A 60-day waiver, a 659-product carve-out, and a tightened legal standard — what maritime stakeholders need to understand about the most significant Jones Act action in years. On March 17, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, acting on a request from the Department of War, issued a 60-day limited waiver of the Jones Act…
The maritime industry is a global enterprise, powered by hardworking men and women from every corner of the world. A common and dangerous misconception, however, is that the powerful legal protections afforded to injured seamen under United States law are reserved exclusively for American citizens. This is not the case. Many foreign maritime workers who…
What Are Waiver Agreements in Recreational Boating? As an attorney focused on maritime and admiralty law, I often speak with individuals who have been injured on the water. A common thread in these conversations is a sense of hopelessness because they remember signing a waiver before their activity began. Whether it was for a jet…
When an injury occurs on the water, one of the first questions our legal team will ask is: where did it happen? We don’t ask this question only out of curiosity – in maritime law, where an incident takes place is critical to the determination of whether the injured party’s case will be governed by…
As a maritime lawyer, one of the most common questions I encounter is, “What exactly is maritime law?” It’s a field of law that is as vast and deep as the waters it governs. Unlike laws that are confined by state or even national borders, maritime law, also known as admiralty law, is a unique…
An injury at sea is always a serious matter, but when the vessel involved is owned or operated by the United States government, the legal path to compensation becomes significantly more complex. Standard maritime laws like the Jones Act do not apply in the same way. Instead, injured seamen must navigate a different set of…
Summary A policy limit demand is a strategic legal tool used to demand the full amount of an insurance policy to settle a claim where an insured defendant likely faces exposure to liability exceeding the policy limits. This demand places a duty of good faith on the insurer to protect its insured (the vessel owner)…
Understanding the statute of limitations for various maritime claims is essential for seamen, dockworkers, and offshore employees who experience injuries or losses at sea. Maritime statutes of limitations set legal deadlines for filing claims under laws like the Jones Act, the Defense Base Act (DBA), and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). “A statute…
