The Hull Department provides a 24 hour service with a dedicated out-of-office hours number, which is constantly manned. The team members, who include a marine solicitor and Master Mariner, have legal, nautical and ship management backgrounds. Between us we have over 100 years of claims experience. We can honestly say that it is difficult to envisage a hull claim of which one of us has not had first hand experience.

We assist and advise more than 100 Principals from all over the world with their hull claims, particularly collision, salvage and other third party claims. We carry out a full investigation to provide our Principals with a comprehensive and clear understanding of the circumstances and using our claims handling experience and knowledge of applicable law, we assist them to bring their claims to an expedient and satisfactory conclusion in the most cost efficient way.

The investigations are carried out through our worldwide network of surveyors and correspondents, often assisted by our in-house solicitor who is available to attend casualties wherever and whenever they occur in the world. Recently he has attended in countries as far apart as Chile and Kenya, Egypt and Mauritius. At the site of the casualty he will take statements from witnesses and provide a prompt summary of the incident to our Principals. These statements will be available as evidence in subsequent court or arbitration proceedings. In particularly contentious cases we work closely with independent lawyers, advising and assisting our Principals up to and during arbitration or court proceedings.

The department works closely with the survey companies within the W K Webster group, especially Seawise Maritime Services Ltd, London and Seawise Maritime Services (Pte) Ltd, Singapore. Between them, their experienced nautical or engineering surveyors are available at immediate notice to attend casualties worldwide. Alternatively, the department may instruct local surveyors from our comprehensive and long established worldwide network.

The department frequently issues security in the name of W K Webster & Co Ltd. on behalf of our Principals where their own security may for any number of reasons not be acceptable. Although we are not professional guarantors, the service is provided on terms to help ensure that ships are not arrested and to avoid expensive bank guarantees having to be provided.

A significant number of our cases involve the arrangement of towage contracts. Our wide intelligence network enables us to give early notice to Principals that a vessel is in difficulty and if instructed by them we always try to arrange assistance on terms most favourable to the Principals and their customers. Lump sum or daily rate towage contracts are often agreed to ensure best value for money. We are able to achieve this through our many contacts with tug operators worldwide and their representatives.