Steve Gordon is an Offshore Injury Lawyer representing the family of Karl Kleppinger, a victim of the incident, and ten injured rig workers including Douglas Brown whose interests he represented as a party of special interest during the Joint USCG/BOEMRE Investigation.

The law of general average is a legal principle of maritime law according to which all parties in a sea venture proportionally share any losses resulting from a voluntary sacrifice of part of the ship or cargo to save the whole in an emergency.In the exigencies of hazards faced at sea, crewmembers often have precious little time in which to determine precisely whose cargo they are jettisoning. Thus, to avoid quarreling that could waste valuable time, there arose the equitable practice whereby all the merchants whose cargo was on board would be called on to contribute a portion, based upon a share or percentage, to the merchant or merchants whose goods had been tossed overboard to avert imminent peril.

Source: Wikipedia

Our favorite new industry blog MarineBuzz.com brings us news of a new way to avoid the courts and reduce Admiralty Lawyers fees with Maritime Arbitration. They tell us:

Good news for the Shipping companies in the USA.Settlement of marine disputes through courts is a cumbersome process. THE MARITIME ARBITRATION ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES (MAA) is the national organization of the maritime community for alternative dispute resolution. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including arbitration and mediation, is faster and less expensive than courtroom litigation.

1.The Maritime Arbitration Association of the United States (MAA):

• As a nonprofit organization, the MAA educates the maritime community about ADR and administers cases under its Rules. Maritime disputes require specialized legal expertise. The MAA is the only national ADR organization whose arbitrators and mediators are maritime lawyers. They are peer-reviewed for the highest standards of ethics, impartiality and competence. To ensure predictability and fairness, cases are handled in appropriate U.S. venues, rather than distant cities or foreign countries.
• The MAA helps achieve the fair and just resolution of maritime disputes, whether they are related to cargo, marinas, passengers, shipyards, or vessels.

To continues reading their article CLICK HERE then head over to the homepage for other great stories: MarineBuzz.com