Admiralty Law – The Law of the Sea

If you are involved in an accident or incident on a lake or river, you may be surprised to learn that federal maritime law may apply to your case. Maritime law is a separate body of law from state law that governs accidents and incidents that occur on navigable waters. Navigable waters are bodies of water that are used or capable of being used for interstate or foreign commerce.

Lakes and rivers can be considered navigable waters under federal law, even if they are located entirely within one state. This means that if you are involved in an accident on a lake or river, your case may be governed by federal maritime law, even if the accident occurred in state waters.

Maritime law differs significantly from state law in many ways. For example, maritime law claims are typically filed in federal court, which has different rules and procedures than state court. Additionally, maritime law provides certain protections and remedies that are not available under state law.

Therefore, if you have been injured in an accident on a lake, river, or in the gulf, it is important to speak with one of Falcon Law’s maritime law attorneys. A maritime lawyer can review the facts of your case to determine whether maritime law applies and can help you pursue your claims in the appropriate forum.

Our attorneys have extensive experience handling maritime cases, including those involving the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act, personal injury claims, pipeline spills, drilling rig accidents, well blowouts, ship collisions, and barge collisions. The Falcon Law Firm has successfully argued an important federal maritime case in front of the United States Supreme Court, American Dredging v. Miller, 510 U.S. 443 (1994). In a 7-2 vote, the Supreme Court justices agreed with our firm, which resulted in injured mariners keeping an essential remedy available to them.

Our attorneys have experience representing clients from foreign countries and handling complex maritime cases with international factors. Maritime law is a specialized field, so it is imperative that any actions resulting in damages to a person or property at sea be reviewed by an experienced maritime lawyer.