Products & Services - Law Offices of John W. Merting, P.A.

With more than 40 years of experience, attorney John W. Merting is the first lawyer in North Florida to be Board-Certified in Admiralty and Maritime Law by The Florida Bar. He often receives referrals from lawyers across the United States who are familiar with his accomplishments in the area of federal maritime law. At the Law Offices of John W. Merting, P.A., we concentrate our practice on cases involving injuries at sea, on cases involving maritime workers and longshoremen and on seaman's claims under the Jones Act. We also represent passengers and employees injured in other maritime and related cases. Attorney Merting helps injured people obtain compensation for their lost wages, medical bills, the resulting pain and suffering, and loss of ability to enjoy life associated with catastrophic injuries, including brain and spinal cord injuries. He also handles maritime industry workers' compensation claims. Most maritime claims have a three-year statute of limitations, but cases involving cruise ships must be filed within one year, and most require written notice within six months. Some wrongful death claims have a time limit as short as two years. Other claims involving ships owned or chartered by the United States Government can have limits as short as 18 months. Do not delay - seek legal help immediately. Seamen injured at work should immediately report the incident to their superiors, seek medical aid, and avoid completing or signing incident reports and medical treatment forms if the incident description is not completely accurate. Most incident reports completed by company personnel attempt to minimize any fault on the part of the employer and/or its employees, and seek to place as much negligence as possible on the injured worker! All injured workers should refrain from giving a taped or written statement until an experienced attorney has advised them of their rights.