Serving Maritime Accident & Injury Victims for Over 20 Years
"Whether it's a whiplash, serious injury or wrongful death case, we pride ourselves on representing you with the personal service and aggressive representation that you expect and deserve!" -Attorney Ron Sholes​
Maritime Accident Attorneys
We Will Fight to Recover the Compensation You Deserve
Contact the Law Offices of Ron Sholes, P.A. for advice and representation on admiralty and maritime cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, or persons missing at sea. Whether it’s passengers, crew members, or other maritime workers, every maritime accident case is different, and time is of the essence. We encourage victims and their families to seek immediate legal representation.
Maritime laws involving injuries aboard passenger ships, cargo ships or other vessels are not the same as other typical personal injury cases and differ in many ways including time limitations on claims, as well as concerns around preservation of critical evidence. The intricacies of federal, foreign and international law and treaties makes it even more important that you obtain quality legal representation immediately.
Unlike many law firms, we don't just settle! We don't simply take what the insurance company wants to pay, but rather we demand and fight for fair and just compensation for your injuries and all of your damages, including your economic and non-economic damages such as pain and suffering and your loss of enjoyment of life.
Causes of Maritime Accidents
It’s estimated that over 70% of all maritime accidents occur due to negligence. Whether it’s a mechanical error that puts a seaman at risk or the owner/employer’s lack of observance and failure to repair the problem before a crewmember or worker gets hurt, mechanical errors are one of the most common reasons for maritime injuries and death. Another major cause of accidents and injuries is extreme fatigue among maritime workers. Owners and employers must be held accountable, but often times are simply not. Contract law can play a major role in a maritime injury or wrongful death claim. Remember, responsible parties, like large maritime corporations and their insurance companies, do NOT want to pay damages. Oftentimes these companies attempt to get crew members to “waive” their right to bring a claim under certain circumstances. These companies will attempt to avoid responsibility by compelling arbitration and avoiding a trial by jury.
The Jones Act
The Jones Act provides a uniform standard to protect clients from their employers. The Jones Act, originally passed in 1920 and revised in 1970, requires the owners and employers of sea-going vessels to provide a safe working environment for their employees. In maritime law, the owners and operators of the vessel are governed by a concept called “absolute duty.” In accordance with the Jones Act, employers have a binding obligation to provide seamen with seaworthy vessels and to keep the vessels in working order. Likewise, owners and operators are required to make sound decisions regarding the safe operation of the vessel at all times. When owners, operators, and/or employers fail to adhere to their “absolute duty,” they may be liable for damages including but not limited to lost wages, living expenses, medical expenses, and other past economic damages, as well as future loss of earnings potential and other economic future damages. Additionally, criminal charges may result if someone breaches their “absolute duty.”
Types of Maritime Accident Cases
At the Law Offices of Ron Sholes, P.A., we take claim preservation and investigation seriously and we work with a wide range of experts in the field of admiralty and maritime law for the following type of claims:
- All injuries and wrongful death
- Unseaworthiness claims against owners and operators
- Cruise ship passengers
- Crew members and ship workers
- Guests and passengers
- Boaters
- Fisherman
- Jones Act seamen and longshoremen
- Shipboard contractors and repairmen
- Offshore riggers and other workers
- Dock and harbor workers
- Negligent vessel operations resulting in injury or death — running aground, striking other vessels or objects, or other shipwrecks
Hurt in a Maritime Accident?
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a maritime incident, we are here to help.