Here’s When You Need a Maritime Lawyer, Not Just Any Lawyer

If you are injured on the water – during work or recreation – the process and factors involved in getting the compensation you deserve will be much different than any other case. Check out this quick video from Brother Rutter and the maritime lawyers at Rutter Mills to learn more! [2.5 minute video]

[Transcription]

This is Brother Rutter. I want to speak to you about Maritime Law today. Maritime Law, which is also sometimes called Admiralty Law, simply refer to injuries or accidents that happen on the water. And while you might think that when two boats get in a wreck on the water or a boat and a jet ski get in a wreck on the water, it might be the similar or same law as what happens on land in a car wreck. But it’s not. What happens on the navigable waters of the United States is governed by a patchwork of federal laws. The laws are different than the laws on land, the rules of evidence can be different than the laws on land, the recovery can be different, and sometimes even the court where you have to try your case can be different.

So, there are a few lawyers, like Rutter Mills and like me, who love this part of the law and have specialized in it for years. if you or someone you love is injured on the water, make sure you get somebody who has vast experience in Maritime Laws. They are traps for the unwary if you don’t know what you’re doing.

I’ve always loved the water; I’ve always been a boater. So, Maritime Law was natural to me. It was also natural to me because I heard about it my whole life. My father was a big Maritime lawyer, not just in Virginia, but all over the East Coast and Gulf Coast. I’ve followed in his footsteps and I’ve handled Maritime cases in many different states and on the East Coast, West Coast, and Gulf Coast of the United States. I’ve handled wrongful death cases in Florida, I’ve handled spinal injuries out of Louisiana, and I, of course, have handled plenty of Maritime cases here in Virginia. In fact, I taught Maritime Law at the University of Richmond Law School. It’s something that I love intellectually, factually, and I love personally.

Maritime Law can apply in a pleasure boat situation like I described earlier, or in a work situation. For those of you who may work on the water, on barges or on tugboats, or even those of you who might be on a cruise and get injured or sick, all of those types of fact patterns are called Maritime Law.

So, if you have questions about this type of law, call me! I love to talk about it, and I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!