There are very few specialized practice areas approved by the American Bar Association and the legal community. Most lawyers are assumed to be general practitioners, although the only accept a certain type of case. On the other hand, some legal cases involve laws that are so intricate, and in some instances archaic that only a specialized attorney can handle the cases. Maritime law has long been accepted as an area of specialized practice in the United States and is handled by a personal injury attorney. When there are issues of maritime law involved, seeking a specialist is the only way to insure proper representation.

As in every other industry, injuries at sea do occur. Based on the old laws of the sea, how such a case is handled, what jurisdiction it must proceed in and when deadlines will pass are all determined. How and where to begin in a maritime case involves rules of practice and procedure that may not apply to any other type of case. Knowing these special rules of the courts can help and injured party gets the compensation they deserve for the damages they've incurred. Sailors who have been out to sea or extended periods of time may be subject to injuries and illnesses that a land bound person knows nothing about. Responsible parties in maritime law can be difficult to ascertain. Is it the captain of the ship, the shipping company or the vessel itself that holds liability? Only a trained maritime attorney can answer these difficult questions. Only an attorney trained in the law will know where to search for the correct answers. As opposed to state laws which differ from state to state and jurisdiction to jurisdiction, most maritime cases fall under a specific code of laws.

These laws, established in 1920 and codified in the Merchant Marine Act pertain to most injuries involving sailors and persons injured while at sea. Commonly called the Jones Act, after the sponsoring Senator, this act sets out the rights and obligations of persons working at sea. From jurisdictional guidelines to statutes of limitations and the correct wording of claims, the Jones Act is the legal code of the sea.

Finding a law firm that is able to navigate the seas of a maritime injury is not only important, it is necessary to an injured seaman. Doing anything else could relegate the claim to Neptune's deepest reaches, never to be raised again.