Recreational and Commercial Boat Accident Lawyer

 

Proctors in Admiralty, also commonly known as Maritime Lawyers or Marine Lawyers, are boat accident lawyers who have specific knowledge and expertise in what is commonly known as maritime law, marine law or admiralty law. This is a distinct body of law that governs activities and offenses that take place on navigable waters, including oceans, rivers, creeks  and lakes.

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Certified Civil Trial Attorney is a designation granted by the New Jersey Supreme Court to attorneys who are able to demonstrate sufficient levels of experience, education, knowledge, and skill in civil trial practice.  The Supreme Court, through its Board on Attorney Certification, designates only those lawyers who apply for certification and who are able to meet the standards set by the board and approved by the court.  
     A certified attorney is more than just an attorney who specializes in a particular area of law.  A New Jersey attorney who is certified by the Supreme Court as a civil trial attorney must have:  been a member in good standing of the New Jersey bar for more than 5 years, fulfilled ongoing continuing legal education requirements, demonstrated a substantial level of experience in civil trial law,  has been favorably evaluated by other attorneys and judges familiar with his or her work, and, taken and passed a written examination in civil trial law.
   The certification program helps the public find attorneys who have demonstrated proficiency in specialized fields of law.  Certification helps lawyers by giving them a way to make their experience known to the public and to other lawyers. Certification also encourages the maintenance and improvement of attorney competence in specialized fields of law.
    As of December 2016, approximately 1,650 attorneys are certfied civil trial trial attorneys  out of roughly 75,000 active lawyers in New Jersey.  Although many practicing trial attorneys now advertise in newspapers, on television, and in the Yellow Pages, only attorneys certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court are entitled to use the designation “Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney” on their letterhead, business cards, Yellow Pages listings, or in their advertisements.

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Admiralty Law, also called Maritime Law, or Marine Law, is a combination of U.S. and international law that covers all contracts, torts (personal injuries) or offenses that take place on navigable waters. 

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Admiralty Law covers any navigable body of water, including oceans, seas, bays, harbors, canals, navigable lakes, rivers and creeks.  Often, when individuals are looking for a lawyer because they need representation for a boat accident injury, or a marine wrongful death, they do not know where to turn.  The terms most often searched are "boat accident lawyer"  "boat accident attorney" "cruise ship accident lawyer" "marine accident lawyer," and often "best boat accident attorney."  Most often the term Admiralty Lawyer is confused with the Navy.  An Admiralty Lawyer or Proctor in Admiralty practices in civilian state or federal courts, where the JAG Corp (Judge Advocate General) handles legal issues inside the US Navy.

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Most individuals have never heard of Admiralty Law.  When they are involved in a boating accident, or marine casualty, they either make the mistake of contacting a trusted and well intentioned family or personal injury lawyer, who lacks any specific knowledge in the field of admiralty law.  They also search the internet for a boat accident lawyer or boating accident lawyer, and often find themselves dealing with a land based attorney with no specialized knowledge in the required field of admiralty law. Anyone can advertise that they handle boating accident cases.  These lawyers, no matter how  diligent, often find themselves easily outmaneuvered by skilled admiralty defense lawyers.   If you are looking for a lawyer to handle your boat accident case, or maritime wrongful death case, Death on the High Seas (DOHSA) Case, Jones Act case, Longshoreman's (LSHW) 905B case, vessel collision or to defeat Limitation of Liability, don't get injured twice.  Contact an admiralty lawyer /a/k/a proctor in admiralty who specializes in the field of admiralty law a/k/a maritime law or marine law.

 

Time:  While the axiom "time is of the essence" is often used in contracts and litigation, it has special significance in an admiralty setting.  Even the best boat accident attorney can run into issues that occur in a marine claim that do not exist in land based claims.  In a boating accident case, evidence can simply sink or be washed away.  It is therefore imperative to contact a boat accident attorney as soon as possible after a boat accident or other marine casualty. 

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Navigable Waters:  All oceans are navigable.  Any sea, bay, river, lake, creek, canal, or other body of water that eventually leads to the sea , and is capable of being used by boats for commercial purposes are navigable.  (If only a light raft or canoe can transit the waterway, it is generally not considered to be navigable).  According to US Supreme Court definition, waters are navigable if they are "navigable in fact." "And they are navigable in fact when they are used, or are susceptible of being used, in their ordinary condition, as highways for commerce, over which trade and travel are or may be conducted in the customary modes of trade and travel on water." The Daniel Ball, 10 Wall. 50.1. 19 L. Ed. 999. And see Packer v. Bird, 137 U. S. 001. 11 Sup. Ct. 210. 34 L. Ed. 810; The Genesee Chief, 12 How. 455, 13 L. Ed. 1058; Illinois Cent. R. Co. v. State, 140 U. S. 3S7, 13 Sup. Ct. 110. 30 L. Ed. 1018
 

Admiralty Law does NOT involve claims involving the United States Navy. That area of law is military justice, and involves the JAG (Judge Advocate General) Corp.