Being injured at sea can leave you and your family facing significant hardship. Your injuries might be painful, your medical care expensive, and the emotional toll taken on you might be devastating. As stressful as all of that can be, there are things that you can do...
Maritime Law
When do container stations become responsible for merchandise?
Merchandise is transported all around the world and Long Beach receives many containers of merchandise through the ports in and near the city. The containers of merchandise need to be offloaded and often times stored until they are eventually carried by different...
Common maritime accidents
All forms of transportation have accidents. But the ocean is vast and, for many workers and individuals, presents the risk of accidents. Cruises Cruise vessels comprise major types of maritime accidents that can lead to maritime personal injury lawsuits by passengers...
Tips for protecting yourself from a maritime accident
We’ve spent some time on this blog discussing some of the most common ways that those who work at sea are injured. But how common are these kinds of injuries? They occur with more frequency than you may think. In fact, some studies have shown that more than 9,000...
Wetland regulations cover half-acre and fewer
Maritime law affects the sea, but it also affects those who live by the sea, and in some instances, those who live near waterways generally. This includes those who have wetlands on their property. Wetlands If you live near the ocean or a waterway, you may not think...
The Jones Act and the ‘vessel in navigation’ determination
In order to receive protection under the Jones Act, as discussed in our last blog post, you have to prove a number of characteristics. Amongst them are that you’re a seaman, that the vessel on which you were injured was in navigation, that you contributed to the...
Understanding the Jones Act
In 1920, the United States Congress passed a statute called the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. Most people today refer to the law as the “Jones Act.” The Jones Act was intended to ensure that the United States had a modern and effective merchant marine fleet and to give...
Potential dockworker strike a challenge for West Coast ports
The litany of shipping, transportation and business challenges that have impacted California ports in the past several years have caused significant concerns. This has stemmed from illnesses, delays and disputes. Through it all, workers have done their jobs and been...
How the Jones Act helps workers at sea
The Jones Act is a federal law that provides important protections for maritime workers who are working at sea. Because of the importance of the Jones Act to a worker injured at sea, it is helpful to be familiar with the types of protections is provides. The Jones Act...
Do I need to file my service contract with the FMC?
Whenever a carrier executes a contract for the transportation of goods for a shipper, a service contract must be filed with the Federal Maritime Commission. The following are the basics on service contracts and how to file them with SERVCON, the automated filing...