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Vessel Sinkings

Sadly, even in the modern era, vessels are lost at sea. Coast Guard, ABS, and other industry safety standards are in place to prevent the unfathomable from occurring, but sometimes it does.

You may have lost a loved one at sea in a vessel sinking, or you may have survived a vessel sinking, but suffered physical and psychological injuries in the process. Those injuries can lead to lost wages, lost ability to work, and steep hospital bills. While sinkings can be the result of unforeseen circumstances, human error can also play a role. If you were injured in or lost a loved one to a vessel sinking, you deserve justice.

Washington, California, and Oregon Vessel Sinking Attorneys

The attorneys at BoatLaw, LLP have handled numerous claims arising from vessel sinkings. We will fight for you to obtain just compensation if you have lost a loved one to a shipwreck or if you have suffered injuries in a shipwreck. We have recovered millions on behalf of the victims of vessel sinkings, both for accident survivors and for the families of victims. We will fight to do the same for you. Call us today at 1 (800) 262-8529 to set up a free consultation to discuss the details of your case with our shipwreck attorneys.

We represent victims of vessel sinkings and their families in state and federal courts throughout the Pacific Northwest, including in Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska. We maintain offices in Bellingham and Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and San Francisco, California.


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Vessel Sinking Information Center


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Causes of Vessel Sinkings

There are many reasons why a ship may sink, including:

  • Faulty design
  • Poor construction
  • Negligent or deferred maintenance
  • Collisions from failure to follow Rules of the Road
  • Allisions
  • Navigational errors
  • Storms, hurricanes, typhoons, rogue waves, and the failure to heed warnings of these natural phenomenon
  • Overloading
  • Failure to maintain lookout

Shipwrecks often result from a combination of these, and other, factors. After a sinking, the Coast Guard and the vessel owner’s insurers will investigate to determine the causes of the casualty. Their findings often will be confidential, so you need an admiralty lawyer to investigate on your behalf, sooner rather than later. If the ship owner or employer was at fault, they should be held liable for your damages.


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Safety Measures on Oregon Ships

Because of the inherent risks of plying the oceans’ waters, ship owners are required to outfit their ships with appropriate safety gear, like lifeboats, life jackets, fire extinguishers, EPIRBS, survival suits, and other life-saving equipment. For compliance with Coast Guard regulations, crew members are required to perform monthly drills to prepare for a fire or flooding that can cause a vessel to sink.

If a ship is not sufficiently prepared for an emergency at sea, the results can be tragic. If you suffered injuries or you lost a loved one because a ship did not comply with industry standards or Coast Guard safety regulations, you deserve justice.


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Wrongful Death Claims in Maritime Courts

If your loved one went down with a ship, you may have a right of recovery, whether your loved one was a crew member, officer, or passenger on the vessel. Federal statutes like the Jones Act and Death on the High Seas Act (or “DOHSA”) and maritime common law provide paths to recovery.

In vessel sinking—cases where most of the evidence lies on the bottom of the sea—the plaintiff’s burden is succinctly described by Judge Beeks—formerly of the Western District of Washington bench—in the case of In re DEEP SEA as follows:

“The law, however, provides claimants faced with such an onerous burden some relief. Where claimants establish negligence or unseaworthiness on the one hand and there is an unexplained loss of a vessel in expectable weather on the other, the court is permitted, although not required, to infer that the negligence or unseaworthiness was the proximate cause of the loss. Claimants’ burden is, therefore, reduced to establishing negligence or unseaworthiness, which reasonably, though not necessarily, may have been the cause of the loss.”

Once your attorneys establish fault on the part of the vessel owner or employer, the surviving members of the decedent’s family may recover money damages. Types of money damages that may be recoverable are loss of consortium and pecuniary damages.Consortium is a legal term for the intangible damages you suffer from the death of a family member or spouse. Pecuniary damages cover lost financial support from the loved one’s wages, loss of domestic services, funeral expenses and more.

Finally, the family may recover for the pre-death pain, suffering, and fear of impending death experienced during their loved one’s final minutes.

If your loved one died, the ship owner or employer’s insurance company may offer you a settlement. They may tell you it is the best offer you will receive, but the insurance company is only looking out for its bottom line. A maritime injury lawyer can negotiate a higher settlement or take them to court to get the best result possible.


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BoatLaw, LLP | Washington, Oregon, California Shipwreck Attorneys

If you survived a vessel sinking, or you have lost a loved one in a vessel sinking, the experienced maritime lawyers at BoatLaw, LLP can help you fight for the justice you deserve. Call us today at 1 (800) 262-8529 for a free consultation.


 

  • The Maritime Law Association of The United States
    The Maritime Law Association of the United States (MLA) was founded in 1899. Its formation was prompted by the organization, some three years earlier, of the International Maritime Committee.
  • Washington State Bar Association
    The Washington State Bar Association operates under the delegated authority of the Washington Supreme Court to license the state's nearly 40,000 lawyers and other legal professionals.
  • Oregon State Bar
    The Oregon State Bar is a government agency in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded in 1890 as the private Oregon Bar Association, it became a public entity in 1935 that regulates the legal profession.
  • Alaska Bar Association
    The Alaska Bar Association is a mandatory bar association responsible to the Alaska Supreme Court for the admission and discipline process of attorneys for the State of Alaska.