Seattle is one of the most important port cities in the country, and every day you can find thousands of commercial and recreational boaters churning up the waters of the Puget Sound. Unfortunately, this high density of maritime activity means accidents will happen. If you or someone you know has been injured on the water, you need a maritime injury attorney you can trust.

It is important to find a maritime injury lawyer that has both the experience arguing maritime cases in court as well as the ability to understand the circumstances in which maritime accidents happen. An expert maritime accident attorney will help you tell the story of how your accident happened and will fight to get you the compensation you deserve so you can recover and move on from your injury.

When it comes to maritime law, Brain Injury Law of Seattle handles all aspects of maritime injury — both sea and shore situations.

Why Do I Need a Specialized Brain Injury Attorney?

Brain injuries are different from other accident-related injuries. A broken arm or whiplash, while painful, usually has a straightforward diagnosis and recovery path—these injuries are visible and obvious.

Brain injuries, however, can be complex, invisible, and highly unpredictable. Symptoms can linger for months or even years, and in some cases, additional complications appear long after the accident.

Insurance companies often downplay concussions or TBIs, labeling them “minor” injuries or questioning the extent they affect your daily life. Without legal representation, you may find your claim undervalued or outright denied.

Brain Injury Law of Seattle Provides

Maritime Injury Representation

Our legal team can provide representation for Seattle fishermen, crabbers, ferry workers, longshoremen, deckhands, and many other individuals involved in commercial and recreational boating accidents.

Our experience untangling the complexities of maritime law and building cases with support from naval experts, marine safety investigators, medical personnel, job experts, and anyone else needed will help you get the compensation you deserve.

Understanding Your Maritime Rights

Your rights in a maritime accident depend on why you were present at the scene of the injury. Were you there as a passenger or recreational boater? Were you a longshoreman? Or were you a working seaman?

Let’s break down what happens for each of these categories.

Passengers and Recreational Boaters

Passengers and recreational boaters are those Seattle-region residents who participate in recreational fishing and boating activities. This also includes kayakers, jet-skiers, and paddle boarders. If you are any one of these and you sustain an injury while on a waterway or lake, your personal injury case falls under maritime law.

In this category, passengers make-up the majority of maritime personal injury cases.

As a passenger, it is important to understand that vessel owners or operators owe a duty of care to you.

This duty of care has two elements:
The vessel owner must provide a reasonable amount of security against physical harm.

The vessel owner must ensure the ship, including its equipment and crew, are in working condition and seaworthy.
If you, as a passenger, hope to file a claim against a boat owner, you must be able to demonstrate a few things:

  • The vessel owner had a duty of care towards you.
  • The duty of care was breached.
  • The breach is what caused the damages you incurred.
  • You can produce proof of damages (e.g. medical bills, wage loss, pain and suffering).

Do you think you are able to demonstrate these four elements? Get in touch with Brain Injury Law of Seattle to begin your case!

Longshoremen

Longshoremen are those maritime workers who manage ports and waterways to ensure ship traffic flows smoothly and efficiently. This category of worker includes harbor laborers, stevedores, ship-breakers, ship engineers, ship repairmen, and marine construction workers.

If you, as a longshoreman, have sustained an injury on the job, then you have access to the United States Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA or USL&H). This Act ensures you are provided with wage replacement while recovering from your injury and also makes sure your medical costs are covered.

Unfortunately, the USL&H Act does not enable you to bring action against your employer for causing your injury. If you would like to bring a lawsuit against your employer, please reach out to our legal team at Brain Injury Law of Seattle. We would love to help build your case.

Seamen

Seamen are those who work aboard a vessel as crew members. These kinds of jobs can be extremely challenging, not only physically, but also due to the risk of bad weather, unseaworthy vessels, and the carelessness of other crew members. For seamen, injuries are not uncommon.

If you, as a seaman, have been injured on the job, there are a number of legal statutes and common laws a maritime injury attorney can help you rally for damages. These include:

  • Jones Act: Orders employers to provide care for injured employees.
  • General Maritime Law: Allows you to sue the shipowner or employer who caused your injury.
  • Doctrine of Unseaworthiness: Allows you to take action against shipowners who ignored unseaworthy ship conditions.
  • Doctrine of Maintenance and Cure: States employers must continue to provide wages to you while you recover from your injuries.

Finding A Maritime Injury Attorney

As you can see, the laws surrounding maritime personal injuries are complex. Consequently, it is important you work with a maritime law attorney when you bring your case to court.

Here at Brain Injury Law of Seattle, our expert legal team has years of experience representing the victims of maritime injury. We have the knowledge necessary to help you build your defense and are able to bring forward numerous maritime experts to bear on your case.

You deserve to receive compensation for your injuries and we want to help you achieve your justice. For an honest and straightforward legal consultation, contact our office today.