Death on the High Seas Act
Death on the High Seas Act – Maritime Injury Lawyers
Beard Stacey & Jacobsen has been helping families recover compensation in maritime wrongful death cases for over 20 years. They have handled the high profile accident cases involving vessel sinkings including the Alaska Ranger, Arctic Rose, Aleutian Enterprise, and Katmai. They understand how the death of a loved one at sea impacts a family. They understand the complex maritime laws that govern negligence and compensatory damages in maritime wrongful death claims. Beard Stacy & Jacobsen employ sophisticated trial techniques and strategies to prove what caused an accident, how it could have been prevented, and the amount of compensatory damages to which you are fairly entitled. They have recovered millions of dollars in wrongful death damages for families located throughout the United States.
The Death On the High Seas Act applies to all maritime accidents that happen more than three miles from the shores of any of the United States or its territories. It limits damages to spouses, children, parents, and dependent relatives. You are limited to pecuniary damages under the Death On the High Seas Act, and there is no recovery for damages for loss of love and affection and loss of society for deaths that occur on the high seas. You must prove negligence or fault to have a claim, and only seamen have claims under the Jones Act or claims for unseaworthiness. If the decedent was a crewman injured through negligence or unseaworthiness, there is a claim for pain and suffering by the crewman prior to his death.
The Death On the High Seas Act was enacted into law by Congress in 1920. The Act, 46 USC Sec. 761, states:
Whenever the death of a person shall be caused by the wrongful act, neglect, or default occurring on the high seas, beyond a marine league from the shore of any State, or the District of Columbia, or the Territories or dependencies of the United States, the personal representative of the decedent may maintain a suit for damages in the district courts of the United States, in admiralty, for the exclusive benefit of the decedent’s wife, husband, parent, child, or dependent relative against the vessel, person, or corporation which would have been liable if death had not ensued.
If you have questions about your rights to wrongful death damages in a maritime cases involving a Death On the High Seas Act claim, contact a lawyer at Beard Stacey & Jacobsen for a free initial consultation. Lawyers in the firm are licensed in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. As permitted by applicable rules, they are available to represent clients throughout the Nation in association with local legal counsel. We are available to put our years of knowledge and experience in maritime death cases to help you get the answers and compensation you deserve.