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Verisona: Marine Lawyers And Maritime Law

June 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Marine lawyers specialise in a fairly obvious area of the law; maritime law. In other words, the law of the ocean.

Confusingly, ‘The Law of The Sea’ is actually a separate matter. That’s an international UN convention on territorial boundaries and national rights to navigational routes, mineral resources and legal jurisdiction that your average commercial Marine solicitors will rarely have to deal with other than as a point of reference. Big cases in this area tend be resolved by governments rather than individuals.

Separate to this UN convention is maritime, or Admiralty law. This is an extremely specialised area of the legal profession as it combines both domestic law and private international legal agreements. It deals with matters such as marine commerce, navigation, international shipping, the rights of sailors and crew, as well as the rights and transportation of passengers by sea.

It may sound odd, but this body of law also covers many commercial activities on land – even if they take place entirely upon land – if they are of a maritime character.

The main difference from other bodies of law is that marine lawyers have to be particularly concerned with jurisdiction and international legalities. Although each country has a specific jurisdiction, Admiralty law draws upon numerous multilateral international treaties and a history of arrangements between private organisations and national governments.

The other big differences are that maritime law, though it has been standardised in recent years, is that it’s extremely old. Maritime trade is one of the earliest channels of commerce between nations and the complications of working in several different nations have led to a huge body of legal precedent. Also, in many criminal cases where a jury would be required on land, maritime cases are almost exclusively settled by a judge – or at most, a panel of judges.

Unsurprisingly given the history of our island nation, Britain is extremely central to maritime law. Almost all of the Commonwealth countries – Pakistan, Singapore, India, Canada, Australia and many more – follow English statutes and case law to a great extent and international law is based heavily upon the statutes set down by the 17th century Admiralty.

Marine lawyers are the only legal specialists qualified to help people involved in cases involving harbour or port authorities; marine insurance claims; passenger and crew injury liability; salvage rights; yacht and motorboat sale/registration/theft; vessel finance; maritime import/export, VAT and customs and many, many more cases.

If you’re involved in any claim or dispute like this then don’t rely on your typical accident or injury lawyer – make sure you employ a maritime specialist.

Victor Gomes is a renowned author on various law related articles. For more information on Marine lawyers, please visit www.verisona.com.


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Insurance Companies for Climate Research

June 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

“Since when do insurers care about climate research?” you may wonder.  If you are wondering as well, you would do best to ask RSA Insurance Group, a global insurer with its headquarters in London, UK. RSA’s operations in Canada are more dedicated to marine insurance, but their decision is important even for no medical life insurance.

RSA recently announced a alliance with the World Wildlife Fund.  The synergy is a win-win result; it will serve both “the right thing” and also a business goal.

If anyone can realize a climate change in probability figures, it must be risk analysts.  Risk analysts (actuaries) cluster in insurance houses.  Despite their extensive expertise, the insurers are in some cases unable to foresee what lies ahead accurately enough.  After the droughts and floods around the world, plenty of insurance companies bumped into large claims (mostly from their agricultural clients) and thus had to pay significant compensations on insurance products that are subject to changing weather, climate, and temperature.  This signalled to them that they were incapable of assessing the riskiness of their products correctly.  And risk being the ultimate notion underlying the whole insurance industry, something had to be done about it.

Hence, this experience and the extensive involvement of RSA in marine insurance were the spark that prompted RSA to seek information, opinions and counseling at WWF.  Not that insurers were in danger of extinction; they rather are willing to learn about the transformations happening in the environment that WWF watches so intently.  WWF directs plentiful analyses to watch over animals whose life depends on the smallest changes in the climate or weather.  Through supporting WWF in doing what it is best at, RSA will gain from finer forecasts.  This will then permit the insurer (and other insurers) to estimate its risk better, charge for its insurance products more appropriately, and evade excessive outlays.

Given that the new estimates will most probably be publicly available (including to all insurers), the influence on competition between insurers is going to be slight.  Most likely, more perfect competition will compress policy prices for insurance clients (as long as the predictions don’t prove particularly catastrophic).  The bright side of things is that animals in the wilderness will prosper from the RSA – WWF partnership at any rate.

A growing amount of businesses are apprehending that an eco-conscious business model may not only turn out to be much cheaper, but also allure their clients along with the general public.  This shift in the corporate mind-set can be perceived in global companies such as Sony, which only uses recycled paper, PricewaterhouseCoopers, also inclining towards a wide-scale change to smaller-footprint offices, and, last but not least, Adobe, who have won awards for energy-efficient buildings using modern technologies many times .

Lorne Marr is an independent insurance broker who specializes in no medical life insurance and life insurance for immigrants into Canada.


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An overview of Aviation Insurance

June 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Aviation insurance provides coverage for hull losses as well as liability for passenger injuries, environmental and third-party damage caused by aircraft accidents.

Aviation insurance is insurance coverage geared specifically to the operation of aircraft and the risks involved in aviation. Aviation insurance policies are distinctly different from those for other areas of transportation and tend to incorporate aviation terminology, as well as terminology, limits and clauses specific to aviation insurance.

Aviation Insurance was first introduced in the early years of the 20th Century. The first aviation insurance policy was written by Lloyd’s of London in 1911. The company stopped writing aviation policies in 1912 after bad weather and the resulting crashes at an air meet caused losses on many of those first policies.

The first aviation polices were underwritten by the marine insurance underwriting community. The first specialist aviation insurers emerged in 1924.

In 1929 the Warsaw convention was signed. The convention was an agreement to establish terms, conditions and limitations of liability for carriage by air, this was the first recognition of the airline industry as we know it today.

In 1931, Captain Lamplugh, the British Aviation Insurance Company’s chief underwriter and principal surveyor, said of the new industry: “Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.”

Realising that there should be a specialist industry sector, the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) first set up an aviation committee and later in 1933 created the International Union of Aviation Insurers (IUAI), made up of eight European aviation insurance companies and pools.

 

US Airways Flight 1549 was written off after ditching into the Hudson River

The London insurance market is still the largest single centre for aviation insurance. The market is made up of the traditional Lloyd’s of London syndicates and numerous other traditional insurance markets. Throughout the rest of the world there are national markets established in various countries, this is dependent on the aviation activity within each country, the US has a large percentage of the world’s general aviation fleet and has a large established market.

Click on the following link to contact us for affordable and comprehensive aviation insurance policy.

keshav k solanki is a veteran IT professional with ten years of experience in writing on various technological topics. The author has been associated with various major yacht insurance florida and ocean marine insurance service providers.


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Why You Need Contractors Insurance

June 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If you are a contractor in any type of field, you understand that there are certain risks that you and your client undertake when performing the necessary work to accomplish the task at hand. These risks could be solely upon either party or involve each equally.

Each party involved needs to have that risk minimized so it will not interfere with their own business or even their personal lives. Contractors insurance provides this coverage to give you and your client the peace of mind that you both are seeking.

Contractors Insurance is a policy which is acquired by the contractor themselves. This policy covers and protects the contractor from any kind of liability which can occur while performing the course of the work. These types of insurance policies not only cover the contractor themselves but, they also cover any agents, employees, partners and the like from any kind of claims that may arise.

Depending on the type of policy which you will want to take out, the covered occurrences could include, fire, leaks, acts of God, war and terrorism, safety issues, etc. Before signing any policy, be sure to review every article within the policy to ensure that the liabilities you could incur are covered. Be sure to also exclude any type of liabilities that would not apply to your certain field. You wouldn’t want to purchase and pay for coverage which you will never need.

There is a multitude of professional fields that could benefit with the added protection of carrying some form of Contractors Insurance. Most of these fields are predominately grouped into the construction field. They would include roofers, electricians, plumbers, framers, architects, engineers, etc.

Other fields that could use a similar form of insurance would be computer technicians, designers, landscapers, any form of demolition contractors, any many more. To see if you could protect yourself with this kind of insurance, write down all of the circumstances that could go wrong during your normal course of project completion and consult with your insurance agent. They will have the final answers for you and be sure to bring up your concerns with them. Your agent might have a different kind of insurance that would be better suited to your specific needs.

There are five different options of insurance to consider when forming your policy. They are General Insurance, Workers Compensation Insurance, Inland Marine Insurance, Disability Insurance and Bonds. For your particular area, you may need one, two, three or even all of the available coverage’s.

Be careful to not waste your money on insurance options that you will not need. For example, if you do not transport goods such as a trucking company or other courier service, you would not want to spend the money on Inland Marine Insurance for that is what this type of insurance is for. However, if you have employees that are on your active payroll, you will not want to pass up the coverage for Workers Compensation Insurance coverage. Consult with your insurance agent to get the best coverage at the most reasonable price.

Nasreen Haque


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Boat Insurance 5 Top Buying Tips

June 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Boat Insurance 5 Top Buying Tips

1. Boat Insurance

You never know what may happen to you and your boat’s occupants when it fares out into the vast sea, cases of theft, salvage, and natural disasters are only some problems you may be faced with. It may be a real challenge to be looking for the best boat insurance that will cover all of your needs and demands. Remember to ask as many questions as possible.

2. Know Your Insurer Well

Boat insurance can be procured from either an independent insurance broker or from a direct marine insurance specialist. It is necessary to be buying the boat insurance policy from none other than a reputable agent or provider do loads of research.

3. One Size Does Not Fit All

Each of the types of the sea vessels requires different boat insurance policies. Go for the advice of friends and colleagues. Ask them which boat insurance provider will best satisfy you, again do your research

4. Listen to advise don’t think you know it all

Always listen well to the boat insurance agent. Treat the conversation as you would to a daily discourse. And if you come across some unfamiliar terms, ask for an explanation in the language you will best understand. It is important to know what your boat insurance policy will cover as well as those that will not be covered. If you see some loopholes, then be inquisitive.

5. The Agreed Value versus the Actual Cash Value

These two are the choices in terms of the mode of payment on the boat insurance policy that a boater will want to avail. However, it is the depreciation that sets the difference between the two. For the Agreed Value Policy, the boater will have to pay more for the boat insurance. In the event of total loss, the insurer will not only pay you but will also replace most items with new ones. On the other hand, the Actual Cash Value costs less yet in the event of loss, the insurer will only be paying the actual cash amount that is at hand during the time of the property’s loss. This mode is best for clients who don’t really give a deal about total loss and for least expensive purchased boats.

Nick Alers is the webmaster of  www.esbrokers.co.za


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8 Must Knows About Recreational Boat Insurance

June 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Recreational boats are owned by many and just as cars are covered by insurance recreational boats too need insurance that protects the boat and its owner from many unforeseen happenings; accidents, natural disasters, willful damage and more.

Most insurance companies offer insurance policies for recreational boats. And these are mainly two kind’s boat policies and yacht policies. Boat policies are general with few options while yacht insurance policies have greater range of options. As a recreational boat owner you need to know which marine craft are classified as recreational and what kind of insurance cover you will need to protect your investment and passion.

Here are a few guidelines:

1. When buying insurance buy from a recognized company. You can buy recreational boat insurance online too but while attempting to save money make sure you get dependable and comprehensive coverage. General boat policies offer P&I coverage of approximately USD 500,000 maximum.

2. When buying a recreational boat find out what costs of maintenance and insurance will be. For example new boats are cheaper to insure and wooden boats and high speed vehicles are expensive. Similarly diesel powered boats cost less in terms of insurance than gas powered boats.

3. Insurance rates are lower if you ensure that all safety regulations/norms are taken care off.

4. Many insurance companies offer competitive rates if you have other policies with them like home, health, or auto. So the first step when buying a recreational boat policy is to check with your existing insurance carrier.

5. Find out the advantages of higher deductibles and payment of annual premiums. Always check online what is on offer as far as recreational boat insurance is concerned.

6. Update your knowledge on what comprehensive boat insurance should contain. Find out what physical damage and liability mean. As a recreational craft owner you need to take informed decisions when purchasing boat insurance.

7. Take the help of an insurance expert to decide on whether agreed value is better or actual cash value. It is important to understand what insurance terminology means before purchasing an insurance policy for a recreational boat.

8. Always read the policy in minutest detail and understand it completely. An insurance policy must work to your advantage and so it is important for you to know what you are paying for.

The World Wide Web has articles and tips on marine insurance written by experts as well as boat owners. Be an informed boat owner and keep abreast about boats, insurance, and savings. Follow the law and maintain your boat well. Take recommended courses and ensure that your boat driving record is above reproach. Small steps will ensure that you are eligible to buy recreational boat insurance at great discounts.

There are recreational boat owners associations like Boat US that offer tips and other facilities to members. Always comparison shop this will give you great advantages. There are websites for buying boat insurance that have online tools that will give multiple quotes and well as easy comparison. Make use of such directories /platforms online and you will be able to get the best insurance coverage for your recreational boat.

Matthew Pawlina is a writer for Boat Insurance Company , the premier website to find, boat insurance company, boat insurance, boat insurance quote, insurance boat auction, online boat insurance, power boat insurance, marine boat insurance and many more.


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Independent Contractor Insurance

June 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

No matter how cautiously you plan, or how nicely you keep an eye on safety, disasters and injuries occur, and unexpected circumstance could also make you lose a job! That’s when it turns out to be priceless to have ample insurance for independent contractors. Without sufficient insurance coverage, you could lose the business you’ve been working on to build and make it so possible. A sudden lawsuit can be extremely expensive for small business owners, which is why it comes in handy to invest in a good insurance for independent contractors.

Types of Insurance for Independent Contractors

General Liability Insurance: this kind of insurance covers a range of claims, including incidents that occur at the office, on the business property, or some other accidents connected with business-owned vehicles. General liability insurance also protects against property damages, events with your employees, legal fees, negligence and body injuries.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance:  Having more than a handful of employees will require a Workers Compensation Insurance usually laid by the State. It is also required to carry disability insurance for the employees. While the workers compensation insurance provides benefits to workers if they are injured on the job-both on -site and off-site the Disability insurance protects workers that have been disabled, ill or unable to work.

Commercial Auto Insurance: If your company holds the titles to one or more vehicles and your employees are required to drive as part of your regular work, you will need to get commercial auto insurance to protect against accidents and other wrecks.

Marine Insurance: If your business involves shipping and warehousing inventory you must go with a good inland Marine Insurance to cover your goods against ship wrecks, flood, storms and bad weather.

Additional insured: Construction contractors are required to add other groups to their liability insurances. These additional insured then can submit claims straight to the insurer without claiming against the first insured.

Obtaining a Certificate of Insurance: The Certificate of Insurance is an official document that shows the insured’s’ name, his liability limits and dates with regards to the policy and also the insurance company’s profile. This is important to the employer as he will have to present it as and when required especially if he has been filed a lawsuit.

There are a lot of websites that can help you with getting a good Independent Contractor Insurance. The price also depends upon a lot of factors such as the size of your company, how many employees you have, what kind of products  you are manufacturing and what other coverage’s you need.

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Marine Lawyers

June 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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If you have a boat, but need assistance in any legal matters, then marine lawyers who specialise in maritime legal needs are what you need. You should find lawyers who understand the legal, practical, technical and international problems experienced by mariners, ones that have plenty of expertise in this specific area, as there are many subtleties that non specialist lawyers are likely to be unaware of.

Marine lawyers will act for P&I Clubs, shipowners, insurers, yacht owners, charterers and all sectors connected with the industry. They should also have considerable expertise in relation to marine personal injury investigation, litigation and mediation.

In particular, you will need a firm which can assist with various issues, including litigation in the Admiralty Court, arbitration and mediation, as well as personal injury investigations on yachts, fishing boats and commercial vessels.

You may also need assistance with yacht and motorboat buying and selling, yacht registration, or import and exporting. Drafting commercial contracts and all issues regarding financing your vessel including marine insurance and tax are also issues which marine lawyers can provide advice with and ease the burden of ever day administrative matters.

Just because you are not on land, accidents and collisions can still happen, which will also require salvage and towing, meaning you will need someone to represent you, especially if this involves claims involving port and harbour authorities. Health and safety and personal injury claims will also be covered by lawyers.

When approaching the drafting and negotiating process, lawyers will use their extensive knowledge to protect their clients’ interests, which will give them an advantage over those whose experience lies primarily in drafting their clients’ agreements, not in litigation.

Many agreements contain ‘Arbitration Clauses’ which are terms of an agreement that require that disputes proceed through an arbitration process instead of in Court. Depending on the circumstances, an arbitration clause may or may not be in your best interest. It is the marine lawyers who will be able to assist you making these types of decisions when negotiating and drafting your agreement.

When you are searching for a lawyer to assist you with any legal matter relating to your legal needs, then you will need to shop around and make sure they tick all your boxes. If your “normal” lawyer doesn’t specialize in marine law, then its worth asking them for some advice on a specialist that they can recommend in the area.

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Ryan White is a renowned author on various law related articles. For more information on marine lawyers, please visit http://www.verisona.com


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A Complete Study on House Boat Insurance

June 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Boat insurance not only provide the safety net needed to the owner but it also protect the owner from loosing his boat from life saving or also possibly filing for bankruptcy. It may be very appealing to people, leaving on water.

A well furnished, with big sleeping and living rooms a huge kitchen and a closed in head are quiet luxurious which are flat bottom homes floating on water .the popular place to dock are inlets lakes, bays, near the oceans are some spots to dock, but salt water is not recommended as it is very salty and boats need constant up keep house boats comparing to other boats move slowly and are heavier then the others.

Causing damage to both life and property accidents to take and as a result the owner’s dreams are crashed too with the cost effect. Thus a house both insurance is a very important and required expense which a owner has to pay to save and protect his investment in his property and also his personal finances. Policies are of various types and are not very difficult to find out, but to find a policy which is not expensive and yet comprehensive in coverage could take a lot of us.

There are many boats like jet, ski boats, party boats, cabin cruiser, comes under the category of pleasure boats and a house boat is also classified under them only. These are often covered under the marine policies. House boats are covered with marine industries insurance which is taken up by a special underwriter who handles these policies. All insurance companies have there own criteria and requirements that determines there premium and rates according to there set norms and coverage policies. See also California Dental Insurance.

Age of the vehicle size, horse power, and the type of the vehicle are the factors which the company classifies as the basic items where the house boat which is used is also taken under consideration. Boats used in rivers and lakes are differentiated then the boats used in oceans and hurricane prone area. They have different usage and have different policies, coverage and rates according to their usage. The cost could vary largely depending on the extend on the coverage needed. An individual or a family who is planning to take up a house boat should be well knowledge about the policies, they should see if any .or what types of insurance policies are available or any house boat insurance policy are available on rental basis. Policies are mostly taken of on the basis of the owner’s experience, the use of the boat and also the duration of the boat being on the water.

A various types of policies are offered by marine insurance company. Legally in all states there is a set rule of having the basic and carry the standard water craft liability coverage by all the boat owners. Which in turn protects both the individuals life and property or any damaged occurred, in the operation of the house boat whether the boat is in water or while transportation. Mostly some lenders do need additional coverage. Before taking out a loan speaking to lender and getting information on taking a loan and also consulting an insurer agent for taking out full information as what is needed and understanding the whole process is also very important. Many house boats insurance policies cover a medical payment for the owners.

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From Whence Doth Insurance Come?

June 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

From whence did the requirement for insurance come? It doth appear first of all in the Middle ages. There didst a need to have for financial peace of mind in marine produce transport, travel and salary be! Thus did investors of superior intellect undertake to implement insurance companies.

Insurance has not been an entirely foreign concept in the middle ages. Even then, people realised a demand for defense against dangers along with a guarantee of your income in the event of illness. This led to the development of marine insurance and medical health insurance.

Marine insurance came into being in a coffee shop called “Edward Lloyd’s”. Entrepreneurs might approach prospective investors eating at the coffee shop with a business proposal. The actual investor would likely extend financing in the event that he was interested. The loan would be repaid if the vessel managed to get back to port following its trip. This is similar to a business loan.

To assure a return on the investment, the investor would get a promise or contract from another financier who would guarantee the investor would get their money back, if ever the ship returned or not. The investor settled this luxury either on a monthly basis or perhaps in the form of a cut of the proceeds of the sale of the ship’s cargo. These last financiers ended up being a primitive type of insurance companies.

In the middle ages many merchants and tradesmen had been a part of a guild. Being part of a guild had a number of advantages. One of which was a primitive form of medical health insurance. The guild was not able to invest money with insurance companies, so they collected money through members in the guild to assist a fellow guild member when they became critically ill and also not able to work. The cash was collected from month to month, it basically formed part of the members’ guild fees, the fee charged to people for the privilege of being part of the guild.

So, as you can see, insurance companies have been in existence for years and years in some form or another. Individuals are renowned for seeking some security when they spend money on something. People paying for marine ventures would certainly demand a guarantee that they would certainly have a return on their investment if the ship returned or not and members of any guild wanted a guarantee that their families would be provided for even if and when they were unable to work.

Exactly the same concept applies now. People need to know that they will be able to replace their goods or belongings when it comes to a catastrophe or theft. For this reason they take out insurance, to ensure they don’t wind up destitute should things go unbelievably wrong.

And thus ends the tale of the origins of insurance companies. Investors of exceptional intellect did gather in a coffee house and deduce that security was needed. Guild leaders elected to allow members some funding if and when they become ill so that they may recuperate and resume full functioning in the guild. And thus it will continue ’till the end of time.

For more information on insurance companies visit our site on http://www.youinsure.co.za


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