Marine

The Rimkus Marine Services team investigates incidents and construction disputes to explain what happened, where possible, and how to avoid the same issues in the future.

Accidents and incidents involving marine vessels and facilities occur on a regular basis. Whether from a natural catastrophe, such as a hurricane, or a collision between two vessels, we are here to help.

Our marine engineers, naval architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, and marine-certified fire investigators specialize in evaluating a wide array of maritime incidents and accidents including vessel sinkings, groundings, fires, equipment failures, injury accidents, and damage to piers and wharves. We investigate damage to the vessel and shoreside structures as well as crew and passenger injury claims.

Disputes between parties during the design and construction of marine vessels and facilities are a common occurrence. Rimkus naval architects and marine engineers have decades of experience with the construction of a vast array of marine vessel types from recreational vessels to yachts to ocean-going cruise ships. Our experts can evaluate the standard of care of marine design professionals and provide consulting services in new construction and ship repair disputes.

Our Marine Services

From the total loss of the cargo to damage from exposure to moisture, vibration, or mishandling, Rimkus experts have the experience to assist on most types of cargo damage claims.

Due to interactions with water as well as vessels, the design of marine facilities for berthing, mooring, and repairing vessels requires a combination of specialized skills and knowledge. The Rimkus Marine Services team has handled assignments involving seawalls, bulkheads, jetties, breakwaters, mooring docks, graving docks, marine lifting appliances, mobile marine hoist basins, and floating drydocks.

Some of the common causes of vessel fires include faulty equipment or maintenance, electrical shorts or overloads, and other accidents. When needed, Rimkus fire experts will engage and collaborate with our team of marine professionals to determine the source of a vessel fire. Our marine professionals are well-versed in marine fire protection standards from recreational vessels and yachts to cruise ships.

Whether it’s a small craft or a large ship, Rimkus experts have the skills, training, and experience to complete a comprehensive marine accident investigation to assist in determining the cause. Our team of naval architects, marine engineers, and marine consultants use a combination of sophisticated modern tools and traditional investigative techniques.

Ship stability of both intact and damaged vessels is an integral part of naval architectural analysis. Our experts have analyzed numerous vessel types and have consulted on the cause of the capsizing of many vessels. The Rimkus Marine Services team uses a combination of experience and state-of-the-art tools to uncover how and why vessels sink.

The design of marine vessels requires highly trained naval architects, marine engineers, and mechanical and electrical engineers. Our experts use their real-world project experience to quickly identify and solve problems.

Rimkus naval architects and material scientists have tackled complex composite structure damage claims resulting from groundings, allisions and collisions, fire and explosions, and apparent manufacturing defects. Our experts find the root causes and provide easy-to-understand explanations for these failures.

Rimkus experts have combined decades of experience leading design offices and working in some of the United States’ most well-respected shipyards. Our team is trained to handle any disputes involving the details of naval architecture and marine engineering standards of care.

Our team can provide clients with marine construction and repair assessments to assist in the resolution of disputes regarding marine vessels and shoreside structures.

With a deep understanding of the traditional elements of pure marine salvage, Rimkus experts can evaluate the merits of salvage award including the labor expended, the promptitude, skill, and energy of the salvor, the risk incurred, and the degree of peril.

The proper evaluation of maritime premises liability incidents requires specialized skills and knowledge. The Rimkus Marine Services team includes industry-leading experts with degrees in naval architecture and marine engineering, in addition to certifications as safety professionals, ergonomists, and tribometrists. From recreational boats and cruise ships to residential docks and commercial piers, our experts can provide thorough onboard and pierside evaluations to clients.

Understanding the mechanics of human locomotion (gait), fall dynamics, and injury mechanisms, as well as the interactions between humans and vessels, are key factors in determining how falls and injuries may have occurred. Our biomechanical experts evaluate these factors alongside ship motions to conclude if they contributed to a reported event.

Human factors issues may cause or contribute to some maritime accidents. Such accidents are often multifactorial and may require additional consideration by Rimkus human factors consultants. Our experts investigate variables including an individual’s task, their training/experience, and the products they were using, as well as product instructions or safety information, the actions of the people around at the time of the activity, and the environment in which the activity was being conducted.

Most modern commercial ships are built and maintained in accordance with one of the eleven major classification societies and are maintained in compliance with international rules and regulations. Similarly, many recreational vessels are built in conformity with various national and international standards. Our team of experts are well-versed in most of these maritime standards across commercial and recreational vessels.

Clients in the maritime industry often search for alternative dispute resolution methods through the means of mediation and arbitration assistance. Rimkus consultants have served as mediators, arbitrators, and experts at tribunals, and work closely with clients to help meet their objective of efficiently resolving disputes.