Marine and Nautical Casualties
A casualty at sea is never just a technical matter: it is an event that may leave a shipowner or a pleasure craft operator in a state of profound uncertainty. What should be reported? To whom? Who is liable? And what if the insurer denies coverage?
These are legitimate questions, which demand prompt, precise, and legally sound answers.
Marine casualties – and in particular those involving pleasure craft – are a highly specialized area of law, where rules of liability, insurance mechanisms, and navigational dynamics overlap. Very often, yacht owners or operators find themselves alone, facing contradictory survey reports, unclear insurance policies, or outright denials of coverage.
In such circumstances, seeking assistance from a law firm experienced in maritime law is often the most effective choice. The Firm offers legal assistance to yacht owners, shipowners, and maritime operators who have suffered or caused a casualty and require skilled legal guidance to assert their rights. Each case is handled with the utmost confidentiality and timeliness, in close dialogue with technical experts, opposing counsel, and the competent maritime authorities.
Areas of Legal Assistance
The Firm can intervene in all stages following a casualty, from the initial reconstruction of the facts to negotiations with insurers, up to potential litigation. The most frequent matters include:
- Collisions, allisions, and third-party damages
Legal management of casualties involving pleasure craft at sea or in port, including collisions during mooring or manoeuvring. Assessment of liability and initiation of the claims process. - Groundings, damages, and fires on board
Legal support in cases of damage to the vessel caused by mechanical failures, adverse weather, navigational errors, or other accidental events. Analysis of applicable insurance coverage. - Insurance denials
Review of insurance policies, contestation of coverage denials, initiation of settlement negotiations and, if necessary, litigation to secure compensation. - Disputes over construction defects or faulty maintenance
Legal protection in cases involving hidden defects or damages caused by shipyards, maintenance providers, or component suppliers. - Assistance and salvage operations – legal profiles and remuneration
Advice on the legal framework of assistance or salvage operations at sea, including the classification of the intervention and the corresponding patrimonial rights or obligations for compensation.
Many yacht owners and operators turn to a maritime lawyer too late, after attempting to “negotiate with the insurer” on their own. The highly specific nature of maritime law – with its unique rules, strict technical deadlines, and often counterintuitive interpretations – makes it essential to seek legal guidance from the outset. Only then is it possible to build an effective strategy, based on the right documentation, timely action, and well-framed claims, avoiding the risk of losing entitlement to compensation or incurring undue liabilities.
