Virginia Maritime Lawyers

Maritime law differs significantly from traditional personal injury law.

It is a specialized area of federal law with unique statutes and legal doctrines. If you were injured on a vessel, barge, tugboat, dredge, or in navigable waters in Virginia, you need an attorney with experience handling maritime claims.

Attorney Richard J. Serpe has that experience. After law school, Mr. Serpe earned a Master of Laws in Maritime & Admiralty (LL.M.). He has spent over four decades representing injured workers and their families in claims arising from negligence. When injured Virginia maritime workers need an attorney who truly knows this field, they come to the Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, PC.

Richard Serpe, LL.M. in Maritime & Admiralty Law

Richard Serpe’s maritime law background sets him apart from many Virginia attorneys.

After earning his Juris Doctor, Mr. Serpe pursued advanced study specifically in maritime and admiralty law, completing his Master of Laws in Maritime & Admiralty at Tulane University School of Law. Tulane’s maritime law program is regarded as one of the best in the world. Only a small number of U.S. law schools offer this degree at all.

Richard Serpe has been recognized by Best Lawyers since 2005 for his work in personal injury and maritime law. He holds Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent rating, the highest distinction awarded for legal ability and ethics. He has also been named a Super Lawyer, ranking among the top 5% of attorneys in Virginia, since 2006 and maintains a 10/10 “Superb” rating on Avvo.

His firm has also been recognized in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Firms rankings for excellence in personal injury and maritime law.

Maritime Cases We Handle in Virginia

The Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, PC represents individuals injured in a wide range of maritime accidents and offshore incidents throughout Virginia.

We handle maritime injury claims involving:

Jones Act claims for injured seamen
Barge, tugboat, and dredging accidents
Commercial fishing and offshore work injuries
Crane, cargo, and vessel loading accidents
Vessel collisions and onboard accidents
Falls overboard and drowning incidents
Crush injuries, amputations, and catastrophic trauma
Traumatic brain injuries and head trauma
Electrocution, fires, and explosions at sea
Unseaworthy vessel claims
Maritime wrongful death

These cases often involve serious, life-changing injuries and may involve employer negligence, unsafe vessels, or other conditions governed by maritime law.

Understanding Maritime Injury Claims

Maritime law provides several types of compensation depending on the nature of the claim, including traditional damages such as lost wages and pain and suffering, as well as unique remedies like maintenance and cure.

Jones Act Negligence Claims

The Jones Act, formally the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, is one of the most important legal protections available to maritime workers. It allows injured seamen to file personal injury lawsuits directly against their employers when negligence contributed to their injury. This is fundamentally different from workers’ compensation claims.

Under the Jones Act, you may be entitled to compensation for:

Medical expenses (past and future treatment)
Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Disability or permanent impairment
Disfigurement and loss of quality of life

To bring a Jones Act claim, you must qualify as a “seaman” under federal law, a determination that requires careful legal analysis. Generally, you must spend a significant portion of your working time (courts often look at 30% or more) in service of a vessel or fleet of vessels in navigable waters, and your work must contribute to the vessel’s mission or function.

Unseaworthiness Claims

Vessel owners have a legal duty to provide a seaworthy vessel, meaning one that is reasonably fit for its intended purpose.

Claims may arise from unsafe conditions, defective equipment, or an inadequately trained or insufficient crew
Unlike negligence claims, liability does not depend on fault (only on whether the vessel was unfit)
Injured workers may recover damages for injuries caused by these conditions

Maritime Wrongful Death Claims

When a maritime accident results in a fatality, certain family members may bring a claim under federal maritime law or statutes such as the Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA). Depending on the circumstances, recoverable damages may include:

Funeral and burial expenses
Loss of financial support and expected future income
Loss of services, care, and household contributions
Loss of companionship (in some cases under general maritime law)

The type of recovery available can vary significantly depending on where the incident occurred (territorial waters vs. offshore) and which law applies.

Virginia Maritime Settlements

Because every case is different, past outcomes do not guarantee a similar outcome, but they reflect do the quality and depth of work we bring to every case.

$3.5 MILLION: Barge incident on the Elizabeth River causes TBI
$2.5 MILLION: Crane barge capsizes resulting in a wrongful death
$1.25 MILLION: Barge fall injury while working on the James River
$1.2 MILLION: Barge incident leads to severe injury due to 15ft fall
$375 THOUSAND: Tugboat incident causes injury on the Elizabeth River

Virginia Maritime Client Review

Maritime Injury Cases Across Virginia

Virginia is uniquely positioned in U.S. maritime commerce. Hampton Roads, comprising Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News, Hampton, and Virginia Beach, is one of the largest natural harbors in the world and one of the East Coast’s most active maritime hubs. It is home to:

Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval base
The Port of Virginia, one of the busiest container ports on the East Coast
Major shipyards, including Huntington Ingalls Industries in Newport News
A dense commercial tugboat and towing industry
Active dredging and waterway maintenance operations
Commercial fishing fleets operating on the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean

The Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, PC represents maritime workers and their families throughout Virginia, from Hampton Roads to the Chesapeake Bay, from the Eastern Shore to the inland rivers and waterways where commercial activity takes place. Distance is not a barrier to representation.

Contact Our Virginia Maritime Lawyers

You were injured doing dangerous work. The company you worked for had an obligation to keep you safe, and when they failed that obligation, they created a legal liability. The question is whether you have an attorney who understands maritime law deeply enough to hold them fully accountable.

We are here to help. Your consultation is free. You pay no legal fees unless we win.

Call or text (757) 233-0009, use our chat, or send us an email today.