When death or injury occurs at sea, the loss affects so many. When a maritime workers dies – his or her family must not only deal with grief, but they must also try to figure out how to get by without their deceased loved one’s financial and emotional support. During this difficult time, our maritime wrongful death lawyer wants to make the unpleasant legal aspects as easy on you and your family as possible.
We can provide compassionate, aggressive representation, giving your family the support it needs during one of the toughest situations.
The Death on the High Seas Act (DOSHA) covers any death occurring three nautical miles from the shore of any state, whether you are a maritime worker or passenger on a vessel. DOSHA also grants designated beneficiaries of the deceased the ability to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Only a personal representative of the deceased can bring a DOHSA claim for damages for the exclusive benefit of the wife, husband, parent, child or dependent relative of the deceased against the vessel operator or corporation responsible for the death.
Under DOHSA, the beneficiaries are only entitled to pecuniary loss, which includes compensation for the income provided to the family by the deceased seaman, taking into account what the decedent would have spent on himself, along with payment for lost services. They also can collect for funeral expenses and other costs related to the death. DOSHA does not let you recover for pre-death pain and suffering.
Maritime laws are unkind when it comes to wrongful death – talk to our attorneys to find out what options are available to you if you have lost a beloved spouse, parent or child to a maritime accident.
If the death occurred within territorial waters, DOHSA does not apply, but different laws apply depending on whether the deceased was a maritime worker or a passenger. A states wrongful death law may apply if death was in territorial waters. Due to the complexity of the law surrounding wrongful death on the water, it is important that you contact the maritime trial lawyers at Latti Associates LLC.
We have obtained many successful verdicts and settlements for injured maritime workers, as well as for the families of maritime workers killed on the job. Whatever the size of the employing company or circumstance of your loss, our lawyers have the resources, knowledge and experience to collect reasonable compensation on your behalf.
Contact a maritime wrongful death lawyer to learn your rights and options. For more than 60 years, our maritime law firm has made a name for itself as a strong advocate for injured seamen, passengers and their families throughout the United States. It costs nothing to talk to us about what you are going through or to learn if we can help.
