Maritime Lawyer

A group of Spanish workers who were contracted to work on U.S. Navy warships in Spain between the years 1950 and 1998 have been permitted to sue the company in New Jersey for asbestos-related injuries.

The ruling was made by a New Jersey appellate court. It overturned a previous lower court’s ruling that said they couldn’t sue due to jurisdictional issues. The lawyer for the workers says that the lower court should have considered that New Jersey was the one place the workers could have sued before tossing the case. The workers can’t sue in Spain because the U.S. Navy ships were sovereign territory.

The workers originally filed their case in 2004. 

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease while working on a ship, contact the maritime injury lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 1-866-950-9000 to discuss your situation and to determine your legal options.

The pilot of the container ship that hit one of the supports for San Fransisco’s Bay Bridge has requested that some of the federal charges against him be dismissed.

In November, the Cosco Busan struck the Bay Bridge which ripped a 90 foot hole in the side of the ship. While tearing the hull of the ship, some oil fuel tanks were torn open. This released 58,000 gallons of fuel into San Fransisco Bay. Since then, 800 migratory birds have died.

The pilot is asking to have some of his charges dropped due to a lack of criminal intent. 

In other news, the government filed additional charges alleging that the shipping company is responsible for damages done to federal land and waters. The shipping company is, at the same time, asking for $60 million from the US government to cover some of the repair fees for the ship. They feel the US government owes them money as they gave a license to a pilot who had a history of alcohol abuse as well as sleeping problems.

If you have been injured in an accident involving a ship or shipping company, contact the maritime lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 1-866-950-9000 to discuss your case and to determine your legal options.

A cruise ship recently collided with a Manhattan pier. There are, so far, no reports of injuries.

Officials for New York City say that the collision damaged parking lot support beams on Pier 90 on the Hudson River. They would also like to mention that there is no risk of collapse.

The ship, Norwegian Spirit, was owned by Norwegian Cruise Lines. Earlier in the year, a woman fell from a balcony on a different Norwegian ship and died off the coast of New Jersey.

The ship that crashed was due back to Manhattan following a cruise to the Caribbean.

If you have been injured in a cruise ship accident, contact the maritime lawsuit lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 1-866-950-9000 to discuss your case and to determine your legal options.

A 49-year old stevedore of the Dumaguete port in the Phillipines died after fighting for his life for hours in Intensive Care at a nearby hospital.

The stevedore was apparently injured when a co-worker ran him over with a fork lift.  The victim’s supervisor says he told the victim to release the cargo net from the forklift to load cargo onto the ship. Unfortunately, the fork lift operator did not see the victim.

The Phillipines Port Authority  has yet to issue a statement concerning the matter. The victim’s employer has extended financial assistance to the victim’s family. He is survived by only his daughter.

If you have been injured in a shipping accident, contact the maritime injury lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 1-866-950-9000 to discuss your case and to determine your legal options.

Norwegian Cruise Lines has been ordered to pay the victims of a 2003 cruise ship accident more than $13 million.

The accident occurred in 2003 when a boiler on one of the cruise ships exploded. The accident ended up killing 8 workers and injuring 10 others.

In addition to the $13 million in restitution, the federal judge also ordered the company to pay a $1 million fine. A follow-up hearing will be held on June first to determine additional restitution issues.

The accident occurred in May of 2003 while the SS Norway was at the Port of Miami-Dade. While there, one of the 4 boilers on the ship exploded which sent super-heated steam and oil through parts of the ship. The workers that died all suffered from severe burns, according to the coroner’s office.

If you have been injured while on a cruise ship, please contact the maritime lawsuit attorneys of Williams Kherkher at 1-866-950-9000 to discuss your case and to determine your legal options.