals and peers.

Make sure your general maritime law case is in good hands. Contact our offshore injury lawyers for a free consultation.

Understanding General Maritime Law

Admiralty law, or general maritime law, is different from the law of the sea. The law of the sea is international law dealing with coastal waters and international relations. While the Jones Act is a more specified law governing offshore workers and seamen, general maritime law deals with maintenance and cure, personal injury cases, and even piracy. Maintenance and cure states that the employer of a vessel or offshore company is responsible for the wellbeing of their employees, and if an employee is injured while working for them, the company is responsible for paying their medical and rehabilitation bills. Ship owners also have the responsibility of caring for their passengers, including doing everything possible to prevent accidents from occurring.

What Benefits Are Provided & Who Can Pursue a Claim?

Under general maritime law, seaman are owed transportation, wages, room and board, and medical services for the duration of their voyage. Additionally, if a vessel is deemed to be unseaworthy, an injured maritime worker could pursue a claim against the ship’s owner. A ship owner has a strict duty to provide a seaworthy vessel to the seaman aboard their vessel according to general maritime law. As federal common law, general maritime law allows for much more broad reasons for bringing claims. For example, it can cover non-seaman such as cruise ship passengers.

If you want to move forward with a claim under general maritime law, make sure you:

  • Document any evidence of your injuries or illness.
  • Keep track of related medical bills and expenses.
  • Make a list of potential witnesses when possible.
  • Connect with a lawyer who understands your case.

A non-seaman will need to bring a claim for negligence against a ship owner while a seaman will just need to prove that they were injured on the job and are employed by the owner.

Think You Have an Admiralty Law Case? Call Arnold & Itkin Now.

If you have a question or concern regarding maritime law being able to cover your injury or illness, then you should defer to a legal professional who is familiar with the maritime industry. The team at Arnold & Itkin has been advocating for injured offshore and maritime workers for years. In that time, we have been highly successful, recovery more than a billion dollars for injury victims across the country.

We founded our firm to help those in need. Let us help you today by calling (888) 493-1629. Our maritime attorneys don’t charge a single fee unless we win your case!

Case Results

Check Out Our Victories

  • $8 Billion Top 3 Largest Jury Verdict in U.S. History Arnold & Itkin tried a case against Johnson & Johnson for failing to warn about a drug’s most damaging side effects: gynecomastia. Our skill, hard work, and dedication resulted in the third-largest jury verdict ever obtained for an individual ...
  • $860 Million History-Making Verdict After Fatal Crane Accident Arnold & Itkin took up the case of a woman who lost her daughter after a crane collapsed on her daughter’s apartment building. After nearly four years of delays, the defendant was forced to take responsibility.
  • $557 Million Massive Verdict Won Against Union Pacific Arnold & Itkin won a half-a-billion-dollar verdict against one of the nation’s largest rail companies after train operators mercilessly struck our client despite knowing she was on the tracks.
  • $357 Million Largest Workplace Accident Settlement in Texas History Arnold & Itkin LLP secured a massive nine-figure settlement against a transnational corporation for a workplace incident. The settlement set a Texas record for being the largest personal injury settlement in the state’s history.
  • $222 Million Record-Breaking Verdict for Widow Our firm won $222 million for a woman who lost her husband in an industrial accident caused by a faulty valve. We took the case to trial because the at-fault company refused to take responsibility. The jury saw through the corporate lies and double ...
  • $205 Million Confidential Settlement Obtained for Numerous Clients Arnold & Itkin reached a record $205,000,000 settlement on behalf of clients after several years of hard-fought litigation. The case settled just before trial was set to begin.
  • $193 Million Settlement Won for Victims of Pipeline Explosion Offshore injury lawyers at Arnold & Itkin fought for two workers who were injured in a pipeline explosion at sea, one of whom passed away. Our relentless investigation and advocacy resulted in a nine-figure settlement that will provide for our ...
  • $171 Million One of the Largest Confidential Settlements in History Arnold & Itkin worked over the course of several years to represent clients in a case that many other law firms turned down. In the end, we were able to obtain a record-setting confidential settlement.
  • $139 Million Massive Settlement Achieved for Victims of an Oilfield Incident Arnold & Itkin LLP negotiated a huge $139,000,000 settlement for injured families affected by an oilfield incident in the eastern United States, settling one week before trial.
  • $125 Million Settlement Won for Widow of Dredge Worker Offshore lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP won a nine-figure settlement for a woman who lost her husband in a pipeline explosion. By pushing the case toward trial, our firm pressured the defendant into settling with our client, allowing her to rebuild ...
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“They're very professional. They didn't back down. That's why I like my lawyers. Even when I had to do my testimony in court, they didn't let those lawyers run over me. They fought hard. You have some lions with Arnold & Itkin. They not going to back down.”
Maurice Workplace Explosion Victim

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