Maritime law applies to workers and passengers aboard a vessel, dock, or offshore platform. If you have maritime law claims, such as personal injury claims, you need to ensure you have an experienced attorney to guide you through the process. Here are the top six tips to maximize your maritime law claim. 

Seek Expert Legal Assistance 

According to lawyers Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, one of the most important steps in maximizing your maritime law claim is to get expert legal assistance. You want a maritime attorney who has several years of experience and the resources to help make your case stronger. Maritime law is often complicated, especially if the claim involves an incident that happened in international waters or a foreign port. A maritime attorney can guide you on how to establish liability for the case, gather evidence, and clearly define the jurisdiction for the case. 

Get Medical Attention if You Are Injured 

If you seek compensation for injuries in a maritime law claim, you will need to present strong evidence to prove that you suffered injuries as a result of someone’s fault or negligence while in their duty of care. A strong component of this evidence is your medical record to treat the injuries. You can only have a record if you get medical treatment. Therefore, it is vital that you get medical attention so you can establish a record of the injuries you suffered in the incident. 

Gather and Preserve Evidence 

Try to gather evidence as soon as possible otherwise, you risk not having access to the evidence or the evidence could perish. For example, if you were injured in a maritime accident, you should take photos of the accident site. If you are unable to take the photos yourself, you have someone take the photos and preserve them as evidence for the claim. 

Ensure You Submit All Paperwork Within the Deadlines 

Maritime law has strict deadlines for paperwork submission. You must ensure you submit all paperwork within the deadline, as any delay can have your claim dismissed. Once you have lost your right to claim, you may not be in a position to regain those rights. It is best to consult with an attorney on the statute of limitations for maritime law claims. 

Include All Liable Parties in the Claim

There can be more than one liability party in a maritime law claim. While the focus of your claim should be on the primary defendant, you should not hesitate to include other liable parties in your claim. For example, if you suffered due to a maritime accident on a vessel, there are several parties who could be liable for your injuries, including the crew members, vessel owners, excursion operators, and equipment manufacturers. 

Be Careful When Negotiating With the Insurance Company 

It should not be surprising that the goal of the insurance company is to minimize their payout. They can try various tactics to achieve this goal. This includes trying to pressure you to accept an unreasonably low offer. It is best you allow your maritime attorney to handle all communications with the insurance company.