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Helped a yacht that's run aground? Given directions via the V.H.F. Marine Radio to a boater in distress in thick fog? Towed a boat with a mechanical issue into harbor? All of these instances might very well give rise to a salvage award. Under the general maritime law of the United States, anyo...

Ever been confused by the codes used to refer to different types of personal flotation devices ("PFD")? You know, the Type I, II and III PFD language that's thrown around in various Coast Guard literature? Apparently, you're not alone, or, at least that's what the Coast Guard wants you to believ...

Maritime Attorneys Credited As First To Bring Admiralty Into Wind Litigation BREAKING: Newport, RI / August 12, 2013: Maritime attorney John K. Fulweiler, Esq.'s litigation efforts received attention in a recent article in the Soundings publication. The article discusses Fulweiler and his fel...

When it comes to the maritime law, there seems to be a lot of attorneys who open their desk drawer and put on a captain's hat. That is, at Fulweiler llc we don't need to wear a captain's hat to convince someone that we know our admiralty law. Admiralty and maritime law is all we practice. No tru...

A collision between a boat and a barge. The maritime law has a word for the Hudson tragedy - an allision. An allision is a collision between a moving vessel and a stationary object such as an anchored vessel or a pier. The admiralty law has lots of unique words and lots of unique processes and p...

There are numerous navigational rules and regulations relating to the lighting and marking of moored vessels. These rules and regulations explain when lighting and marking is required, and the type of lighting and marking required such as the brightness and placement of the lights. For instance,...

It's funny, you don't see urologists advertising for neurological patients. And mechanics don't advertise for plumbing jobs and accountants aren't looking to handle your house sale. My point is that why then, do so many attorneys advertise that they handle boat accident lawsuits? The general m...

Don't get me wrong, if you own a boat you're foolish not to have insurance. Typically marine insurance is divided between liability and hull coverage. The problem with marine insurance is that it feels and sort of tastes like auto insurance; there's the cute graphics, the friendly sayings and th...

When you don't hire an admiralty attorney, you get in a jamb. When you get in a jamb, you lose money. When you lose money, you stop shining your shoes. When your shoes aren't shined, people think you're down on your luck. When people think you're down on your luck, they take advantage. And when ...

Salvage awards encourage volunteers to spring into action and save vessel and cargo from loss to marine perils. You don't need to be a 'professional' salvor to qualify for an award; the recreational boater, and the seaside visitor are equally entitled to a salvage award. In order to qualify fo...

If you think you don't like class action lawsuits, try this one on for size. Before being injured, deemed unfit for service and discharged in Oman, John was a chief cook aboard a Maersk vessel. Among other things, on being discharged John was paid unearned wages at his base pay rate. That is, he...

A cruise is a great departure from the "regular" vacation. However, just as a cruise line vacation may expose you to new and interesting experiences it will also expose you to a new legal framework. When taking a cruise, a passenger should remember the following: The Supreme Court of the Uni...

Summer fun can sometimes result in a recreational boating accident. A maritime personal injury, or, death while boating can result in admiralty (or "maritime" -- they're interchangeable terms) law applying instead of state law. When federal maritime law applies it can change the outcome of your ...

If you're a passenger injured aboard a cruise ship, I hope you find an admiralty attorney. Experience with auto claims, elder law, social security disability and whatever else is listed on a lawyer's website, probably isn't going to be much help in navigating the tricky maritime law waters of su...

Us maritime lawyers often engage in pitched battles over whether a claim or contract is subject to the Court's admiralty jurisdiction. Here are three general comments on admiralty jurisdiction that we suspect are not well known: When the Court's admiralty jurisdiction is invoked the substanti...

On May 16, 2013, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued its decision in the appeal captioned In Re: Petition of Frescati Shipping Company, Ltd., as Owner of the m/t ATHOS I, et al. You can read the decision by clicking HERE. The appeal concerned the apportionment of monetary liability between...

John K. Fulweiler, Esq. accepted an invitation to speak at the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association meeting last night at the Rhode Island Yacht Club. The evening was billed as a discussion of marketing strategies for the marine trades and John was asked to discuss the publication of his recen...

Although a cruise line obtained the dismissal of a personal injury lawsuit, it failed to recover its attorneys' fees and costs. This was the correct outcome and the cruise line was doing what, in my opinion, they do -- throwing their weight around. You see, during the lawsuit which was pending i...

Newport, Rhode Island admiralty attorney, John K. Fulweiler, a fifteen year veteran in the fields of admiralty and maritime law and holder of a U.S. Coast Guard license endorsed for towing, has accepted an invitation to teach a summer class at the Roger Williams University Law School (http://law...

During its March, 2013 Conference, I understand that the Judicial Conference approved a $50.00 so-called "Administrative Fee" to be tacked on to the $350.00 fee for filing a complaint in federal court. That means if you want justice in the federal court, it'll begin by you cutting a check for $4...

The Rhode Island Bar Association will host Proctor-in-Admiralty John K. Fulweiler at two speaking engagements in May, 2013. John will be speaking as part of the Association's Continuing Legal Education ("CLE") series. CLE is professional education of lawyers that takes place after a lawyer's adm...

So let's say you and your buddy and his girlfriend are out for a sail this summer. Maybe, after a few beers, you improvise a marriage ceremony. Back on land and six months later, his girlfriend is saying its legal because you were the vessel's captain that fateful day, is she right? Now, there's...

Maritime attorney John K. Fulweiler, Esq. was asked to speak at the Rhode Island Harbormaster's Association meeting on issues regarding the law of maritime salvage and considerations when dealing with derelict and seemingly abandoned vessels. John was honored to accept the invitation and looks f...

Yesterday, New York maritime attorney John K. Fulweiler attended the American Salvage Association's Spring Meeting. The meeting was held in Stamford, Connecticut in conjunction with the Shipping 2013 conference which was just kicking off. As Chairperson of the American Salvage Association's memb...

An injured seafarer may be able to obtain compensation through the remedies afforded by the Jones Act. Because vessel crewmembers generally do not have a right to claim under state workman's compensation statutes, congress allows crewmembers to bring claims against their employers under the Jone...