Admiralty

The Fox Galvin Marine Group is comprised of lawyers with over fifty years of experience defending marine interests in state and federal courts throughout the United States. These cases are often in “tough” jurisdictions for Marine defendants. Fox Galvin attorneys represent numerous Marine entities, including:

towing companies
barge owners
dry dock and loading dock operators
casino boats
stevedore operators
underwriters
brokers
fleeting and harbor services

We are frequently retained to board vessels or go to accident sites to investigate Marine events and gather information on an expedited basis. We are available 365 days a year for such emergency assignments. Examples of our investigation management are:

Investigation of an accident in which a barge struck a fleeting operation resulting in a multi-million dollar claim. Prompt response and detailed investigation efforts secured critical evidence that resolved the claim in favor of our client.
We frequently investigate and represent the interests of marine clients following accidents resulting in serious injury, death, and/or property damages.
We have a formal emergency response plan that includes an agreement with a charter aircraft company which allows us to be in the air within one hour after being advised of a marine emergency. Time is of the essence in such matters, and we have planned ahead to defend our client’s interests.

Marine trial defense work is the focus of the Marine group at Fox Galvin. We have defended and prosecuted a variety of marine claims in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Iowa, and throughout the central United States. Claims we have defended include:

Multi-million dollar property damage cases resulting from navigational issues, cargo shipments/handling, and flooding
The defense of Jones Act and other personal injury litigation
Limitation of liability actions
905(b) longshore cases
Maritime insurance disputes
Coast Guard licensure actions
Maritime employment actions

Obtaining landmark results has distinguished Fox Galvin lawyers among the best maritime lawyers in the United States. Examples of recent results include:

Defense judgment in a Jones Act case tried to a judge in East St. Louis, Illinois, in which the plaintiff sought $750,000.
Our successful defense of a nationally recognized casino operation in which fifty plaintiffs sued for injuries arising from a chemical exposure on a casino boat. We persuaded the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals that the plaintiffs were not “seamen” and could not recover under the Jones Act. The plaintiffs were limited to worker’s compensation benefits, thus dramatically reducing the potential damages.
We successfully defended a fleeting operation which had been sued by a critically injured maritime worker under the Jones Act. We were again able to establish the employee was not a Jones Act seaman, reinforcing our ability to successfully defend “status” cases under the Jones Act.
In a nationally cited case, we argued that Jones Act defendants are entitled to jury trials. Following a favorable appellate court ruling, we were able to resolve the case for a fraction of its original value. The case has received national attention and may ultimately benefit the entire maritime industry by entitling Jones Act defendants to jury trials.
The Fox Galvin marine team has displayed an ability to settle serious injury cases on terms favorable to its clients. Fox Galvin recently settled a case in which a maritime worker was killed by defective line for the sum of $15,000.

We are committed to providing superior quality service and a vigorous defense to our marine clientele. Our trademarks are creativity, hard work, and attention to detail. We are always mindful of opportunities to provide such quality service in an efficient and economical way. The quality of our defense work has been noted prominently in legal and trade journals such as The Missouri Lawyers Weekly and The Waterways Journal.

We developed our emergency response plan to provide our clients with the most comprehensive and detail-oriented approach to investigating marine accidents. Should you require such services, please call us anytime, 24 hours a day, at 1-866-588-7001, and follow the easy directives for “marine emergency.”

REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS:

American Commercial Barge Line, LLC
AON Inc.
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Aztar Gaming Corp.
B & H Towing, Inc.
Beelman River Terminals, Inc.
Blessey Marine Services, Inc.
Bunge Towing, Inc.
Cargill, Inc.
Casino Queen, Inc.
CGB Enterprises, Inc.
CGB Waterfront Services
CNA Maritime Division

Cooper/T. Smith
Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.
J.S. Alberici Construction Co.
Kiesel Marine Services, Inc.
Marquette Transportation Co.
National Maintenance and Repair, Inc.
Osage Marine Services
Robert B. Miller & Associates
St. Paul Travelers
TECO Barge Line
Underwriters Marine Service
Western Kentucky Navigation, Inc.
Zurich American, Inc.

For more information about our Admiralty practice, contact Ron Fox or Greg Erickson.