Tim Akpinar

Tim handles motor vehicle accidents, slip & fall accidents, medical malpractice, boating accidents, cruise ship accidents, and complex hull/machinery/cargo cases. Tim represents commercial mariners, recreational boaters, cruise ship passengers, and other injury plaintiffs. As a former shipboard officer, he understands the importance of the Jones Act and other maritime laws.

Tim taught law at SUNY Maritime College and in the MBA program at Southern New Hampshire University. He worked for BARBRI in preparing bar exam candidates, and on a limited independent basis, he tutors law school graduates for the New York State Bar Exam. He is referenced in Wikipedia - Seaman’s Manslaughter Statute. Tim was asked to cover the subject of limitation of liability for the American Trial Lawyers Association (Defeating Limitation of Liability in Maritime Law).

Tim worked as an environmental engineer for an 826 MW generating station where he trained NYC firefighters in first responder plant hazards that included 138,000-volt transformers, high-pressure steam, hydrogen-cooled generators, and bulk chemical storage. He worked as a shift supervisor at a 425 MW station, responsible for steam turbines and baseload generators.

Tim covers maritime law topics for nationally published maritime and boating magazines, including WorkBoat, The Ensign (US Power Squadron), Offshore, Marine Officer, and LI Boating World. Tim can be reached at (718) 224-9824 or timakpinarlawoffice@verizon.net.

• Free Consultation
• Contingent Fees

New Jersey

Since 1994

New York

Since 1994

St. John's University School of Law

J.D.

1993

State University of New York - Maritime College at Ft. Schuyler

Bachelor of Engineering (1981) | Mechanical Engineering (Marine)

Maritime Law Association of the United States

Member

Current

New York State Bar  # 2621100

Member

1994 - Current

Gulf Coast Mariners

Member

2013

Activities: An Advocacy group for commercial mariners working on the nation's inland and coastal waterways

Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers

Member

2009

Defeating Limitation of Liability in Maritime Law

Trial Magazine - The Journal of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America

Legal Issues for Recreational Boaters, United States Power Squadron - Bayside Power Squadron

Tim spoke about admiralty jurisdiction over pleasure boats, boating accident legal issues, limitation of liability, salvage law, marine liens, and other legal issues related to recreational boating.

Maritime Law Issues for Commercial Mariners, Kingsborough Community College - Maritime Technology Program

Tim spoke about the legal responsibilities of officers and ship's crews, criminal liability, the Jones Act, limitation of liability, salvage law, recent developments in Coast Guard regulations with marine casualty reporting and alcohol testing, marine pollution, and other maritime law topics.

Recent Developments in Maritime Law, St. John's University School of Law

Admiralty Law Society

Tim spoke about salvage law, the law of finds, the Jones Act and legal issues affecting the rights of commercial fishermen.

U.S. Military Sealift Command Shipboard Firefighting School

US MSC

ALARA Training - As Low As Reasonably Achievable - Radiation Considerations in Nuclear Power Plant Design

Reliability Engineering Training

Third Assistant Engineer - Steam & Motor Vessels - Unlimited Horsepower

US Coast Guard

Lifeboatman

US Coast Guard

Q. Seeking legal assistance for disability insurance interview under ERISA plan

July 9, 2025

A: I agree with your line of thinking. Despite what other attorneys have told you about only considering an attorney in the event of a second denial, your concerns and interest in having an attorney for this third-party investigator interview are very legitimate. In terms of your question about arranging legal assistance, you could reach out to local and state bar associations, who usually have attorney referral services. Additionally, here on the Justia site, the "Find a Lawyer" tab above lists attorneys by region and area of practice. Those resources are outside this Q & A forum, so any arrangements you make are between you and the law firms that you reach out to. Good luck

Q. Contractor used wrong paint, seeks refund per contract terms.

July 8, 2025

A: The first step could be to try to discuss with contractor, in terms of whether both of you are amenable to an adjustment based on the discrepancy in paint quality. If that is not successful, then it would depend on your agreement's provisions on dispute resolution - arbitration, civil court, etc. An Iowa attorney could probably advise more definitely on best options after reviewing your agreement. Good luck

Q. Can I be sued for posting a censored screenshot of a group member's post?

July 8, 2025

A: From a textbook standpoint, a case for defamation could generally be argued if the communication about the victim was false (and known to be false, or should have been known to be false), was published to third parties, and the victim suffered harm. If the statement was false, but the victim's identifying parameters were redacted, but their identity might be inferred, one might still sometimes argue that they were harmed. These cases are not as clear-cut as traditional personal injury cases when it comes to demonstrating damages - there can be more subtleties in terms of what constitutes damages. If you posed this scenario to an attorney in a consult, it's likely they would want to know further details. Good luck ... Read More