Drowning at Sea Cases

Nothing in life is more devastating than losing a loved one. If you have lost a family member who worked as a seaman, you need to be aware of your legal rights to compensation. When death occurs due to a drowning at sea, you may be able to recover monetary damages. Even though compensation won’t bring back your loved one, it can ease the financial burden that you may be experiencing because of your loss.

Working on the high seas is dangerous and can lead to serious and fatal injuries. Throughout the years, many seamen have been victims of drowning accidents, even though some of the accidents could have been prevented. Drowning is often the result of an unseaworthy vessel. If the vessel did not have a survival suit, life raft or other survival craft, or if any of these life saving devices failed, it could constitute an unseaworthiness claim. Under the Jones Act, ship owners can be held liable for unseaworthy vessels. If the drowning death was caused by an unseaworthy vessel, you may be able to file a claim under the Jones Act, which could entitle you to substantial compensation.

Drowning deaths can also occur when there is no safe access to the vessel. According to maritime law, a vessel operator and ship owner are required to provide the crew members and Captain with a safe access to and from the vessel. Many injuries and deaths happen when seamen are attempting to go from the vessel to the dock or crossing over vessel to vessel. If death occurs from trying to access the vessel, you may be able to obtain monetary damages.

Maritime law can be complex and because each case is unique, there may be different laws that apply. If your loved one was the victim of drowning while working offshore, you need to seek legal advice immediately. There are deadlines as to when you can file a claim against the ship owner or other responsible party and it is important to start your case as soon as possible.