Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s “Best Law Firms” for 2022, Wilshire Law Firm’s maritime lawyers are making huge waves in the legal landscape. With our headquarters located in Los Angeles, California, our experienced team of maritime attorneys are here to represent you.
Our dedicated group of maritime lawyers are here to help California victims whether the incident was in Long Beach, San Pedro, Ventura, off the coast of Washington or Alaska or in the high seas of the Pacific Ocean.
From the shores of California, to the coast of Seattle, all the way up to the great oceans of Alaska, and even the ports along the Florida coastline, Wilshire Law Firm is committed to providing our clients with high-quality legal representation. We handle a wide range of maritime cases including boat accidents, cruise ship-related accidents and sexual harassment, Jones Act wage claims, and many other various nautical disputes.
What is Maritime and Admiralty Law?
Maritime and Admiralty Law refers to a collection of federal and international laws and regulations that govern behavior, activity, and nautical disputes on the open seas and other bodies of navigable water. State law may supplement federal maritime law where there is no conflict with federal law.
Do I Have a Maritime Law Case in California?
Maritime law is broad-reaching and touches upon many different aspects of nautical disputes. The award-winning team at Wilshire Law Firm have an extensive history helping clients resolve complex cases throughout the United States.
Maritime law is generally applicable where an accident occurs on the high seas and other forms of navigable waters such as lakes and rivers, as well as in docks and harbors.
What Types of Maritime Cases Does Wilshire Law Firm Handle?
- Cruise Ship Passenger Accidents
- Boating and other Watercraft Accidents
- Jones Act – Injury and Wrongful Death
- Maritime Wrongful Death Cases
- Maritime Catastrophic Cases
- Longshoreman and Harbor Workers’ Cases Against Vessel Owner
Cruise Ship Passenger Accidents & Sexual Harassment
Our law firm represents passengers who were injured onboard cruise ships or on cruise ship shoreside excursions. If you were injured onboard a cruise ship or on a shoreside cruise ship excursion you may have a case against the cruise line for their negligence, including failure to warn of foreseeable or known dangers.
It is common for accidents onboard cruise ships to occur. Common types of accidents include:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Trip and fall accident
- Swimming pool accidents
- Cabin accidents
- Gangway accidents
- Deck accidents and accidents in other common areas of the cruise ship
- Shoreside excursion accidents
It is important to get an attorney who is knowledgeable and experienced in maritime law and representing cruise ship victims, as cruise ship cases can be a trap for the unwary! The Wilshire Law Firm is experienced in maritime cases, including cruise ship cases.
Sexual Harassment on Cruise Ships – Strict Liability for Crewmember Sexual Assault
According to data from the Department of Transportation (DOT), sexual harassment is the most frequently reported incident on cruise ships. Sexual harassment on cruise ships has run rampant over the past few years.
Cruise ships have a moral and legal obligation to keep their passengers safe and in a secure environment for the duration of the trip. Many deploy tactics to shame or discredit sexual harassment victims into not filing a lawsuit. We know all of their tricks and are ready to fight for our clients and help you get the justice that you deserve.
If you have been a victim of sexual assault, rape, harassment, or any other sexual misconduct on a cruise ship, you may be entitled to compensation. There is strict liability to passengers for sexual assault by a crewmember. We provide legal services for sexual misconduct cases that occurred on cruise ships and are always on standby with our team of experienced lawyers.
Boat Accidents | Watercraft Accidents
Wilshire Law Firm represents clients in the following types of accidents:
- Cruise ship Accidents
- Recreational Boating Accidents
- Jet Ski Accidents
- Yacht Accidents
- Duck Boat Accidents
- Dive Boat Accidents
- Sport Fishing Accidents
- Whale-Watching Excursions
- Collisions and Allisions
- Docking and Port Accidents
- Defective Boats or Watercraft
- And more…
What Are Common Causes of a Boating Accident?
- Operator Inattention
- Improper Lookout
- Inexperienced Recreational Boaters
- Excessive Speed
- Impaired Operation
- Equipment failure
- Violating navigation rules
- Dangerous waters
- Weather
- Forceful waves or wake
Different laws apply to accidents that occur on navigable waters, such as the high seas, lakes and rivers. Injured victims and their families should hire a law firm knowledgeable and experienced in maritime law, which could lead to traps for the unwary. At Wilshire Law Firm, we have experience representing people injured in boating and watercraft accidents.
Laws Applicable to Seamen
Wilshire Law Firm represents seamen and crewmembers who have been injured onboard cruise ships, fishing vessels, sport-fishing vessels, yachts and other types of boats. If you were working onboard a ship or boat, you may have a case against your employer. Maritime laws that are applicable only to seamen/crewmembers are the Jones Act, Doctrine of Maintenance and Cure, and the General Maritime Law of Unseaworthiness.
You may be entitled to compensation for the following types of damages:
- Past and future medical care
- Past and future wage loss
- Loss of income earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress
- Found
- Other remedies
The Jones Act
The Jones Act, also known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, is federal legislation that protects injured maritime workers, who work onboard vessels and who are injured due to the negligence of their employer.
Maintenance and Cure:
Maintenance and cure refers to the benefits and medical care that an injured seafarer receives while recovering from a work-related injury, regardless of fault. An injured seaman has a right to obtain quality medical care (curative treatment) until he has reached maximum medical cure, and there can be no further medical improvement with treatment.
Injured seamen are also entitled to a daily stipend known as a ”maintenance,” until they reach maximum medical cure (MMC). This ‘maintenance’ is used to aid certain aspects of an injured seafarer’s life such as rent, mortgage, food, utilities, and other necessities.
The law requires a maritime employer to promptly pay maintenance and cure to their injured worker until they reach maximum medical cure status.
If an employer fails to provide quality medical care or unreasonably delays providing medical care to the injured seaman, the employer may be on the hook for punitive damages and attorney’s fees and costs related to litigation of this issue.
Were you injured on the job and have not received the proper maintenance and cure from your employer? Wilshire Law Firm can help you receive maximum compensation from your employer and get you the justice that you deserve.
Seaworthiness
Vessel owners are required to provide a seaworthy vessel for the safety of the crew. Seaworthiness refers to the safety of a particular vessel and its ability to operate safely and pass the required tests and inspections without fail. Not only does this refer to the vessel, but it also includes the safety of the environment and the proper equipment and protection given to seamen to adequately do their job. An unsafe protocol or procedure can mean an unseaworthy vessel.
Many maritime accidents stem from vessels being unseaworthy. Defective equipment, unsafe working conditions or lack of protocols can result in failure of even the newest vessels. Vessel owners are strictly liable to the seaman for harm that occurs as a result of an unseaworthy vessel.
Death on High Seas Act | DOHSA | Wrongful Death Offshore
According to DOHSA, an individual may file a claim, “When the death of an individual is caused by wrongful act, neglect, or default occurring on the high seas beyond three (3) nautical miles from the shore of the United States….”
In order to file a claim under the Death on High Seas Act, you must be a qualified beneficiary. Qualified beneficiaries include a decedent’s spouse, parent, child, or dependent relative.
If a member of your family has been killed while at sea, you may be entitled under maritime law to economic compensation if you file a DOHSA claim within three years. Wilshire Law Firm provides compassionate and confidential assistance and legal representation for those affected by the death of a loved one on the high seas.
Longshore and Harbor Workers Injured on Vessels
Injuries often occur in maritime occupations. Under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA), longshoreman, dock and harbor workers may have a claim against a vessel owner if they are injured onboard a vessel.
Maritime workers operating within all navigable waters of the U.S. and their respective operations areas (piers, wharves, docks, terminals, and vessel loading/unloading zones) are covered under the LHWCA. If you are injured on the job onboard a vessel, you may be able to recover against a Vessel owner for loss of income and benefits, past and future medical care, emotional distress, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, punitive damages if the vessel owner was grossly negligent, and other damages permissible under the law.
We represent Longshoremen and Harbor/Dock workers who are injured as a result of a vessel’s negligence.
Schedule a Free Maritime Attorney Consultation Today
Truth. Justice. Accountability. That’s what our experienced maritime lawyers can bring to the table for your boating accident or offshore injury claim.
Wilshire Law Firm represents the families of boat accident victims as well as seriously injured survivors, both nationally and internationally. We would be honored to investigate your offshore injury, maritime employment, or maritime accident case and work on your behalf.
To begin scheduling your free initial consultation with an experienced maritime attorney, please call (844) 432-7044 or complete our online contact form. Our team is available 24/7 to assist you.