Seattle Maritime Injury Lawyer

Anthony Urie working as a maritime lawyer and commercial fisherman has seen nearly every possible seaman’s injury and or seaman’s wrongful death, thus fully understands the risks associated with commercial fishing and seaman’s work duties. In 1981 while Anthony was working as a deckhand in the Bering Sea and witnessed another deckhand being washed overboard and drowning at sea. In 1988 Anthony was working on a commercial fishing vessel that capsized in a matter of a few minutes tossing Anthony into the sea without a life jacket or survival suit. These personal experiences at sea coupled with years of litigation experience, instill a passion for zealous representation of injured seaman and a quest for top recovery for injured clients.

Areas of Practice

Injured Seaman: The Jones Act 46 U.S.C. Section 30104 and General Maritime law provide extensive tort remedies and a legal avenues of recovery for injured seaman.

Seaman’s Wrongful Death: Seaman may sue for wrongful death under the “Death on the High Seas Act”, 46. U.S.C. Section 30301 and often under relevant State law for wrongful death.

Maintenance, Cure and Unearned Wages: Ancient maritime codes extended to injured seaman a duty by the injured seaman’s employer to provide medical care, “cure”, daily maintenance payments, and unearned wages, ie. seaman’s pay to the end of the voyage. These maritime codes of “The Laws of Oleron, The law of Wisby, and the Laws of Hanse Towns”, preceded the United States Constitution. United States Courts now reference these obligations to injured and ill seaman. The purpose of maintenance and cure obligations it to provide humanitarian assistance to injured seaman while convalescing ashore, until maximum medical stability is achieved.

Cargo Loss and Damage: The general law of maritime carriage of goods by sea makes the public carrier of goods by sea absolutely responsible for their safe arrival unless loss or damaged was caused by Act of God or of the public enemy, inherent vice of the goods or fault of the shipper. Grace Line v. Todd Shipyards Corp., 500 F2d 361 (9thCir. 1974).

Tower’s Liabilities: A tug boat towing another vessel or barge, must employ proper towing procedures and is liable for negligent navigation. F&S Offshore Inc. v. K.O. Steel Casings, Inc. 662 F2d 1104 (5^th Cir. 1981).

Wreck Removal Operations: Under the Rivers and Harbors Act, 33 U.S.C. Section 401 et seq., the owner, lessee or operator of a vessel which has sunk in a navigable water channel has the duty to remove it and or to reimburse the United States if the United States removes it. Barnacle Marine Mgmt, Inc. v. Unites States, 233 F3d 965 (5^th Cir. 2000).

Maritime Liens: A maritime lien is a non-possessory property right of a non-owner in a vessel, it earned freight, cargo and other maritime property giving the lienholder the right in admiralty courts to have the property sold and the proceeds distributed to the lienholder to satisfy an In rem debt of the property. Seattle First National Bank v. Blue Water Partnership, 772 F2d 565 (9^th Cir. 1985).

Semans’ Employment: Seman are a protected class as wards of Admiralty and the policy of Congress has been to deal with them as a favored class. Hume v. Moore-McCormack Lines, 121 F2d 336 92d Cir. 1940). The maritime laws support written seaman’s contracts and disfavors unwritten crew employment, and has statutory enforcement provisions for nonpayment of seaman’s wages, occurring with or without a written crew contract. State law in some circumstances may supplement federal wage claims which may include employer penalties and attorney fees for the wage claimant.

Pollution Liability: The Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. Section 1281 and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, 33 U.S.C. Section 2700 incur obligations onto vessel owners to not pollute the navigable waters.

Limitation of Liability: The limitation of Liability Act of 1951, 46 U.S.C Sections 30501-30512 include statutory limitations of liability for the benefit of vessel owners, without privity or knowledge of such owner and thus permit them to avoid liability for certain negligence otherwise creating liability.

Maritime Salvage: “Salvage is the reward or compensation allowed by the maritime law for service rendered in saving maritime property, at risk or in distress, by those under no legal obligation to render it”. Fine v. Rockwood. 895 F. Supp. 306 (S.D. Fl. 1995)

Marine Insurance: Marine Insurance is a contract between insureds and the underwriters. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s v. Inlet Fisheries, Inc. 518 F3d 645 (9^th Cir. 2008).

Vessel Documentation: Vessel Documentation is stated in 46 U.S.C. Section 12104 and regulated by the Unites States Coast Guard for many vessels, not otherwise documented in a particular state pursuant to those states licensing laws.