What Is an Admiralty Attorney in Mississippi?

A Mississippi admiralty attorney generally works with injured employees on sea-going vessels and oil rigs, as well as onshore workers engaged in matters of marine commerce and subject to hazardous working conditions.

Admiralty attorneys in Mississippi deal in complex laws, as they differ from simple worker compensation laws generally observed on land. For example, there are three different laws—the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act, and the Death on the High Seas Act—that apply to different situations. A qualified Mississippi admiralty lawyer is necessary to help understand the nature and location of an accident and develop a legal strategy for pursuing responsible parties for damages and compensation.

Admiralty lawyers in Mississippi stay on top of changing codes

Various laws protecting employees in the shipping industry have existed under federal law as far back as 1920, when the Merchant Marine Act (now known as the Jones Act) was passed. But three laws are now in effect to cover all people in all circumstances who are injured, made sick, or killed while working in the hazardous conditions of seas and harbors. The role of Mississippi admiralty attorneys is to guide clients through the situation that affects them:

• Sailors injured at sea—The Jones Act, Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act, allows injured sailors to get compensation for damages from their employers due to negligence of the ship owner, the captain, or fellow crew members. To qualify as a sailor covered by this act, the individual must spend at least 30 percent or more working time at sea. Admiralty lawyers in Mississippi can help make this determination.
• Workers injured on or near shore—For longshoremen and other workers engaged in marine commerce but not covered by the Jones Act, Mississippi admiralty attorneys can seek damages for injuries a worker suffered while engaged in his or her employment under the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act. Compensation for lost wages generally follows a two-thirds payment schedule, over and above medical expenses also covered by the act.
• Workers killed while working offshore—It is an unfortunate fact that experienced Mississippi admiralty lawyers all too often handle cases under the Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA), which covers death due to accident beyond three nautical miles from shore. Beneficiaries include spouse, children, parents, or any other relative who was dependent on the income of that sailor. It is up to the surviving parties to contact an admiralty lawyer in Mississippi to pursue such an action.

One call...that's all

If you need a seasoned maritime attorney in Mississippi, Richard Schwartz & Associates, P.A. is ready to help you in any case involving serious injury, disease or death subject to complex maritime and admiralty laws. The law firm works on a contingency basis such that a client only pays when a fair settlement is reached. One call is all you need to handle your Mississippi maritime law case. Call Richard Schwartz & Associates, P.A. at 1-800-844-1215, or contact us online.