Admiralty and Maritime Law   

Florida Maritime Lawyer Serving Clients Worldwide

As the first Board Certified admiralty and maritime law attorney in the Florida Panhandle, John Merting has personally handled hundreds of serious personal injury and death cases involving vessels and oil rigs throughout the world. Mr. Merting has represented clients in cases involving commercial and passenger vessels in both offshore and inland waters. With nearly 40 years of experience, he has been consulted and retained in admiralty and maritime matters by governmental entities and fellow lawyers.

Mr. Merting has litigated claims for seamen injured in the Gulf of Alaska, the Singapore Straits, off the coast of Africa, throughout the Gulf of Mexico, on the Mississippi River, and on other rivers and inland waters of the U.S., including the Intracoastal Waterway. He meets with potential clients at no charge, and does all work on contingency, only receiving payment as part of a settlement or jury award.

Maritime Law and Personal Injury Cases

Our admiralty and maritime law firm regularly handles claims involving:

• Brain injuries, for clients with all types of brain trauma including brain damage, brain death, hypoxic/anoxic brain injury, open head injury, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and more
• Catastrophic injuries, including traumatic and anoxic brain injuries, closed head injuries, amputation, paralysis and other serious, permanent conditions
• Career-ending injuries, including injuries such as back injuries or amputations, that can prevent an offshore employee from keeping his or her job
• Jones Act and unseaworthiness claims, which cover injuries due to vessel and oil rig accidents and liability under admiralty law
• Cruise Ship Accidents, involving passengers and employees in cases involving negligence on the part of cruise ship owners and operators
• Yacht Accidents, involving injuries due to accidents caused by safety violations, onboard fires, drowning and collisions at sea
• Cruise Ship Assaults, involving cases where a lack of proper personal security contributed to the opportunity and means for committing a physical or sexual assault onboard a cruise ship
• Seaman's Claims, representing seamen in personal injury claims under the terms of the Jones Act and General Maritime Law
• Commercial and recreational boating injuries, including personal water craft (PWCs) and cruise ship passengers injured in accidents
• Wrongful death, including any maritime-related death occurring as a result of someone else's negligence
• Oil rig accidents
• Commercial and recreational diving accidents

John Merting, as the first Board Certified Admiralty and Maritime attorney in all of North Florida, and with more than 40 years of experience, frequently accepts referrals from fellow lawyers needing assistance with admiralty and/or maritime law claims. Mr. Merting has written and lectured on these subjects throughout the United States and Canada. He can also handle legal malpractice claims on behalf of clients whose attorneys did not handle admiralty and maritime law matters appropriately.

Contact Our Maritime Law Attorney John W. Merting Today

For an attorney with the expertise and experience to handle even the most complex admiralty or maritime law matters, please contact the Law Offices of John W. Merting, P.A. You can also fill out a special personal injury intake form. Mr. Merting handles each case personally, never handing clients off to assistants or paralegals. From law offices in Gulf Breeze, Florida, Mr. Merting represents clients nationwide and throughout the world who have been injured at sea. Our Pensacola area law firm serves mariners throughout the Gulf Coast in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, the Mississippi River and the Intracoastal Waterway.

For general information about personal injury law, please see our Personal Injury/Wrongful Death FAQs.