Maritime and Admiralty Law

Maritime law—also called admiralty law—is a distinct body of law that governs activity on navigable waters. It has its own statutes, its own remedies, and its own procedures, and it often differs in important ways from the law that applies on land. Whether the matter involves an injured maritime worker, a vessel, a cargo dispute, or a contract tied to the water, these cases require an understanding of the specialized rules that control them. Our firm handles maritime matters, and we tailor our approach—including how we structure fees—to the kind of case involved.

This page is informational and is not a substitute for advice about your specific situation.

What Maritime Law Covers

Maritime law reaches a wide range of matters connected to navigable waters, including:

Maritime personal injury — injuries to seamen, offshore workers, longshore and harbor workers, and others hurt on or near the water.
Vessel and property matters — collisions, allisions, groundings, salvage, and damage to vessels and cargo.
Maritime contracts — charter parties, vessel service and repair agreements, towage, marine construction, supply and bunkering, and other contracts that are maritime in nature.
Cargo and shipping disputes — loss, damage, or delay of goods carried by water.
Maritime liens and enforcement — claims against a vessel or its owner, and the enforcement of maritime contract rights.

Injuries on the Water: A Specialized Set of Remedies

One of the most important features of maritime law is that injured maritime workers are generally not covered by ordinary state workers’ compensation. Instead, a different framework applies, and which remedy is available turns on the worker’s status and the facts.

The Jones Act (seamen)

The Jones Act is a federal law that allows a seaman—broadly, a worker whose duties contribute to the function of a vessel in navigation, and who has a substantial connection to that vessel—to sue his or her employer for injuries caused by negligence, and to demand a jury. Seaman status is a threshold question that is heavily fact-dependent.

Unseaworthiness (general maritime law)

Separately, a vessel owner owes seamen a duty to provide a seaworthy vessel—one whose hull, equipment, and crew are reasonably fit for their intended use. An unseaworthiness claim arises under general maritime law and is distinct from a Jones Act negligence claim, though the two are frequently brought together in the same lawsuit.

Maintenance and cure

Maintenance and cure is an ancient, no-fault remedy: regardless of who was at fault, an employer generally must provide an injured or ill seaman with a daily living allowance (maintenance) and medical care (cure) until the seaman reaches maximum medical improvement. Because it does not depend on proving fault, it is often the first avenue of support—and an employer’s wrongful failure to pay it can carry additional consequences.

The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA)

Maritime workers who are not seamen—such as many longshore, harbor, shipyard, and terminal workers—may instead be covered by the LHWCA, a federal workers’-compensation-style system. In some circumstances, related statutes such as the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act can extend LHWCA coverage to certain offshore operations.

Because a worker’s classification determines which of these regimes applies—and the differences in available recovery can be substantial—an early, careful evaluation of status and facts is essential. In some cases a worker’s status is genuinely unclear, and more than one avenue may be in play.

Maritime Contracts and Enforcement

Maritime law also governs a wide range of commercial relationships. Whether a contract is “maritime”—and therefore governed by maritime law rather than state law—is itself an important question with real consequences for the rights involved. We handle the negotiation, performance, and enforcement of maritime contracts, including charter parties, towage and service agreements, marine construction and repair contracts, and supply arrangements, as well as the maritime liens and remedies that can attach to a vessel or its owner when obligations are not met. These contract and enforcement matters are litigated and resolved differently from personal-injury claims, and they call for their own strategy.

How We Structure Fees

Because maritime cases vary so widely, our fee structure depends on the type of matter. We discuss fees openly at the outset so you understand the arrangement before any work begins.

Injury and damages lawsuits. For maritime personal-injury and similar damages claims—such as Jones Act, unseaworthiness, and maintenance-and-cure cases—we typically handle the matter on a contingency fee basis, meaning our fee is a percentage of the recovery and is generally owed only if we obtain a recovery for you. The specific percentage and the treatment of costs are set out in a written fee agreement.
Contract and enforcement actions. For maritime contract disputes and enforcement matters—where the goal is enforcing rights, recovering amounts owed, or resolving a commercial dispute—we typically use an hourly or flat/fixed-fee arrangement, or another structure suited to the matter, rather than a contingency fee. The right approach depends on the nature and posture of the dispute.

In every case, the fee arrangement is confirmed in a written agreement, and we are glad to explain the options and how costs and expenses are handled. (Fee structures are individualized and depend on the facts, the type of matter, and applicable rules; nothing here is a quote or a guarantee of any particular fee or outcome.)

Why Maritime Cases Require Specialized Handling

Maritime matters carry their own statutes, deadlines, choice-of-forum questions, and remedies that do not track ordinary state-law claims. The difference between seaman and non-seaman status, between a maritime and a non-maritime contract, or between state and federal forum can change the entire course of a case. Acting promptly—and with counsel who understands these rules—helps protect your rights and preserve your options.

Related Practice Areas

Personal Injury — for injury claims generally.
Business Litigation — for commercial and contract disputes.
Civil Litigation

Contact the Firm

If you have a maritime matter—an injury on the water, a vessel or cargo dispute, or a maritime contract to enforce—contact our office today to discuss your situation and how we can help.

This page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this information does not create an attorney-client relationship. Maritime law is complex and fact-specific, and its application depends on the circumstances of each matter. You should consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.