Compenstation for seafarers

The Mateusz Romowicz Legal Consultancy is engaged in the provision of comprehensive legal services to seafarers and maritime workers in enforcing their claims for accidents or deaths aboard ship against shipowners, employers or P&I Clubs.

The consultancy's team represents seafarers and maritime workers or their families at every stage of the proceedings to obtain the benefits they are due. In many cases seafarers and maritime workers are effectively denied the opportunity to assert their claims in the matters set out above, such as in connection with long-term damage to health whose only cause was an accident on a ship, as they do not have the necessary legal knowledge or documentation that would allow them to resolve the issue quickly and amicably. Furthermore, experience shows that in some cases seafarers and maritime workers are deliberately deceived by the entities who are obliged to pay out the compensation referred to above. Therefore, if there is an accident aboard ship, seafarers and maritime workers should ensure that an accident report or protocol of the event is prepared. The seafarer or maritime worker who has suffered the accident should receive a copy of this report or protocol that has been certified by the captain. In addition, the seafarer or their family should notify the shipowner of the claim arising from the accident or illness as soon as possible because in some cases the period of time allowed for doing so can expire relatively quickly.

In many cases seafarers or their families sign agreements with shipowners without seeking legal advice beforehand, which often prevents them from bringing further claims against shipowners or their insurers.

Seafarers and maritime workers should ensure that they establish the following when they begin work with a new employer:

• Does the shipowner have a reliable insurer?
  

• What is the scope of the insurance covering the shipowner and the crew?
  

• Is there a collective bargaining agreement in force on the ship? Seafarers and maritime workers should definitely and in all cases be in possession of the contents of the collective bargaining agreement, which should be given to them on the date the contract of employment is concluded!
  

• What rights do seafarers and maritime workers have if they have an accident that results in long-term damage to their health?
  

• What rights do the families of seafarers and maritime workers have if a seafarer or maritime worker dies aboard ship?
  

• Which law governs the employment relationship between the seafarer and the shipowner?