Commercial Ship Accident Law

Commercial Ship Accident Laws relate to accidents that occur on commercial or cargo ships. Cargo ship accidents can result in serious injuries or even death to crew members, dock workers, and others, as well as significant losses of property. Commercial ship accidents can occur for many reasons, and can relate to shipping vessels, cruise ships, oil rigs, and many other types of large watercraft or structures. These accidents are governed by different and sometimes overlapping laws depending on where they occur and the nation whose flag each vessel is flying.

Cruise Ship Accidents

One area of recent interest has been commercial ship accidents on cruise lines. In the last decade, headlines have been filled with stories of cruise ships running aground, engine fires and other malfunctions leaving the vessel stranded at sea, and passengers falling overboard or becoming sick with dangerous communicable diseases while at sea. In every instance, laws and international agreements exist to govern how such incidents may be addressed, both in terms of remedying the immediate situation and in compensating the victims for their injuries. Other laws are in place to attempt to prevent such incidents from ever occurring in the first place, like minimum qualifications for those running the ships, designated safe routes the ships are permitted to take, and international safety equipment regulations.

Because of the scale of these vessels and their capacity for international transport, a number of other areas of law are triggered by accidents. These can include immigration laws if passengers are required to disembark in a country other than their intended destination, environmental laws if the vessel causes damage to the ecosystem (such as when it runs aground), personal injury laws for any persons injured in the accident, and many more.

Cargo Ship Accidents

Much like cruise ships, cargo ship accidents can also be quite damaging. Aside from injuring crew members and potentially putting millions or even billions of dollars worth of cargo at risk, the potential for ecological disaster and international disagreements are often enormous. Cargo ship accidents may trigger a number of personal injury claims on behalf of crew members, dock workers, or any other person who may be injured in the accident. There may also be claims under the Jones Act related to these injuries. Should the accident cause the sinking of a cargo ship, international laws regarding salvage and recovery may be triggered. Environmental laws may come into play should the accident result in ecological disaster, such as the rupturing of the hull of an oil tanker. And, a wide array of international laws may be triggered by a cargo ship accident, particularly if the accident occurs as the result of two or more vessels flying different flags impacting one another.

Oil Rig Accidents

Another area of much recent media attention has been the oil rig accident. The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a perfect example of the types of laws and regulations that such accidents may trigger. There were personal injury and worker claims made by personnel on the rig, as well as those who were secondary sufferers of the oil spill. The accident affected the economic livelihood of millions of people who relied on fishing and other industries that were damaged by the spill to make a living. It also brought on congressional hearings, Environmental Protection Agency actions, and a bevy of other administrative actions.

Commercial ship accidents can cover an incredibly diverse range of legal issues from contract disputes to injury laws and even international treaties. For more information about commercial ship accidents, please review the materials found below or contact an attorney in your area. You can find an attorney by visiting our Law Firms page (simply click the "Law Firms" tab on the menu bar, above).

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