Van Riper & Nies is an aggressive and experienced maritime injury law firm with a concentration in maritime injury law claims involving recreational boaters and passengers, personal watercraft, cruise ship passengers, crew members and seamen, longshoremen, and other maritime employees and passengers. We take cases nationwide from our Florida offices, including cruise ship cases, many of which must be filed in Miami.
Experience
We are unique as a plaintiff’s law firm because of our attorneys’ experiences with maritime injury litigation. Attorney Christian Van Riper is an avid boater and former Florida prosecutor. He began his legal career as a State Attorney, where he prosecuted countless serious felony cases for the State of Florida. His time working for the state sharpened his trial skills, which benefit him today when he represents maritime injury clients. Christian also represents mariners charged with maritime criminal offenses.
Attorney Tim Nies is a military veteran and a proud lifetime supporter of the Disabled American Veterans. When serving as an Airborne Ranger with the Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment, Tim sustained a line-of-duty knee injury during a parachute mission. He had to work hard to rehabilitate his knee; however, his knee injury ultimately caused his departure from the United States Army.
Tim, more than most injury attorneys, knows how it feels to suffer from and overcome a life-altering injury. Soon after acquiring his law degree, he worked as an insurance defense trial attorney for a respected cruise ship defense law firm, where he honed his skills as a trial attorney and learned how to evaluate and litigate maritime injury cases. The work and life experiences of these two attorneys afford our law firm unique and valuable insight when representing injured passengers, longshoremen, and seamen in maritime injury claims, including longshore claims.
Our Approach to Maritime Injury Claims
Tim and Christian have known each other most of their lives and work personal injury cases as a uniquely qualified trial team. Their law firm is known in the maritime community for its proactive and hands-on litigation style, the personal attention it provides each and every client, and an eye for detail in the prosecution of maritime injury claims.
Van Riper & Nies’ singular approach benefits clients on two levels. First, both Tim and Christian are extremely familiar with the details of their clients’ cases, collaborating on the best possible litigation and trial plan. Second, their clients can speak with an attorney about their cases at any time of the day and night. Van Riper & Nies is known for the personal attention it provides to clients, who are usually pleasantly surprised to be able to speak to an attorney after hours and on the weekends. From our offices in Stuart, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Delray Beach, we represent injured clients throughout Florida. We represent injured Longshoremen nationwide.