Jacksonville Maritime Law Attorneys
Florida Maritime and Admiralty Law
Admiralty law is also referred to as maritime law and its roots reach back to recorded history when most of all commerce was conducted on the sea.
Generally speaking, it is a body of law governing maritime activities largely characterized by international law that has developed in recent decades to include multilateral treaties on navigable water - oceans, lakes, and rivers used for commercial transport.
Because Florida has hundreds of miles of coastline it has more maritime activity and registered recreational boats than any of the other 50 states. Our seaports have the most tonnage of cargo coming into this country and more cruise ship passengers launch from Florida than anywhere else. All sorts of vessels including pleasure boats and yachts, jet skis, cruise ships and shipping vessels travel on our territorial waters and fall under maritime or admiralty law.
Territorial waters are waters close to the land. Many use a guideline of three miles from the shore, but the boundaries are dynamic and in Florida the territorial waters are determined by the Gulf Stream.
No matter what type of vessel, the owner owes a duty of care to its passengers.
When someone is injured aboard a ship, the injured person may have an action for negligence if the operator failed to use reasonable care.
Under maritime law, a cruise ship operator's negligence can cause injuries to passengers, sexual assaults, falls, and fires. A pleasure boat's captain may be negligent if he pilots the boat while under the influence. A dock owner may be negligent if he does not have adequate lighting to avoid collisions with others on the navigable water.
Maritime and admiralty law can be even more complex when it involves the cruise industry. Because of the largess of that industry in Florida, it has changed the game for those wanting to file a lawsuit for negligence. Generally the statute of limitations is three years but the cruise industry has tightened that deadline to one year. The contract is in the fine print on the back of your passenger ticket. The cruise industry also requires that personal injury lawsuits be brought in Seattle or Miami courts.
Maritime or admiralty law is a specialized area of the law that can be complex and requires knowledge of state, federal and international laws. That is why you need an experienced admiralty and maritime law firm in Jacksonville with a track record of successful claims to handle your maritime case.
Without an experienced Florida maritime law firm on your side, you could be left with huge uncompensated medical bills and a lot of questions. Farah & Farah has the resources as well as the experienced to help you achieve a dramatic difference in the outcome of any financial claim following an injury at sea.
Please visit our Jacksonville Florida Maritime Website for more info.
Our personal promise: Accident victims have specific rights, but by law you have a limited time to take action. When you use our team at Farah & Farah, there are NO up-front charges.
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Our fee is a percentage of the money awarded payable only when your case is successfully concluded. No matter how many times you call and how long we talk, there is NO CHARGE or cost until your case settles. Do not sign any releases, agreements or give any statements until you have spoken with us about your legal rights. When it comes to getting you more, we won't settle for less!
We personally promise that you will be treated with the respect and dignity you deserve. We promise to keep you up to date and informed as to developments in your case. Your case is important to us, regardless of size.
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