West Palm Beach Maritime Accident Lawyer

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Were you recently injured in an accident on the open waters off the coast of West Palm Beach, FL? Whether you were working on a vessel or injured in a cruise ship accident, you may have the right to recover compensation for your resulting trauma. The experienced West Palm Beach maritime accident lawyers at Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers can help you fight to get all of the money you deserve.

Since 1996, award-winning Florida trial attorney Gregg Hollander has been a fierce advocate for victims of accidents at sea. Standing up to powerful insurance companies, corporations, and maritime employers, he’s been able to secure tens of millions of dollars on his client’s behalves.

Maritime injury cases can be complicated, so it’s important to have an experienced legal ally fighting for you. Call our West Palm Beach law office to learn more about how we can help you navigate this difficult time in your life. Your first consultation is free, so get in touch today at (561)-556-7873.

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How Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Maritime Accident in West Palm Beach, FL

When you’re injured on a vessel on the open seas, the consequences can last a lifetime. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to know where to turn to get the compensation you need and deserve as you work to recover from your catastrophic injuries.

In some cases, federal maritime law will apply to your situation. Other times, Florida state law will control. You’ll want to make sure that you enlist the help of an experienced and qualified West Palm Beach personal injury lawyer to help you navigate the challenges that can arise.

Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers can put you on a level playing field with powerful adversaries and give you the edge you need to recover the compensation you deserve.

We have extensive experience handling maritime cases in both state and federal court, and can anticipate the curveballs that might get thrown to you on your path to financial security.

When you trust us with your maritime injury case, you’ll have the time and opportunity to focus on your recovery while we:

Conduct a thorough and independent investigation into your maritime accident
Carefully analyze evidence we’ve obtained through the discovery process
Work to establish why the accident happened and how it could have been avoided
Determine all potential options for financial recovery, including claims under federal maritime law or a civil lawsuit under Florida state or federal law
Handle settlement negotiations with other parties on your behalf
Prepare to bring your maritime injury lawsuit to trial in state or federal court, if necessary

You shouldn’t have to worry about the cost of hiring a lawyer after a serious maritime injury, which is why Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers works on contingency. We don’t get paid unless we win your maritime injury case.

Call our law office, conveniently located in West Palm Beach, FL, to get started and schedule a free consultation today.

How Are Maritime Accident Cases Different From Other Boating Accident Cases in Florida?

When you’re injured in an accident on a lake or river in Florida or right off the coast of West Palm Beach, state law applies.

However, Federal maritime law – or admiralty law – governs situations when a person is injured on the navigable waters or while working aboard a vessel or dock.

Most – but not all – maritime injury cases involve seamen who are injured on the job. Maritime law provides options for these injured workers to recover compensation for their job-related injuries.

Depending on the situation, one or more of the following laws might apply:

The Jones Act
The Longshoreman & Harbor Workers Compensation Act
Longshore Act
Death on the High Seas Act
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act

More general maritime laws might apply, too.

We Handle All Types of Maritime Injury Cases in West Palm Beach, FL

At Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers, we help clients who have suffered injuries in maritime cases, including:

Commercial fishing accidents
Offshore rig accidents
Pleasure boat accidents
Cruise ship accidents
Tugboat accidents
Crude oil tanker accidents
Cargo ship accidents
Shipyard accidents
Dock accidents
Barge accidents

Our maritime accident attorneys in West Palm Beach have 28+ years of experience navigating challenges in these and other types of maritime injury cases. Don’t hesitate to reach out to discuss your legal rights and options if you’ve recently been injured on the open seas off the coast of South Florida.

What Compensation Can I Recover in a West Palm Beach Maritime Injury Claim?

The type of compensation that can be awarded ultimately depends on what law governs your maritime injury case.

However, under general maritime law, injured seamen and harbor workers can receive what’s known as maintenance and cure.

Maintenance & Cure

Maintenance and cure are the benefits awarded when a worker is injured on a dock or a vessel on navigable waters off the coast of West Palm Beach.

Maintenance refers to lost wages and day-to-day living expenses.

Cure refers to the costs of medical treatment necessary for a laborer to recover from their maritime injuries.

Under federal maritime law, employers must pay maintenance & cure until a worker reaches maximum medical improvement (MMI) or is fit to return to duty.

Damages in a Civil Lawsuit

The Jones Act provides injured seamen with the right to file a civil lawsuit if they are injured due to the negligent or wrongful actions of their employer or third party. Florida personal injury law also provides this right to civilians injured on the high seas.

In a civil lawsuit, maritime injury victims can pursue compensatory damages. These fall into two categories: economic and non-economic.

Economic damages include money for verifiable costs and losses, including:

Medical bills
Lost wages
Disability
Reduced earning capacity
Out-of-pocket costs
Rehabilitation
Therapy
Nursing assistance
Funeral expenses

Non-economic damages include money for the hard-to-value trauma of a maritime accident, such as:

Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Mental anguish
Reduced quality of life
Loss of consortium
Disfigurement
Embarrassment
Damage to reputation

Civil lawsuits also provide the opportunity to seek punitive damages. However, those are only awarded when there’s clear and convincing evidence that a defendant acted intentionally, with malice, or displayed a conscious disregard for a victim’s safety.

Our maritime accident attorneys in West Palm Beach will enlist the help of qualified experts and specialists as we review and assess your case. We’ll lean on their insight into your situation and use it to help us leverage a result that accurately represents what your maritime injury case is worth.

Helping You Seek Compensation for All of Your Maritime Injuries

Whether you slip and fall on a vessel, get crushed by a falling object, or are hurt because of defective equipment, the injuries you suffer on a navigable vessel can impact your life forever.

At Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers, we’re ready to help you fight back and demand compensation for all of your maritime injuries, including:

Broken bones
Vision loss
Hearing loss
Tinnitus
Eye injury
Nerve damage
Crushing injury
Chest injury
Amputation
Drowning-related injury
Traumatic brain injury
Concussion
Hypothermia
Spinal cord injury
Back injury
Lumbar injury
Joint injury
Neck injury
Soft tissue injury
Wrongful death of a family member

Report your injury and seek medical treatment immediately after a maritime accident off the coast of West Palm Beach. Once your condition is stable, don’t hesitate to contact our West Palm Beach maritime injury attorneys to discuss your legal rights and options. A member of our legal team is always here to take your call – 24/7/365.

What’s the Statute of Limitations on Florida Maritime Injury Lawsuits?

The length of time you’ll have to file a lawsuit will depend on which law applies to your case.

Under Florida state personal injury law, you’ll have either two years or four years from the date of your maritime accident to file a lawsuit for damages. The two-year time limit will apply if your accident happened on or after 3/24/2023, and the four-year time limit will apply if it occurred before that date. The statute of limitations is just two years for cases involving wrongful death.

When federal admiralty law applies, the statute of limitations for injury claims is typically three years.

If you’re injured on a cruise ship off the waters of West Palm Beach, FL, you’ll have six months to one year to seek compensation.

Don’t let too much time pass after you’re hurt on a vessel in navigable waters. Once the statute of limitations expires, you lose the right to stand up and demand the compensation you deserve. There are exceptions to these deadlines as well, so it is best to have an attorney determine the appropriate time limit for your case.

Schedule a Free Case Evaluation With an Experienced West Palm Beach Maritime Accident Lawyer

Did you or a close family member recently get hurt in an accident off the coast of West Palm Beach, Florida? Did you suffer injuries while working on the docks of West Palm Beach? If so, contact Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers for immediate legal assistance. You could have the right to seek compensation from your employer or a negligent party, and our West Palm Beach maritime accident attorneys can help you fight to maximize your recovery.

Put a team with 28+ years of experience handling complex federal and state maritime cases in your corner. We’ve won tens of millions on behalf of clients like you. Now we’re ready to stand up and fight for you.
Call our law office in West Palm Beach, FL, to get started by scheduling a free consultation today.