"A dark illimitable ocean without bound, without dimension, where length, breadth, and height and time and place are lost."

-John Milton, 1667



Thousands of years ago man realized the seas and oceans of this world offered much more than their boundless beauty. The remarkable waters of the Earth signified a gateway to new life and civilization. With the coming of the ship, mankind found the key to discovering the mysteries and immense power of the world's navigable waters.
The Egyptians, Greeks and Phoenicians were the first ancient societies to use the seas and oceans to their advantage. They each carried on far reaching commerce in the Mediterranean Sea. It was not long before port cities appeared along the coastlines. And, to protect a country's interests in the seas, powerful, well-armed navies were developed. At times, a nation's future rested in its success on the world's oceans.

Over thousands of years, maritime society evolved into a vast network of corporate, military, and private vessels designed to strategically utilize surrounding waterways. One aspect of oceanic life that has not changed, however, is the hazard of seafaring. Each day seamen are injured while working aboard vessels. Fortunately, there are several laws that provide these workers with methods of obtaining financial retribution for injuries they sustain due to their employers' negligence. From the Jones Act to the Death on the High Seas Act, admiralty courts and Congress have developed several remedies to compensate seamen and their families.

View sub-topics below to learn more about how you can recover damages for maritime / admiralty injuries.



See Also

  1. Death on the High Seas Act
  2. Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act
  3. The Jones Act: Overview
  4. Unseaworthiness Claims: Overview
  5. Who is a Seaman?: Overview
  6. Worker Compensation Settlements | Worker Compensation Lawyer
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