Fort Myers Admiralty Law Lawyer
Anytime an injury occurs on a boat or another vessel on the water, it may be possible to seek compensation for injuries by filing an admiralty law claim. Unlike other types of personal injury cases in the Fort Myers area, admiralty law injury cases are typically governed by admiralty or maritime law. While some types of admiralty law cases may be handled by state courts, admiralty law cases that arise out of boat injuries are typically federal cases. Accordingly, it is critical to have an attorney who has experience handling admiralty and maritime law cases. Contact our experienced Fort Myers admiralty law lawyer today.
What is Admiralty Law in Fort Myers?
Admiralty law is a specific area of the law that applies to different actions that occur on “navigable waters” in the United States. The term “navigable waters” refers to any body of water that is capable of being used for maritime commerce, including oceans, rivers, and canals. Historically, the area of admiralty law has included maritime commerce and navigation, maritime shipping, and the transportation of both goods and people via waterways across the country. Sometimes admiralty law can be applicable to certain types of actions that happen on land when they are centered in issues of maritime work or activities.
You will often hear the terms “admiralty law” and “maritime law” used interchangeably. Generally speaking, these terms both refer to legal issues that occur on navigable waters, but the term admiralty law more precisely concerns procedural matters and issues of jurisdiction for cases involving maritime injuries and maritime commerce. Admiralty lawyers can specialize in different types of legal issues, including personal injury. To be sure, personal injuries happen with some frequency on boats and other vessels, and an admiralty law attorney in Fort Myers may be able to help the injured person to file a claim in order to seek financial compensation.
Common Issues Involved in Admiralty Law in Fort Myers
Given that admiralty law is a relatively broad area of the law that includes various types of injury cases and maritime commerce matters, there are many different issues that can arise in an admiralty law case. Whenever the following issues involve navigable waters, you should speak with an admiralty lawyer about your case:
- Employee injuries on boats and ships;
- Passenger injuries on boats and other vessels;
- Fraud involving maritime commerce or tourism; and
- Accidents involving maritime shipping and cargo.
Contact Frank D. Butler Today
Even though there are some similarities between injury claims arising under the area of admiralty law and personal injury lawsuits that are governed fully by state law in Florida, it is essential to hire a lawyer who is used to working in the complexities of admiralty and maritime law. If you or someone you love got hurt on any navigable waters in Southwest Florida, you should get in touch with an attorney as soon as possible. You will only have a limited time window in which to file your claim. Contact our experienced Fort Myers admiralty law lawyer today.