Do Dock Injuries Count as Maritime Law?

Originally published by Christopher Johns.

Injuries that occur while working can be extremely difficult to pursue when attempting to file under any legal claims due to the various approaches one can take. This is especially true when working in a more select field, such as any and all maritime jobs. These include seamen work, working on oil rigs in the ocean, and working on ships under different companies. Since all of these require a specific set of laws and guidelines to be followed, finding out the fine line that separates some areas can be extremely tricky. One of the trickiest comes in the form of dockside injuries, and if they count under the maritime laws. These do not happen as often and should be addressed in terms of who and what can be done to solve these cases. So, let’s go over it.

What is Maritime Law?

For a quick recap of maritime law, this area of the law refers to the laws that specifically cover incidents, accidents, or situations that occur while being connected to the open waters, or water-based business situations. These include everything from offshore rigging, delivery cargo ships, and individual ship owning. However, the main requirement is that they are generally under the business section of incident, meaning personal boating accidents are not usually included under the main maritime laws. Our attorneys can help break down maritime law in more detail for you.

What Constitutes a Dock or Pier injury?

Although it is not talked about as much, docks and piers generally have the same clearance as other maritime law situations. As most docks and piers are used for the business of ships and boats, they fall under maritime law when dealing with issues and injuries that occur in that span. For instance, if one were to be injured on a ship that was ported in a harbor, or was being unloaded on a dock or pier, it would be considered to be a maritime injury.

Most dock or pier injuries occur with machinery or some form of material injury. Most injuries come from working with equipment that is used to either load or unload a ship’s cargo, such as a crane, lift, or jack of some sort. However, what constitutes a dock or pier injury to be assessed under maritime law is a bit more intricate. Not only do you need to prove that it occurred due to some form of work that is related to sea work, such as a ship or cargo from a ship, but also that the negligence was on the other party, such as the company or individual ship owner.

All States are Different

Each state has its own rules and guidelines when dealing with maritime laws and regulations. Although these are generally very similar, it is best to ask and talk to an experienced lawyer who has a great amount of experience within the field of maritime injuries. This will ensure that, no matter what question or incident may have occurred, he or she will either have the information on hand or know where to find said information in regards to the injury claim itself. To make sure your case in handled properly in the Houston, Texas area, be sure to reach out to our firm.

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