While the high seas might be a lot less populated than the rest of the world, that doesn’t mean they aren’t ripe with incidence and accidents. Nearly $200 million dollars worth of damage occurs annually on open water. That’s a lot at stake, which is why giant oil companies have teams of lawyers ready to battle for their interests.
If you’re considering hiring a maritime lawyer to help with a sea-related issue that you’re facing, you’ll want an attorney who can stand up to the company and defend your rights. Hiring a maritime attorney to fight for you can make all the difference in your outcome.
What do you need to know about maritime law and why an attorney might be your most valuable asset? Read on and we’ll walk you through what you need to know.
1. Experience With Maritime Law
Of the many areas of law, maritime law is one of the most complicated. If you don’t have any experience handling legal situations of this kind, you’ll likely find yourself a fish out of water very quickly, no pun intended.
An experienced maritime lawyer, on the other hand, will have handled cases just like yours dozens, if not hundreds, of times in the past. They will know what strategies to employ to ensure you get the outcome you desire.
They will know what evidence needs to be gathered in order to present your case in the best light. Evidence can be hard to gather when it comes to maritime cases because the incidents occur so far away from other witnesses and often the evidence is lost to the waters.
Even when evidence is easy to find, the ins and outs of maritime law are often anything but. There are different laws, treaties, and conventions when it comes to incidents that take place on the water as opposed to anywhere else.
Maritime laws aren’t uniform everywhere, which can make them difficult to parse and enforce.
It can take many years to get familiar enough with maritime law that one can reasonably handle a case. You can lean on your maritime attorney and trust that they can navigate these complicated legal waters with ease.
They might even have existing relationships with judges and others in the legal system. They can use the weight of these existing relationships to help your case along.
2. Clarification and Communication
It would be an understatement to say that maritime law can get a little bit confusing. Even with a good head on your shoulders, it’s easy to get lost in all of the factors that can play a role in maritime cases.
This is where an attorney can come in and help. One o the things the attorney you hire should be is a clear communicator. They should be skilled at taking all of this complicated legal jargon and boiling it down into easy-to-understand basics.
No matter how many twists and turns a case might take, there should be no reason why you’re unable to understand the finer details of what you’re going through.
There’s no worse feeling than being embroiled in something that you can’t even seem to grasp. An attorney will make sure that you’re caught up with where your case is at each and every step of the way.
When hiring an attorney, it’s important to look for this quality. No matter how heavy the caseload of an attorney is, they should take the time and have the patience to make sure you have a full understanding of what they are sharing with you.
Looking for this quality will ensure you hire the best maritime lawyer for your case.
3. They Will Fight for Compensation
Have you been injured in a maritime situation? Are you seeking workers’ compensation that you haven’t been given? Has there been an accident that has damaged your property to great extent?
No matter the legal situation, an attorney will fight to secure the compensation that you deserve. The complex nature of maritime law often leads to severe battles for power during the legal process.
Your maritime lawyer will be a fighter, taking the details of your incident and building a case with the intention of maximum compensation.
An attorney will be able to value your case in a way that you won’t be able to on your own. Far too many people injured in maritime situations undervalue their case and end up going home with much less than they really deserve.
Many handling their own cases don’t know how to put a price to less qualitative elements of a case. For example, the average person might not know how to put a dollar amount to the pain and suffering they faced as the result of an incident, seeing as this does not naturally have a number attached to it.
As a result, these individuals are more likely to accept lowball offers from opposing parties and insurance companies.
An attorney won’t let this happen to you. They will ensure your future stability will be protected and that you won’t be facing financial burdens for years to come as a result of this accident.
More Benefits of a Maritime Lawyer
If you’ve been embroiled in a legal conflict out on the open water, you won’t be able to turn to a normal lawyer to help with your case. You’ll need the specific aid of an experienced maritime lawyer to get to the other side of your legal situation in one piece.
There are many benefits to hiring a maritime lawyer, as they’ll ensure you’ll get through the complications of your case with the maximum amount of compensation possible.
Have specific questions about your case? Contact us now for a free consultation.