Smart Reporting. Brilliant Results

At Nautilus Investigations, we know time is always of the essence, and our technology empowers us to transmit up-to-the-minute information directly to our clients. We provide instant access to documents and photos captured in the field.

We have earned a sterling reputation within our industry for the high-quality reports and exhibits we generate for our clients. Our investigators and adjusters produce smart, concise and easy-to-read reports. These high-quality and detailed reports are not only helpful to our clients, but absolutely essential as a cornerstone for successful claim defense and litigation preparation by claims adjusters and lawyers.

Nautilus Investigations understands and respects the needs of our clients, as well as our required and desired level of participation in the claims process. We interact regularly with retail insurance agents, U.S.- and London-based brokers, underwriters, claims adjusters, law enforcement and other experts on every level, throughout the marine industry, in order to provide the results they need and have come to expect from us.

Our Areas of Expertise

admiralty
Our primary experience and specialty relates to the marine industry. All of Nautilus Investigations’ admiralty work is on behalf of the interests of vessel insurers, adjusters and attorneys who represent them and/or the vessel’s owners, operators, or charterers. We handle any kind of marine casualty, including the following:

  • Vessel theft: We developed www.StolenBoatNotices.com to assist in the recovery of stolen and missing vessels. We draft, post and distribute Stolen Boat Notices via this website and email to hundreds of established contacts all across the world. These multi-national contacts include all levels of law enforcement, marinas, fuel stops, salvors and more.
    Our investigations have resulted in the recovery of stolen vessels in all corners of the world, including Cuba, Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Haiti and all throughout the continental United States. We have recovered high-worth vessels whose insured total value is in the tens of millions of dollars. We have experienced similar success recovering missing and stolen cargo.
  • Vessel collisions, allisions, groundings and accidents of all natures and description
  • Vessel fires, sinking, physical damage, wreck removal and salvage
  • Hull and machinery breakdown or theft
  • Marine surveys, including assessing condition and value< as well as damage surveys
  • Passenger and/or crew injuries and deaths including Jones Act seaman claims
  • Missing/lost at sea passengers and/or crew
  • Coordinate sale of vessel salvage
Nautilus Investigations employs staff experts who possess a thorough understanding of how cargo moves. This intimate knowledge of the industry is what it takes to complete successful investigations stateside and throughout the Western hemisphere. We work on claims involving the following scenarios:

    • Missing and stolen cargo

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  • Hijacked shipments and containers
  • Damaged shipments
  • Short shipments

In addition to the recovery of cargo and merchandise, we will proudly provide recommendations on the best methods, practices and interventions to limit exposure to future theft of in-transit shipments.

At Nautilus Investigations, we also engage in investigation and training specifically related to the ever-expanding and evolving cruise, excursion, and yachting industries. Our expertise and offerings in this area include the following:

    • We conduct vessel safety audits and shipboard inspections for insurance purposes. These inspections enable insurers and ship owners to minimize onboard hazards that may contribute to shipboard and shore-side accidents. We educate the ship’s staff and crew on how to respond to shipboard incidents and best protect the interests of owners and insurers.
    • Training of shore-side personnel regarding ship-related incidents
    • Creation and customization of accident reporting forms

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  • Vessel-related crew illnesses, injuries and fatalities
  • Investigation of reported rapes
  • Inappropriate behavior by crew
  • Robberies and theft aboard ships
Nautilus Investigations offers a variety of specialized services to our clients. Some are collateral to our maritime and intellectual property rights investigations, while others occur independently. Representations of independent general investigations include the following:

  • Surveillance
  • Photographic services
  • Witness and defendant locates
  • In depth interviews of witnesses and receive recorded statements
  • Financial fraud
  • Theft and stolen property
  • Loss prevention audits
  • Due diligence inquiries
Our licensed All Lines Claims Adjusters provide support to our clients through adjusting damage claims, managing Maintenance and Cure for Jones Act Seamen and Longshoremen, adjusting medical bills and attending Mediations.

    • Jones Act Seamen and Longshoremen claims have very specific regulations that must be adhered to in order to avoid bad faith and punitive damage suits.

      Our adjusters have years of experience in handling these claims. We receive and carefully review all medical records and adjust all medical bills, saving Insurers and Underwriters thousands of dollars.

    • We do not just “adjust and pay.”

      We maintain contact with the injured crew member/longshoreman and keep track of their progress toward Maximum Medical Improvement and/or until suitable alternative employment is found. Our efficient and attentive handling of these claims often leads to a successful, non-contentious, final settlement.

    • Our adjusters are available to attend mediations on behalf of Insurers/Underwriters whenever and wherever needed.

      As Underwriters’ Authorized Claims Representatives we generally attend claims mediations with the attorney representing Underwriters and are empowered with “full authority to settle the claim up to the policy limits.” We review each claim in detail prior to attending the mediation, and, on occasion, have firsthand knowledge of the claim because we conducted the investigation. We have relationships with many of the maritime attorneys throughout the State of Florida, and work closely with them to keep our clients updated throughout the process.

Since 1982, Nautilus’ investigative efforts on behalf of trademark owners and their attorneys have resulted in hundreds of successful civil and criminal actions. We are a pioneer in this field, and our investigation of counterfeiters resulted in criminal prosecutions under Federal Statutes for counterfeiting 18 Stat. 2320. Acting with U.S. Customs and the Secret Service, Nautilus Investigations was part of an elite task force that investigated and prosecuted companies and individuals under what then was a “new” federal statute. These early, successful prosecutions are now cited as case precedents. Our work on behalf of trademark and intellectual property rights owners includes the following:

  • Investigation and enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), including counterfeit, copyright infringement and unfair competition issues
  • We represent trademark owners and conduct enforcement efforts at major-league and large-scale sporting events throughout the United States
  • Investigation of Local, State and Federal criminal operations
  • Civil action search-and-seizure operations
  • Diversion and parallel shipments
  • Seminar presentations to all levels of law enforcement and trade groups