A Maritime Lawyer in Houston is Necessary for Deciphering Maritime Laws
Maritime workers have some of the most unique jobs imaginable. Sometimes this is simply because of the nature of their role, but part of it is also because they work under what is known as maritime law. Unlike any other legal system in our nation, maritime law defers to laws that have been established by foreign governments.
This is in large part due to the rich tradition of maritime workers. Their thousand-plus year history means many current laws were built off older ones, which were built off even older ones, which eventually preceded the founding of our nation.
In a court of law hearing a maritime case, it would not be unheard of for a maritime lawyer in Houston to begin their argument by mentioning a centuries-old law from England. Setting precedent there, they can then begin to work forward into the present.
By way of comparison, it would be as if a lawsuit was brought forward by an injured construction worker and the defense cited a British labor law from centuries ago in their rebuttal.
Bodies like the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) are designed to provide certain protections to all Americans, but when it comes to maritime workers, OSHA only serves to prove how complicated the issue can be. Outside of deciding which chemicals a seaman can work with, OSHA loses authority to the U.S. Coast Guard in terms of safety. This too is an artifact of traditional nautical law.
So while things like the Jones Act attempt to make matters straight forward, the importance of a good maritime lawyer in Houston cannot be underestimated. As this article hopes to show, very few things can be taken for granted in maritime law. Best to trust your case to a maritime lawyer in Houston like those from Kirkendall Dwyer LLP.
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