An injury aboard a commercial schooner is subject to the admiralty law of maritime personal injuries. That means whether the ship (or owner) is liable for the injury depends in large part on the status of the injured person. Was the injured person a paid crewmember,...
injury
Strange Facts, Great Case
Sometimes strange facts can add up to a great case. The facts can be legal. For example, early in my career I represented a truck driver client who had been badly injured when heavy cases fell on him when he opened the rear doors of the semi. The company that loaded...
Crew Agreements? Yes, crew agreements.
Yes, crew agreements. Federal law requires that the owner of a fishing vessel sailing from a U.S. port and of 20 gross tons or over must have a written employment agreement with each seaman. The agreement must state the effective dates of the agreement, and “the terms...
Crunch Time for a Maritime Lien
Crunch Time for a Maritime Lien A maritime lien gives a provider of fuel, repair services etc. an automatic lien on the ship to which the services were provided. The lien allows the provider to seize the ship in court and sell it in satisfaction of the lien and the...
Jones Act Negligence, Unseaworthiness, and Other Seamen’s Personal Injury Remedies
Hurt on land, working for some land-bound contractor, factory or shop, and chances are you will look to worker’s compensation law to pay for your care and lost wages. Working at a shipyard, and your relief comes in the form of the federal Longshore and Harborworkers...