Marine & Cargo Practice
The Maritime Practice Group at LESTER SCHWAB KATZ & DWYER, LLP has the experience and depth to handle any type of maritime litigation, including:
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Claims for damage to hull and cargo
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Claims for personal injury and wrongful death
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Environmental litigation
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Commercial litigation and arbitration
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Insurance coverage litigation
The Maritime Practice Group at LSKD includes attorneys familiar with all aspects of maritime commercial, tort, and environmental litigation. Because the business of this firm is litigation, our attorneys are all experienced litigators who know that conscientious preparation for trial puts their clients in the best position to settle disputes on favorable terms, especially in cases involving complex technical issues.
LSKD attorneys have particular expertise in defending personal injury claims arising out of marine construction and other harbor work. We successfully argued to the New York Court of Appeals in Lee v. Astoria Generating Co., that New York’s plaintiff-friendly Labor Law was preempted by the federal Longshore Act in suits against vessel owners. LSKD attorneys also have particular expertise in maritime product liability cases in which the firm’s experience in working with nationally known experts can be dispositive.
Over the years, LSKD attorneys have:
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Defended an engine manufacturer against claims for the total loss of a containership, including multiple claims for loss of life
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Defended stevedores against claims for the total loss of a containership due to fire caused by alleged improper stowage of IMDG Class 5.1 dangerous goods
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Defended truckers and terminal operators against claims for loss of and damage to goods in transit
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Defended property owners, employers and contractors against bodily injury claims by marine construction workers
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Assisted marine insurers with a variety of coverage and regulatory issues