Vessel Defect Claims

When you purchase a vessel, it is both a personal and large financial investment. All boat owners take pride in their vessels and they should be able to expect that the Vessel that they receive from the manufacturer or dealer, is the Vessel they carefully selected and the one paid for in design, materials and workmanship.

At MarineLawyers.net, we hear countless stories of Owners who out of excitement of purchasing a new vessel, fail to arrange for a comprehensive pre-purchase survey and inspection which may have revealed certain defects. In many cases, there are “latent defects” which are unknown defects that cannot be discovered during ordinary inspection or testing. Latent defects are usually discovered later when certain materials or components used in the construction of the vessel begin to fail. In most cases, without destructive testing, these defects could not have been discovered. However, as time passes, the defective material or components begin to fail and only then do the defects become apparent. Latent defects have been found to exist in circumstances where the workmanship was faulty, faulty materials were used, and in some cases, the result of a faulty design.

The existence of defects, in the vessel itself, in equipment and in the engines, can result in property damage or worse, injury to your crew or passengers. It is possible that the existence of a defect could impact your ability to submit insurance claims or to seek redress against the seller. The actions you take before delivery and upon discovery of a defect will have a direct impact on your ability to obtain the relief you will want to seek. It is imperative you understand the nature of the defect and who the responsibility party is before proceeding.

The attorneys at MarineLawyers.net can assist you

in determining whether a defect exists within

your vessel and determine which party is responsible.

Make certain that the actions you take upon discovering a defective

condition don’t prevent you from holding the proper party responsible!

Contact Us:

E-Mail: Info@MarineLawyers.net

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