What Is a Maritime Injury Case in Savannah, GA?

If you’ve been injured in a Savannah, GA accident, Roden Law’s Maritime Injury Lawyers are here to help. Our Savannah office serves victims throughout Savannah, Pooler, Richmond Hill, Hinesville, Statesboro, Brunswick, and surrounding Southeast Georgia communities. Why Choose Roden Law for Your Savannah Maritime Injury Lawyer Case? Our attorneys have recovered over $300 million for […]

— Reviewed by Eric Roden, Founding Partner, CEO at Roden Law

Key Takeaways

If you were injured in a maritime injury in Savannah, Georgia, you generally have 2 years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33). Georgia follows a modified comparative negligence rule — you can still recover as long as you are Modified — recover if less than 50% at fault, with your award reduced by your percentage of fault. There is no cap on compensatory damages in an ordinary Georgia injury case. Roden Law represents Savannah injury victims on a contingency fee: the consultation is free and there is no fee unless we win.

If you’ve been injured in a Savannah, GA accident, Roden Law’s Maritime Injury Lawyers are here to help. Our Savannah office serves victims throughout Savannah, Pooler, Richmond Hill, Hinesville, Statesboro, Brunswick, and surrounding Southeast Georgia communities.

Why Choose Roden Law for Your Savannah Maritime Injury Lawyer Case?

Our attorneys have recovered over $300 million for personal injury victims across Georgia. We handle every case on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless we win your case. Our Savannah team regularly appears before the Chatham County Superior Court and understands local procedures and filing requirements.

Georgia Personal Injury Law

Under Georgia law, injured parties have a limited time to file a personal injury claim. In Georgia, the statute of limitations for most personal injury cases is 2 years from the date of injury (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33). Georgia follows a modified comparative fault rule — you can recover damages as long as you are less than 50% at fault (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33).

Contact Our Savannah Office

Don’t wait to get the legal help you need. Call our Savannah office at (912) 303-5850 for a free, no-obligation case review. We’re available 24/7 and there are no fees unless we win your case.

Roden Law’s Savannah Maritime Injury Lawyers proudly serve Savannah, Pooler, Richmond Hill, Hinesville, Statesboro, Brunswick, and surrounding Southeast Georgia communities.

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What to Do After a Maritime Injury in Savannah, GA

  1. Report the injury and make sure it is entered in the log. Tell the captain or your supervisor, confirm it was logged, and ask for a copy. An unlogged injury becomes an injury that allegedly happened ashore.
  2. Get medical care, and know your employer may owe it regardless of fault. A seaman injured in the service of a vessel is generally entitled to maintenance and cure — medical treatment and basic living costs — without proving anyone did anything wrong.
  3. Read the company accident form before you sign it. You will often be handed a statement written by someone else describing an incident you were present for. Correct it or decline to sign until you have advice.
  4. Photograph the conditions and note who saw it. Deck condition, gear, lighting, weather, and staffing. Crews rotate off and become very hard to find.
  5. Find out which law covers you — it changes everything. Crew members generally fall under the Jones Act, with the right to sue the employer directly. Longshore, dock, and terminal workers generally fall under the federal LHWCA. Shoreside workers fall under state workers' compensation. The three pay very differently.
  6. Do not give a recorded statement to a company representative or insurer. They are gathering a defense, not helping you. You are generally not required to provide one before speaking with an attorney.
  7. Move quickly — maritime deadlines are short and vary by system. An LHWCA claim generally requires notice within 30 days and filing within one year (33 U.S.C. § 913). Roden Law offers free consultations.

Georgia Maritime Injury Law

Statute of Limitations 2 years (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33)
Comparative Fault Modified — recover if less than 50% at fault (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33)

Filing a Personal Injury Case in Savannah

Filing a personal injury case in Savannah means filing in Chatham County Superior Court at 133 Montgomery Street, where civil complaints are submitted electronically through PeachCourt eFileGA, Georgia’s statewide e-filing system. Georgia law gives an injured person two years from the crash date to file under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, and Georgia’s modified comparative negligence rule (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33) bars recovery only if the plaintiff is 50% or more at fault.

Local injury patterns reflect Savannah’s role as a port city: I-95 through Pooler, I-516 from the Port of Savannah, and the I-16/I-95 interchange concentrate commercial-truck crashes, while DeRenne Avenue, Abercorn Street (SR 204), and the historic downtown grid generate persistent pedestrian and intersection collisions. Seriously injured victims across southeast Georgia are routed to Memorial Health University Medical Center on Waters Avenue — the region’s only Level I trauma center — frequently arriving by LifeStar helicopter.

Two Georgia rules matter most for Savannah cases: O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11 allows “added-on” UM/UIM stacking above the at-fault driver’s limits, and O.C.G.A. § 40-1-112 permits direct action against a motor carrier’s insurer — a meaningful advantage in port-related truck-crash litigation.

Do I Have a Maritime Injury Case in Savannah?

Maritime injuries are governed primarily by federal admiralty law, which preempts most state tort doctrines. The applicable framework depends on the worker’s status: seamen (members of a vessel’s crew) sue under the Jones Act, 46 U.S.C. § 30104, which incorporates FELA’s “featherweight” causation standard plus general maritime claims for unseaworthiness and maintenance and cure. Longshore and harbor workers are covered by the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA), 33 U.S.C. § 901 et seq., with § 905(b) third-party negligence claims against vessel owners. Recreational and passenger claims fall under general maritime negligence. Coastal Georgia ports — Savannah, Brunswick, Charleston, Georgetown — generate substantial maritime caseloads.

Types of Compensation in Georgia Maritime Injury Cases

Jones Act seamen recover lost wages, past and future medical care, pain and suffering, and (in death cases under DOHSA, 46 U.S.C. § 30301) pecuniary losses to dependents. DOHSA bars recovery for loss of society in death cases per *Mobil Oil Corp. v. Higginbotham*, 436 U.S. 618 (1978) — a major trap that often makes plaintiffs prefer state-court wrongful-death claims when jurisdiction permits. LHWCA benefits are scheduled compensation similar to state workers’ comp. Maintenance and cure is a no-fault daily stipend plus medical treatment continuing until the seaman reaches maximum medical improvement (MMI), regardless of fault for the injury.

Free Case Review — No Fees Unless We Win Available 24/7 · Georgia & South Carolina
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Roden Law Maritime Injury Lawyers in Savannah, GA Results at a Glance

$300M+ Recovered for injured clients across Georgia and South Carolina
4.9 / 5.0 Average client rating across hundreds of verified Google reviews from our six offices
5,000+ Cases successfully handled since 2013
62 years Combined attorney experience across 5 office locations

Source: Roden Law firm records and verified Google Business Profile reviews, updated August 2026.

Recent Case Results

Settlement $27,000,000 $27,000,000 Settlement | Truck Accident
Verdict $10,860,000 $10,860,000 Verdict | Product Liability
Recovery $9,800,000 $9,800,000 Recovery | Premises Liability

Results shown are gross settlement/verdict amounts before fees and costs. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

About the Author

Eric Roden, Founding Partner, CEO at Roden Law

Eric Roden

Founding Partner, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Our Savannah Office Today

If you were injured in Savannah and believe another party is at fault, contact us for a free, no-obligation review. Call (912) 303-5850 — no upfront cost.