Admiralty / Maritime Law

Skilled Michigan Attorneys in Matters of Admiralty/Maritime Law

Few law firms in Grand Rapids, Michigan practice admiralty/maritime law, but thanks to the relationships Howard P.C. has established with maritime construction firms, manufacturers, marinas and insurance companies, we have become experts. We primarily provide defense counsel for these firms in actions taken against them, but we also handle maritime torts.

Our client list includes Underwater Construction Corporation, Great Lakes Dock & Materials, Lake Cumberland Marine, Cruisers Yachts (a division of KCS International, Inc.), AI Marine Adjusters, Fountain Power Boats, and Michigan Marinas Association.

Practicing law by land and sea

Many legal issues that can occur on land can also occur on the water, such as workers' compensation, criminal offenses, personal injury or employment issues. When they occur on the water, some specific situations related to those issues are covered by admiralty law.

The Jones Act is a federal statute that provides a cause of action for injured seamen. A seamen must prove fault (unlike worker's compensation) or negligence on the part of the vessel's workers, operators, officers, &/or fellow employees or by reason of defect in the vessel, its gear, tackle or equipment (ie seaman loss of the vessel).

The Longshore and Worker's Compensation Act provides payment of compensation benefits for disability or death of an employee falling within the statute, if the death or disability occurred within the definition of "navigable waters". We handle claims including:

• Cargo claims - carriage of good by sea act (COGSA)
• Maritime personal injuries & boating accidents
• Longshoreman & Harbor Workers Compensation  Act
• Vessel sales, documentation & registration
• Seaman's claims & the Jones act
• Diving accidents & diving laws
• Death on the high seas act
• Claims & relating to shipping & cargo
• Litigation & arbitration for collison & salvage ("pure salvage" & "Contract salvage")
• Recreational boating & marine claims
• Marine insurance
• Salvage
• OSHA / MIOSHA diving compliance rules and regulations

Admiralty law covers all contracts, torts, injuries or offenses that take place on navigable waters. The jurisdiction for matters of admiralty/maritime law has been extended over all public navigable waters including rivers, streams, lakes and other bodies of water.

Basically, anyone working on a boat, oil rig, marina, dredge, pier or other construction near navigable waters could bring a claim under the Jones Act against the owner of that boat or structure. Issues could range from failure to provide safe equipment or working conditions, failure to hire a competent crew or equipment operator, failure to put guards on machinery or any of a number of acts of negligence.

Admiralty/Maritime law resource

If you require legal advice or active defense in any matter of admiralty/maritime law, please Contact Howard P.C. for a consultation, and a review of our capabilities and experience in this area.