Our firm is prepared to help you navigate legal proceedings
to obtain full compensation for your losses and to protect your livelihood.
Meet Our Attorneys
Arnold I. Berschler
Maritime Law, Personal Injury,
Wrongful Death
- Proctor Member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, and a California Certified Legal Specialist in Admiralty and Maritime Law.
- Lead attorney in published opinions emanating from the Ninth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals, and from the State of California Court of Court of Appeals. Litigates cases in the state and federal court level.
- Litigates administrative hearings before the United States Coast Guard.
- Represents clients whether they be injured at sea or be victims of personal injury or wrongful death accidents ashore, or vessel owners-operators.
- We have contributed to the development of case law applicable to vessel-side personnel under Title VII, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 (42 U.S.C., §§1981; et seq;) the Civil Rights Act of 1964, amended in 1991 (42 U.S.C., §§ 2000e; et seq.)
- Has won cases at trial and on appeal under the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.c., §§2674; et seq.
- Admitted to the Fourth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals
Eric R. Draluck
is licensed to practice law in Washington State and California, and holds a Master’s degree in Public International Law.
ERIC R. DRALUCK is licensed to practice law in Washington State and California, and holds a Master’s degree in Public International Law.
- Before going into maritime law, he represented individuals and small business, mainly in personal injury, immigration, and general civil law.
- He has wide-ranging experience in case preparation, dispute resolution, litigation, and appeals. He taught legal research and writing, edited academic and legal texts in human rights law, and he worked on development of legal tools for the International Criminal Court.
- Eric’s approach in each case is to understand the client’s issues and needs, to use the law toward those ends, and to communicate fully with the client every step of the way.
Seafarers
If you have been seriously injured at work, your employer is legally required to take care of you by automatically paying for medical care and paying you money for each day you are not fit for duty. This is Maintenance and Cure law. Additionally, you have the legal right to seek money damages for pain and lost wages when you have finished with medical treatment.
BE CAREFUL! Choices you make can reduce or increase what you receive.
PROTECT YOURSELF NOW by following this check-list::
- If you have not done so already, report your injury immediately.
- Be sure to make a written injury or illness report.
- Ask for a copy of that report.
- Ask to be sent ashore for medical treatment.
- Get names and contact information of crew who saw the accident or who know you were hurt.
- Keep your copies of sign-off papers, shore-side medical care papers and travel papers.
- Do not accept a settlement or sign documents without first speaking with a maritime lawyer.
BE AWARE! Once you settle, you cannot reopen your claim.
Cruise Ship Passengers
Contact us for a free consultation to learn about your rights.
Some operators try to bar claims for illness by the terms of your ticket. Read the back of the ticket carefully. It contains restrictions on what you can claim and what you must do to avoid legal barriers to making a claim at all.
Usually a written claim must be sent to the vessel operator within six months of the accident, illness or sickness before you can file a law suit, and a law suit must be filed within one year of the incident/accident/onset of illness.
Maritime Injuries
Jones Act, Death On the High Seas, Maintenance & Cure
Cruise Ship Liability
Recreational Boating
U.S. Coast Guard Defense
