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Editor: Rod Sullivan
Profession: Maritime Attorney

Category: Boating Accidents

If a foreign ship causes an injury in a U.S. port while it is under the direction of a pilot, in most cases the shipowner can defeat liablity by asserting the compulsory pilot defense. The defense says that if the law required you to carry a pilot (and it always does on foreign ships) then the shipowner is not liable if there is an accident.

How can you defeat the defense? Most times you need to arrest the ship. To do that, you need a maritime attorney.