7 Qualities Of A Good Maritime Lawyer

If you are a seaman or work on a boat and get injured, then you are likely to need the help of an experienced maritime injury lawyer to handle your case. The lawyer will guide you legally and help you understand your rights after the accident. But hiring a reliable maritime lawyer is not as easy as it sounds. You must hire someone knowledgeable about the law. They should also have experience handling cases similar to yours. It can help to look for specific qualities when you hire a maritime lawyer. McLeod Brock – a reliable maritime lawyer, has listed seven qualities that you can look for in a good maritime lawyer:

Should Focus on The Jones Act and Maritime Injury Cases

The maritime lawyer you hire should focus on The Jones Act and various maritime injury cases. While having basic knowledge about maritime law, most general lawyers may not know enough about The Jones Act to successfully handle your case and bring you the best possible outcome. The Jones Act is complicated, and only a lawyer with in-depth knowledge about maritime law, and the act in particular, and experience handling related cases will be able to handle your case well.

Should Have Courtroom Experience

Most maritime lawsuits are defended by company lawyers and insurance companies. They have extensive experience in such cases and will fight every small issue in the case. Handling a maritime case and dealing with experienced company lawyers and insurance agents will require arguing motions before the court. Some lawyers may never have tried cases in the courtroom, as most cases may get settled out of court. Your lawyer should have the extensive courtroom experience to present your case to a jury. They should be able to argue confidently in front of the judge and jury and present the facts of the case. They should be able to demand a jury trial and explain how the shipping company’s negligence led to your injuries. The attorney should have good knowledge about safety issues like unrealistic shipping schedules, heavy workloads, and routine maintenance.

Should Have an Experienced Team

Your maritime lawyer will have to conduct extensive research to get you the best possible outcome in your maritime case. They may have to spend hours collecting necessary evidence and documents and speaking to witnesses to obtain testimony. They may have to get your work and medical records, arrange and pay for your medical treatment, hire and work with experts to prove your damages, schedule and take depositions from key witnesses, and organize all the collected information. One person cannot handle all of this. Therefore, the attorney should have an experienced and dedicated staff that can collect all the information necessary to bring you justice. This staff will conduct most of the research, speak to witnesses, and collect as much evidence as required to get you the best outcome possible from your case.

Should Have Positive Reviews and Testimonials

Any good lawyer will have previous clients who provide feedback and reviews on their services. They will also not hesitate to let you speak to previous clients whenever possible. This applies to a maritime lawyer as well. When researching the maritime lawyer, look for positive reviews and testimonials from previous clients. If you can, speak to older clients and ask about their experience working with the lawyer.

Should Have Good Communication Skills

Maritime lawyers spend a lot of time listening to their client’s side of the case, their experiences, and their grievances. At the same time, they will also need to speak to witnesses, law enforcement officials, experts, the opposite party, and the judge and jury in the court. As such, they should be very good listeners and be orally articulate. Many lawyers may improve their communication skills while studying law by participating in general public speaking activities. Maritime lawyers should also be able to write clearly and concisely as they must create several reports and legal documents. These communication skills in a maritime lawyer can make a significant difference in any case they take up.

Should Have Good People Skills

No matter how well a maritime lawyer does academically, it will be useless if they are not good with people. Despite their immense knowledge of the law, how good a lawyer is, is determined by how well they can handle people. This is because the lawyer usually works with people, whether you, the opposite party, law enforcement personnel, witnesses, subject matter experts, or the judge and jury. Therefore, they must be persuasive and should be able to read other people. These people skills will help them gauge the judge and jury’s reaction and decide the best approach to any case.

Should Have Good Financial Resources

Maritime injury claims cost money to be successfully represented to a jury or judge. Any claim will involve loss of past and future wages and fringe benefits. In most cases, your lawyer may hire an economic expert to testify regarding your wages. They may also hire a liability expert to prove what the company did wrong, leading to the injury. All of these experts will need to be paid upfront. Since your attorney will be responsible for hiring and getting these experts to court, they will have to bear these expenses, at least till your case is finished and you pay them. As a result, the attorney should have good financial resources to do their best to bring you competent experts who can justify your claims and help you get justice.

Maritime injury cases can be complicated as they involve international waters and cover state and federal laws. Having an experienced maritime injury lawyer by your side can significantly impact your case. The lawyer will use their in-depth knowledge of the law and years of experience to legally guide you, explain The Jones Act, and get the best possible outcome for your case. They can help you with maritime casualty and property damage, maritime product liability, marine insurance, and maritime personal injury and wrongful death.